A Muppets Christmas is chock full of the usual puppetry genius and has comedic touches galore, with guest stars appearing every 5-10 minutes. A cavalcade of stars this is, with Uma Thurman, Richard Griffiths, Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, Jane Krakowski, and pitch-perfect performances from Steve Schirripa and Tony Sirico as (you guessed it) gangsters. The holiday problems start when Gonzo neglects to mail a batch of letters to Santa, including one from a little girl that was counting on him for this important errand. Gonzo marshals the resources of Kermit and the gang to help out, but the route they take is predictably unpredictable and fraught with hilarious complications. A perfect example is their failed attempt to use some new wish-granting technology cooked up by Beaker to take the place of Santa. While attempting to demonstrate his gadget, Beaker summons supermodel Petra Nemcova and promptly disappears with her; talk about wish fulfillment!
Letters to Santa has a nice but unoriginal message about the real meaning of the holiday being time with special friends and family. Don't come to A Muppets Christmas expecting any revelations or unique treatments on the holiday season, and you won't be disappointed. This, like most of the Muppets' oeuvre, is all about watching the Muppets riff and do their thing. The cameo appearances from famous celebs are almost secondary to our excitement over the cameos from equally famous Muppets like Swedish Chef, Beaker, and those crazy old coots in the peanut gallery. The success of A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa makes us wish that all things Muppet held a more prominent place in the entertainment landscape today. Probably because the humor often falls closer to recent adult animation like Family Guy, it can easily go over the heads of younger kids weaned on less sophisticated Saturday morning fare. The thirty-somethings that watched Muppets on television will always hold a fond place in their heart for these characters, and Letters to Santa is nice way to bring the gospel to a new generation. Recommended.
