It is just about an immutable truth that Michael Caine is doing God-level work as Ebenezer Scrooge in "The Muppet Christmas Carol." The 1992 adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic is, partly because it arrived in theaters soon after the tragic and untimely passing of Muppet creator Jim Henson, a surprisingly straightforward take on the holiday story of a grouchy and rich old Londoner who gets a revival of the human spirit after experiencing ghostly visions. With Henson no longer in the mix, the Muppets themselves (especially those originally performed by the great man) take something of a back seat in the film.

Of course, if you are making an adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," focusing on the performer playing Scrooge does make pretty obvious sense. And Michael Caine, by that point an Oscar winner for his supporting work in Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters," seemed then and now...