The Muppets trademark sense of humor wouldn’t seem to gel with Charles Dickens writing, but then again, Alvin And The Chipmunks, the Animaniacs and Daffy Duck weren’t exactly in sync with Dickens writing when they tackled their versions of the classic tale. Amazingly, The Muppet Christmas Carol doesn’t just become a suitable adaptation of the holiday story, but also becomes one of the best Christmas movies ever.

Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine) is a greedy miser who treats everything in the world except for money like rubbish. However, after yet another day of treating Bob Cratchit (Kermit The Frog) horribly, he returns home to realize that he will be visited by three different Spirits that will teach him how to become a better person.

I’ve made it no secret my fondness for the beloved Muppets, to the point where I could likely belt out “Rainbow Connection” at a moments notice. Still, some of the groups films have been a bit middling (namely The Muppets Wizard of Oz), so I was wary of this film when I first saw it a few years ago. Oh, what a fool I was. This film is delightful in every regard imaginable, with plenty of moments that generate laughs and tears. Caine especially deserves kudos for his role, nearly upstaging those zany Muppets in surprisingly well done job as Scrooge. Amongst the many actors that have put their imprint on the character, Caine’s version easily stands out.

Of course, even in the midst of Caine’s superb acting, the various members of The Muppets manage to bring tons of humor to the proceedings, especially cameos from Sam The Eagle and Fozzie Bear (although seeing older versions of both of those characters is jarring to say the least). Filled with warmth and chuckles a-plenty, you can’t go wrong with The Muppet Christmas Carol, which effortlessly blends Dickens writing and The Muppets sense of humor to create the cinematic equivalent of a Christmas miracle.