Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 1454
RT slug: muppet_christmas_carol
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/muppet_christmas_carol
Release year: 1992
Runtime: 85 mins
Wide release date: 1992-12-11
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: 2016-11-30
Tomatometer final: 78%
Audience score final: 86%
Genres: Fantasy, Holiday, Kids & Family
Directors: Brian Henson
Writers: Jerry Juhl
Producers: Brian Henson, Martin G. Baker
MPAA rating: G
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-10-05 20:50:22
Updated: 2026-10-05 20:50:22
The Muppets perform the classic Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge. Other Muppets -- Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and Sam the Eagle -- weave in and out of the story, while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases -- past, present and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.
It may not be the finest version of Charles Dickens' tale to grace the screen, but The Muppet Christmas Carol is funny and heartwarming, and serves as a good introduction to the story for young viewers.
Canonical reviews: 59
Canonical fresh: 46
Canonical rotten: 13
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 59 (46/13), 78% (77.966% raw)
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-10-05 17:41:59
Snapshot Tomatometer: 78%
Snapshot review count: 59
Snapshot fresh count: 46
Snapshot rotten count: 13
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #4357 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| Buena Vista Pictures | distributor |
| Jim Henson Productions | production |
| Walt Disney Pictures | production |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Caine | Ebenezer Scrooge |
| 2 | Dave Goelz | The Great Gonzo |
| 3 | Steve Whitmire | Kermit the Frog |
| 4 | Jerry Nelson | Robin the Frog |
| 5 | David Rudman | Swedish Chef |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1472 | processed | — | 2026-10-05 20:50:22 | Processed successfully into movie_id=1454 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4357 | 2026-10-05 12:41:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-10-05 17:41:59 | 78% | 59 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 59 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=59, fresh=46, rotten=13, tomatometer=78%. Net new reviews added=59, fresh=46, rotten=13. Current canonical totals=59 reviews, 46 fresh, 13 rotten, tomatometer=78% (77.966%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (59). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (78%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 286004 | Alan French | Sunshine State Cineplex | Fresh | 10/10 | 2025-12-15T23:03:22.000Z | 2025-12-15 23:03:22 | With incredible songs, brilliant performances, and A+ craft, The Muppet Christmas Carol has finally started to get its due as a classic. |
| 286005 | Jack Walters | Loud and Clear Reviews | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2025-01-18T19:55:14.000Z | 2025-01-18 19:55:14 | "The Muppet Christmas Carol uses catchy music and charming characters to suck the audience into a beautiful reimagining of Charles Dickens’ festive novella." |
| 286006 | Calum Baker | Radio Times | Fresh | 5/5 | 2024-12-21T02:55:50.000Z | 2024-12-21 02:55:50 | The screenplay's wry humour and the mind-boggling ingenuity of the production team sell every moment. |
| 286007 | Victoria Luxford | BBC.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2022-12-15T14:18:30.000Z | 2022-12-15 14:18:30 | Wonderful. The humour, the terrific soundtrack, it all just seems to come together in a way you wouldn't expect. |
| 286008 | Dulcie Pearce | The Sun (UK) | Fresh | 5/5 | 2022-12-09T12:16:04.000Z | 2022-12-09 12:16:04 | Every single scene is a delight and every song – including the stoical One More Sleep ’Til Christmas and joyful Thankful Heart – hits the perfect note. |
| 286009 | Madeline Roth | The Daily Beast | Fresh | — | 2022-12-05T22:24:57.000Z | 2022-12-05 22:24:57 | The real MVP is Caine and his cockney charm; he plays it entirely straight, acting his arse off alongside a slew of fuzzy, singing Muppets as he reminds us to hold each other close “with a thankful heart.” |
| 286010 | Andy Lea | Daily Express (UK) | Fresh | 5/5 | 2022-12-02T12:30:43.000Z | 2022-12-02 12:30:43 | Until I saw this film, I hadn’t realised that Dickens was one Marley short. Here, Statler and Waldorf rattle their chains as the Marley brothers while delivering one of songsmith Paul Williams’s many earworms. |
| 286011 | Carson Timar | ButteredPopcorn | Fresh | A | 2022-08-28T17:19:17.000Z | 2022-08-28 17:19:17 | Working on multiple levels with an inspiring amount of effort and heart, it is hard to find any other version of the story to stand out quite this much and really capture the full potential of what this story can be. |
| 286012 | Jim Rohner | Battleship Pretension | Fresh | — | 2021-04-14T23:50:47.000Z | 2021-04-14 23:50:47 | ...the greatness of Michael Caine, who is still my favorite on-screen depiction of the iconic miser (sorry, Alastair Sim) thanks in part to his decision to play the part completely straight though acting across from puppets... |
| 286013 | Eddie Harrison | film-authority.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-03-15T15:30:32.000Z | 2021-03-15 15:30:32 | ...should be piped, free of charge, into every home, orifice and vein to aid our muted internal festivities.... |
| 286014 | Mike Massie | Gone With The Twins | Fresh | 8/10 | 2020-09-16T00:14:04.000Z | 2020-09-16 00:14:04 | A charming feature filled with colorful caricatures, important lessons, and inventive humor. |
| 286015 | Ian Thomas Malone | ianthomasmalone.com | Fresh | — | 2019-12-14T02:21:51.000Z | 2019-12-14 02:21:51 | The Muppet Christmas Carol is the definitive holiday classic, a triumph of comedy and tragedy with something to offer audiences of all ages. Simply perfect. |
| 286016 | Caroline Westbrook | Empire Magazine | Fresh | 4/5 | 2019-11-19T20:02:19.000Z | 2019-11-19 20:02:19 | Vastly enjoyable despite the syrupy, soppy song bit in the middle (go make a glass of mulled wine during it). Michael Caine is perfect in the role and there are many genuine belly laughs. |
| 286017 | Peter Rainer | Los Angeles Times | Rotten | — | 2019-11-19T19:52:10.000Z | 2019-11-19 19:52:10 | The Muppets are at their best when they're anarchic, without all this soggy whimsy. |
| 286018 | David Parkinson | Radio Times | Fresh | 4/5 | 2019-11-19T19:52:09.000Z | 2019-11-19 19:52:09 | Although the story has been Muppetised (with Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, the owner of a rubber-chicken factory), no attempt has been made to water down the story, and the poignancy of the moral tale is as affecting as ever. |
| 286019 | Rachel Wagner | rachelsreviews.net | Fresh | A | 2019-05-02T21:12:44.000Z | 2019-05-02 21:12:44 | The Paul Williams songs and Miles Goodman score are just lovely. |
| 286020 | Sarah Cartland | Caution Spoilers | Fresh | 4/5 | 2018-12-01T16:00:33.000Z | 2018-12-01 16:00:33 | A remarkably faithful adaptation with a classy straight man and a dark side. Plus jokes galore -- whoever felt it was appropriate to use Rizzo as a pair of bellows to get the fire going deserves an extra helping of plum pudding. |
| 286021 | Malcolm L. Johnson | Hartford Courant | Fresh | — | 2018-05-31T22:46:19.000Z | 2018-05-31 22:46:19 | Caine carries this Christmas Carol thoughout -- at least from an adult viewpoint. But somehow, Kermit makes a touching Cratchit, as voiced by Steve Whitmire. |
| 286022 | Philip Kemp | Sight & Sound | Fresh | — | 2017-12-20T14:55:50.000Z | 2017-12-20 14:55:50 | The sets are detailed and charming, there are the usual lively, instantly forgettable songs, and several favourites (the Swedish Chef, Rowlf) show up in cheerful cameos. |
| 286023 | Simon Kinnear | Total Film | Fresh | 5/5 | 2017-12-07T02:11:37.000Z | 2017-12-07 02:11:37 | This is the Muppets' finest film. Its mashup of slapstick, songs and literary adaptation is suitably anarchic, but crucially it gets Dickens right. |
| 286024 | Jennie Kermode | Eye for Film | Fresh | 4/5 | 2017-12-06T19:06:14.000Z | 2017-12-06 19:06:14 | No party is as joyous as a Muppet celebration, so don't wait until there's only one more sleep till Christmas - enjoy The Muppet Christmas Carol at every chance you get. |
| 286025 | Kevin Maher | The Times (UK) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2017-12-01T01:39:50.000Z | 2017-12-01 01:39:50 | The Muppets do Dickens with that trademark blast of irreverence, affection and tap-along tunes... |
| 286026 | Peter Bradshaw | Guardian | Fresh | 5/5 | 2017-11-29T16:55:23.000Z | 2017-11-29 16:55:23 | There may be some people who can watch Kermit the Frog's nephew Robin give his heart-wrenching performance as Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol without choking up. I am not among them. |
| 286027 | Charlotte Runcie | Daily Telegraph (UK) | Fresh | 5/5 | 2013-12-26T05:48:52.000Z | 2013-12-26 05:48:52 | Although the Muppets pile on the wit and child-friendly slapstick, they never dumb down, and never compromise their story's literary origins. |
| 286028 | Henry Barnes | Guardian | Fresh | 3/5 | 2012-11-22T19:09:39.000Z | 2012-11-22 19:09:39 | There's lots to love here, particularly Michael Caine's deadly straight take on Scrooge. |
| 286029 | James Plath | Movie Metropolis | Fresh | 7/10 | 2012-11-22T06:50:21.000Z | 2012-11-22 06:50:21 | The late Jim Henson would have been proud of the job that his son did directing this production. It's a solid Muppets feature. Call it "The Muppets Take Dickensian London." |
| 286030 | Bill Chambers | Film Freak Central | Rotten | 2/4 | 2012-11-19T19:31:24.000Z | 2012-11-19 19:31:24 | Director Brian Henson should have left brand expectations out of it and simply carried on in the vein of his father's excursions into fantasy. |
| 286031 | Neil Smith | Total Film | Fresh | 4/5 | 2012-11-19T12:11:46.000Z | 2012-11-19 12:11:46 | There are plenty of laughs and a host of memorable songs crooned by everyone from Miss Piggy to Statler and Waldorf. |
| 286032 | Heather Boerner | Common Sense Media | Fresh | 4/5 | 2010-12-18T13:47:21.000Z | 2010-12-18 13:47:21 | A gentle, fuzzy version of the Dickens classic. |
| 286033 | Tim Brayton | Antagony & Ecstasy | Fresh | 9/10 | 2009-12-22T14:43:39.000Z | 2009-12-22 14:43:39 | Not, maybe, the most rigorous of Christmas Carol adaptations, although it is a lot more faithful than one would perhaps have expected... at any rate a great Muppet film. |
| 286034 | Henry Sheehan | The Hollywood Reporter | Rotten | — | 2007-11-27T19:57:30.000Z | 2007-11-27 19:57:30 | The fit between sentiment and satire is not always a comfortable one and the more dedicated fans of either the story or the Muppets may leave theaters dissatisfied. |
| 286035 | Variety Staff | Variety | Fresh | — | 2007-11-27T19:56:34.000Z | 2007-11-27 19:56:34 | Nothing can really diminish the late Jim Henson's irresistibly appealing characters. |
| 286036 | Unknown Critic | TV Guide | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2007-11-27T19:55:46.000Z | 2007-11-27 19:55:46 | A mixed bag of mixed moods. |
| 286037 | Jonathan Rosenbaum | Chicago Reader | Rotten | — | 2007-11-27T19:54:32.000Z | 2007-11-27 19:54:32 | This is the dullest and least successful adaptation of the Christmas chestnut I've ever seen. |
| 286038 | Derek Adams | Time Out | Fresh | — | 2006-06-24T03:51:37.000Z | 2006-06-24 03:51:37 | Good fun. |
| 286039 | David Nusair | Reel Film Reviews | Fresh | 3/4 | 2006-01-07T03:51:53.000Z | 2006-01-07 03:51:53 | ...an above-average Muppet movie... |
| 286040 | Peter Canavese | Groucho Reviews | Fresh | 3/4 | 2005-12-06T17:22:22.000Z | 2005-12-06 17:22:22 | Strikes just the right balance of irony and sincerity...genuinely heartwarming, from its opening dedication to Henson and Hunt to its joy-to-the-world finale. [Blu-ray] |
| 286041 | John J. Puccio | Movie Metropolis | Fresh | 7/10 | 2005-11-30T11:24:49.000Z | 2005-11-30 11:24:49 | It's hard not to smile at this one and be moved by it at the same time. (Anniversary Edition) |
| 286042 | Christopher Null | Filmcritic.com | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2005-11-20T16:03:43.000Z | 2005-11-20 16:03:43 | With so many good versions of this story on film, it's a little difficult to recommend this telling |
| 286043 | Emanuel Levy | EmanuelLevy.Com | Rotten | 1/5 | 2005-07-05T09:10:49.000Z | 2005-07-05 09:10:49 | — |
| 286044 | Mike McGranaghan | Aisle Seat | Fresh | 3/5 | 2004-11-21T10:12:42.000Z | 2004-11-21 10:12:42 | — |
| 286045 | Robin Clifford | Reeling Reviews | Fresh | 3/5 | 2004-11-19T08:20:05.000Z | 2004-11-19 08:20:05 | — |
| 286046 | Janet Maslin | New York Times | Fresh | 3/5 | 2004-08-30T22:17:34.000Z | 2004-08-30 22:17:34 | There's no great show of wit or tunefulness here, and the ingenious cross-generational touches are fairly rare. But there is a lively kiddie version of the Dickens tale, one that very young viewers ought to understand. |
| 286047 | Ryan Cracknell | Movie Views | Fresh | — | 2003-11-07T15:29:02.000Z | 2003-11-07 15:29:02 | Fun, but seems to be missing a magical tone that'd you'd hope for when combining the Muppets and Dickens. |
| 286048 | Kevin A. Ranson | MovieCrypt.com | Rotten | 2/5 | 2003-02-24T09:40:14.000Z | 2003-02-24 09:40:14 | Rizzo the Rat needs his own movie. Michael Caine, on the other hand, doesn't. |
| 286049 | Alex Sandell | Juicy Cerebellum | Fresh | 5/5 | 2003-02-05T02:05:06.000Z | 2003-02-05 02:05:06 | Another Muppet classic. The best "Christmas Carol" adaptation yet! |
| 286050 | Christopher Smith | Bangor Daily News (Maine) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2002-10-16T05:29:50.000Z | 2002-10-16 05:29:50 | — |
| 286051 | Bob Bloom | Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | Rotten | 1/5 | 2002-09-18T14:38:39.000Z | 2002-09-18 14:38:39 | Bah, humbug! |
| 286052 | Jeffrey Westhoff | Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | Fresh | 3/5 | 2002-08-22T14:18:49.000Z | 2002-08-22 14:18:49 | — |
| 286053 | Laura Clifford | Reeling Reviews | Fresh | 4/5 | 2002-08-11T13:22:25.000Z | 2002-08-11 13:22:25 | — |
| 286054 | Nell Minow | Movie Mom | Fresh | 4/5 | 2002-08-01T14:41:35.000Z | 2002-08-01 14:41:35 | A delight! |
| 286055 | Scott Weinberg | eFilmCritic.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2002-07-27T01:39:42.000Z | 2002-07-27 01:39:42 | Leave it to our favorite fuzzy freaks to breathe new life into Dickens' oft-told tale. |
| 286056 | Almar Haflidason | BBC.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2001-04-17T23:12:55.000Z | 2001-04-17 23:12:55 | It all turns out to be quite touching as Muppet movies go. |
| 286062 | Desson Thomson | Washington Post | Rotten | — | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | The Muppet Christmas Carol isn't terrible, by any means. But it's resoundingly moderate, with merely passable songs by Paul Williams, and only occasional real laughter. |
| 286061 | Rita Kempley | Washington Post | Rotten | — | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | Neither drama nor comedy, it's safe stuff, and most un-Muppetlike. So much for great expectations. |
| 286060 | Roger Ebert | Chicago Sun-Times | Fresh | 3/4 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | Like all the Muppet movies, this one is a musical, with original songs by Paul Williams (my favorite is the early chain-rattling duet by the Marley brothers). It could have done with a few more songs than it has. |
| 286059 | Chris Hicks | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Fresh | 3/4 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | Director Brian Henson, son of the late Jim Henson, has captured his father's vision and carries on the tradition better than anyone could have expected. |
| 286058 | Pamela Bruce | Austin Chronicle | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | It's enough to make one wonder if Jim Henson would have wanted things to take this course. |
| 286057 | MaryAnn Johanson | Flick Filosopher | Rotten | 6/10 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | The little green guy just isn't quite the same these days. |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.