The Film
If you've been inside any retail stores lately, you already know that it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. However, you don't have to deal with brutal shopping crowds to feel the holiday spirit. Instead, we're starting to see a slew of Christmas classics come to the Blu-ray format.
Disney just released The Muppet Christmas Carol, the franchise's first theatrical outing for the House of Mouse, as well as the first Muppets film after the 1990 death of Muppet mastermind Jim Henson. As you could probably guess, this film has the furry troupe putting its Muppet-a-tional spin on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol.
Michael Caine dons the slippers of Ebenezer Scrooge, with Muppets filling out most of the other main characters. For instance, Kermit (Steve Whitmire) is Bob Cratchit, with Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) as his loving wife, Emily. Gonzo even takes on the role of Dickens. That said, I'm not sure why he and Rizzo the Rat (who plays himself!) ride along throughout the movie, except maybe to lighten the mood. Even with Muppets, this can be a bit of a dark tale.
The Picture
As long as you don't go in expecting this to be as beautiful as this year's release of The Muppets, you should be pretty pleased with the 1.78:1 transfer. Some of the scenes are a little on the dark side, in order to support the subject matter. However, brighter scenes pop and there are a ton of bold colors to represent all of the different characters. The detail is also very nice, showing off a lot of Muppet fuzz and fur, as well as good texture on the costumes. You're also going to be treated to a pretty killer closeup on Michael Caine's face, which shows off every sharp hair on that bushy eyebrow. There's a tiny bit of crush and a little noise during the "flying" scenes, but it won't have you saying, "Bah Humbug." Overall, this is a good image.
The Sound
Disney has given this release a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Overall, it conveys dialogue and everything else in the film nicely, but it's a pretty front-heavy experience. That would be fine and dandy, if there wasn't so many opportunities for such a full experience. The Muppet Christmas Carol is packed with songs and special effects. It all sounds great, but it's not the immersive experience that is should be.
The Extras
Disney has included a pretty nifty selection of extras -- even though a good chunk of the material was picked up from the DVD release. Those features include a blooper reel, 3 minutes about Christmas in other countries, a making-of short, a piece with Pepe the Prawn interviewing Gonzo, and a commentary track with director Brian Henson.
However, Disney has been kind enough to include a few new features, including an all-Muppet commentary track and the Disney Intermission feature. The latter is a fun little inclusion, which has chickens, a "rat pack," and a variety of other critters coming on-screen to perform Christmas carols whenever the viewer pauses the main feature.
Also, it's important to note that this edition comes with a Digital Copy of the film. However, there is also a 3-disc version, which adds in a DVD copy of the movie.
Final Thoughts
Muppet fans may be a little bummed with this release, considering the absense of the extended version and specifically the song, "When Love is Gone." If you can get past that, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a fun holiday treat. Sometimes it's a little dark for a kiddie movie, but that's just The Muppets trying to be true to the story -- as true as they can be with frogs, pigs and other creatures filling in some of the roles. It's still a great way to introduce the family to the Dickens' classic, and looks pretty great on this anniversary Blu-ray.
Product Details
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