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David Mumpower: I agree with Edwin that if we are talking only in terms of box office and bang for the buck, The Muppets is the clear winner of the three. Having said that, I see symmetry between all three titles in that each one is intended to maintain a theatrical presence into early 2012. While The Muppets and Arthur Christmas are more family oriented, Hugo is attempting to do so as awards bait. I agree with Matthew that the esoteric subject matter reduces the potential number of customers for the project. Still, its early performance is so strong and its pedigree so solid that I believe it will ultimately be remembered fondly even if it fails to recoup its massive budget. This is the type of imaginative storytelling we need to see more. I give Martin Scorsese a lot of credit for taking on a project this daring so late in his career.

Reagen Sulewski: While I think that Muppets will end up the winner of these three films in terms of box office, if we're talking maximum potential, Hugo could certainly surpass it. It definitely feels like something that could be a grower, thanks to its smaller debut and the extreme critical acclaim. I can totally imagine this becoming the kind of film that people "discover" over the next few weeks, and there's little better marketing than that.

All of them!

Edwin Davies: It used to be Gonzo, since as a kid I was quite weird and never felt like I fit in anywhere, and since that's basically what Gonzo is as a character I think I was drawn to him. Now, I think it'd probably be Kermit since, even though he's kind of dull compared to say, Animal, he's a bit of dreamer, but mainly he's a decent guy trying to get by, and I kind of like that the star of The Muppets - if you can say that they have a star amongst that ensemble - has always been the one character just trying to make it through the show without everything falling apart.

Brett Beach: Beaker (naturally). On a related note, I think the perfect human analogue to Beaker is David Lynch.

Tim Briody: I believe we all have a soft spot for Beaker, as sometimes we all feel that we're all just meeping at the world.

Matthew Huntley: Definitely Kermit. He's so chill, happy and all around pleasant. How can anyone not like this guy, er, frog?

Kim Hollis: When I was a child, watching The Muppet Show on television was a family event. We all gathered around, my parents and sisters and I, and watched as these delightful characters lit up the screen alongside their usually very funny special guests. I had a stuffed Kermit. My grade school chorus sang songs from The Muppet Movie in front of an audience. To say that the Muppets are special to me would be an understatement. For this reason, my favorite muppet has changed often over the years. Kermit's genuine qualities make him appealing, but I've also favored Animal, Dr. Teeth, Janice (my dad always thought I looked like her), the Swedish Chef and Statler & Waldorf over the years. I guess for right now, I'll go with the cranky duo of Statler & Waldorf. I always figured the Duke Brothers (Trading Places) were inspired by them.

David Mumpower: You people are only Gonzo because he is the muppet with the harem. On a related note, is there any other children's programming that embraces polygamy as much as The Muppets? The inevitable Jim Henson biopic is going to be a real eye-opener. It'll make Auto-Focus look like Frosty the Snowman. But I digress. As far as Muppets go, I really want to answer Cookie Monster but I'm told that this would be cheating. So, I will pick the artist who has been carrying Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem all these years, Animal. I mean, come on. Def Leppard even named a song after him. And he's friends with Jack Black! Okay, his life isn't perfect but still. Animal (quite obviously) rocks.

Reagen Sulewski: While the unbridled chaos of Animal certainly puts him up there for me, I have to side with my northern European roots and pick the Swedish Chef. This is only partially because I can do a decent impression of him, by the way.

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