We all know Jim Henson is the puppet master. He along with Frank Oz and many others have created iconic puppet characters for The Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock to name a few. But what if I were to tell you that the characters mentioned in the shows before would all come to together to celebrate the Christmas season in one of the most underappreciated Christmas specials, A Muppet Family Christmas.
The Muppet gang is heading to Fozzie Bear’s mom’s house to surprise her for Christmas. However, Fozzie’s mom had other plans to spend her Christmas in sunny Malibu. Seeing that she can’t quite convince Fozzie otherwise, she allows him and his friends to stay despite her original plans. This especially comes to the dismay of the renters of the house, Doc and his dog Sprocket from Fraggle Rock as they were originally planning to spend a nice quiet Christmas at Fozzie’s mom’s farmhouse. From here, more characters start popping up such as other muppets and even characters from Sesame Street. A whole lot of hilarity ensues as there are songs as well as unfortunate scenarios but the Christmas spirit seems to bring everyone together at the end of the day.
This special is a Muppet fan’s dream come true. It’s quite possibly one of the most ambitious crossovers Jim Henson and crew have ever worked on seeing all the characters from The Muppets, Sesame Street, and even Fraggle Rock which were all shows that Henson himself had a hand in making. The plot itself is very simple and has that miraculously goofy upbeat humor these muppet characters are well known for. A lot of the time the plot just goes in random directions which you’d think would make things inconsistent, but it actually works because these characters work so well off each other and each has their own distinct personality. Most of the characters we see get their own time to shine and nobody (with the exception of Elmo) is left out of the story.
There’s something so magical about seeing every single muppet character, each from different shows all coming together for this huge celebration. I can only imagine what it must have been like to have all those puppeteers working among each other in a very crowded environment. It’s not especially amazing in its background visuals but it’s also not trying to be. Simplicity is what this movie is focused on and it makes this special even more timeless. It captures the Christmas spirit to a tee as we get to hear Christmas songs and see the lovely sites of a decorated home and the snow in the farmyard. When the muppets start singing carols near the end, I bet it would give anyone the feels seeing different muppet properties celebrating Christmas with the utmost sincerity.
This is not only a great Muppet Christmas special but it’s an honored celebration of Jim Henson’s creations all coming together to celebrate everything good and wholesome in this world. I think Jim Henson’s cameo near the end of the special just about sums up everything. It’s all about having a good time and sharing it with the people you love. A Muppet Family Christmas is a must-watch for any Muppet fan or anyone looking to get a good old dose of Christmas spirit.
(Final Grade: A-)