So because there’s usually not a lot noteworthy films coming
out this month, I decided to do a little film series retrospective for this
blog instead; the subject of this retrospective, you ask? Why none other than
everyone’s favorite group of performing puppets originally created by Jim
Henson, The Muppets (YAAAYYYYY!!!!). Really, what more can be said about the
Muppets? In my opinion, this is one of the best family-friendly franchises period
and the fact that it’s been around since the 50’s shows just how grand and
long-lasting of an appeal it has. Now I’ll admit that I’ve never watched ‘The
Muppet Show’ as I wasn’t even born yet when it first aired on TV. Though I do
remember watching one of the franchise’s spin-off series, ‘Muppet Babies’, when
I was very, very young (like two or three). I’ll admit that before doing this,
I’ve only seen each of the pre-2011 movies once or twice when I was younger. Really
when I was a kid my familiarity with the franchise mostly stemmed from both the
3-D show ‘Muppet Vision 3-D’ at Disney parks and this old PS1 game ‘Muppet RaceMania’
that I remember being one of the very first video games that I’ve ever played. But
today, I’ll be looking at all 8 of the theatrical Muppets films (I’m not counting
any direct-to-video or made-for-TV specials here) that have been released since
1979. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen most of these movies (not
counting the two most recent Muppets films) so I’m interested to see what I
think about them now. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the
theatrical Muppet films.
THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979)
For their first official movie, which was made between the
third and fourth seasons of ‘The Muppet Show’, The Muppets went with something
along the lines of a ‘biopic’ and it is presented as such in the style of a
‘movie-within-a-movie’ as it opens with the Muppets preparing to watch it. ‘The
Muppet Movie’ revolves around Kermit and his initial journey to Hollywood in the
hopes of becoming famous and, more importantly, making millions of people
happy. Along the way, he comes across a bunch of characters who not only end up
becoming some of his closest friends but also join him on his trip to
Hollywood, including comedian Fozzie Bear, the Great Gonzo, and the woman who
ended up becoming the love of Kermit’s life, Miss Piggy. ‘The Muppet Movie’ is
a road trip movie and a very pleasant one at that. Really, what else do I need
to say about it? It’s a road trip movie with the Muppets. It’s a pleasantly
light-hearted film from beginning to end that is full of zany self-referential humor,
a whole bunch of cameos from the likes of Dom DeLuise, Steve Martin, Richard
Pryor, and even Orson Welles, and many memorable musical numbers from the
iconic ‘Rainbow Connection’ to the incredibly catchy and upbeat ‘Movin’ Right
Along’. It’s just a very well-made film with excellent puppetry by Jim Henson
and his team and strong writing that is full of both humor and charm. Bottom
line; this is easily one of the best films of the entire franchise and one that
the whole family can enjoy.
Rating: 5/5!
THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (1981)
Here’s an interesting fact; ‘The Great Muppet Caper’ is the
only Muppet film to ever be directed by the series’ creator, Jim Henson, who
would later go on to direct cult classic films like ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘The Dark
Crystal’. As for ‘The Great Muppet Caper’, it elects for a much zanier
mystery-themed plotline compared to the more relaxed road trip story of the
first film as Kermit and friends head to London to investigate into the crime
of a bunch of thieves stealing the precious jewels of prominent fashion
designer Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg). This movie also has far more
self-referential humor than ‘The Muppet Movie’, with multiple ‘breaking the
fourth wall’ jokes. This includes the opening credits sequence where Kermit,
Fozzie, and Gonzo watch the opening credits while on a hot air balloon to
certain lines of dialogue, from one character admitting that she’s mainly
relaying exposition to Miss Piggy noting that one of the main characters had
their voice dubbed for a musical number. This is by far one of the funniest
entries in the entire film franchise, if not the funniest. True the plot may be
a little over-complicated at times but then again it does make sense
considering that this is a sequel, where every single aspect of the film is
grander than the first film. And of course, the film itself still maintains the
lighthearted mood and the right amount of charm that one would no doubt expect
from this franchise. This may be the only ‘Muppets’ film that Jim Henson ever
directed, but in the end it’s another one of the series’ best.
Rating: 4.5/5
THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (1984)
This time, franchise regular Frank Oz (who was the puppeteer
for multiple Muppet characters, most notably Miss Piggy and Fozzie, and of
course many of you will recognize as the puppeteer and voice of Yoda in the
‘Star Wars’ films) was behind the camera for this film, the third in the
series, ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan’, in which Kermit and the gang head to New
York to try and get their musical on Broadway. Unlike the previous two films,
this entry doesn’t break the fourth wall at any point so there isn’t any
instance in the film where the Muppets reference the fact that they’re in a
movie… and unfortunately I think that’s one of the reasons why this film isn’t
really as good as the last two films. Now for the record, I’m not saying that
this is a bad movie. It’s a Muppet movie; it still has the charm and zaniness
that you can expect from the franchise as well as all of your favorite
characters and a bunch of solid musical numbers. There’s the excellent opening number
‘Together Again’, the undeniably cute ‘I’m Gonna Always Love You’ (which was
notably the very first appearance of the Muppet Babies), and the actually
fairly depressing ‘Saying Goodbye’ (seriously, I dare you not to get a little
emotional over this song; it’s easily the saddest Muppet song ever). But I
think that there are a few problems with this movie, namely in its writing.
Like I said, this one doesn’t break the fourth wall like the
last two films so it instead goes for a much more traditional narrative and as
such, I feel that the movie kind of loses quite a bit of the edge that the
previous two films had and at times the film can be just a little bit
predictable. The film admittedly also kind of drags at some points, and a key
plot point near the end where Kermit is stricken with amnesia after getting hit
by a car feels a little tacked on for the purpose of padding out the story. Now
again let me be clear, I don’t ‘hate’ this movie, far from it in fact. I
especially say this being aware that a lot of people are no doubt nostalgic
towards this movie most likely because they were kids around the time this film
came out. So if you like this movie more than I do, the more power to you. I
just feel that this one is kind of a step down in terms of quality from the
last two films. It’s still a pretty solid film on many accounts. It’s just that
the writing isn’t really as up to snuff as the first two films, namely because
the film doesn’t utilize the series’ trademark self-referential humor as it
instead opts for a far more standard and in some cases rather predictable
narrative. Again, I don’t think ‘The Muppets Take Manhattan’ is a bad film and
it’s one that I’m certain both kids and adults will love. It’s just that this
one kind of has a much more ‘kid-friendly’ vibe compared to the last two films
which were equally appealing to both kids and adults.
Rating: 3.5/5
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)
Because I already talked about this movie a few weeks ago in
my ‘Top 10 Christmas Movies’ post, I won’t go into too much detail again here
seeing how I already did back in that post. Needless to say, ‘The Muppet
Christmas Carol’ is an excellent adaptation of the classic story ‘A Christmas
Carol’ by Charles Dickens. Even with the addition of the Muppets, who obviously
bring a more light-hearted feel to this sometimes fairly dark story, the film
still captures the spirit, atmosphere, and emotions of the story incredibly
well. The Muppets are perfectly cast in the famous roles of the story,
including Kermit in the role Bob Cratchit and having Gonzo and Rizzo be the
narrators, with Gonzo being Dickens himself. Michael Caine is also fantastic in
the role of Scrooge, perfectly capturing both the initial viciousness of the
character and his eventual redemption as a human being. My only real complaint
about the film isn’t due to anything in the film itself, but instead the
decision to cut a key song, ‘When Love is Gone’, sung by Belle in the scene
where she leaves Scrooge’s life for good. The studio wanted it cut because they
felt it would be ‘too sad’ but hey if ‘Muppets Take Manhattan’ can have that
damn ‘Saying Goodbye’ song then I think kids can handle this one. Also, the
song is really good and unfortunately because it was cut, it then results in a
jarring edit as the shots before and after the song is supposed to play don’t
match up very well. Still, ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ is a very charming take
on this iconic story that has already been adapted to film numerous times. It
may not be the most absolutely perfect take on the story, but really I do not
mind that at all.
Rating: 5/5
MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND (1996)
For the second film in a row, ‘Muppet Treasure Island’ also
took inspiration from a classic novel; in this case, ‘Treasure Island’ by
Robert Louis Stevenson. And I must say… this is easily the most underrated out
of all of the Muppets films as I find that this one isn’t necessarily as liked
as much as some of the other films. I mean, sure, I can’t really say it’s the
absolute best in the series in terms of its writing, as the Muppets do sort of
get pushed aside in favor of the human characters at times and this is
definitely one of those cases of a 90’s film that has many pop cultural
references to the point where you’ll either love them or hate them. Still, this
film really benefits from its strong atmosphere and just an overall sense of
fun and adventure that comes from the fact that it’s a pirate adventure. Plus,
it’s still the Muppets so you’re still going to get their trademark charm and
humor no matter what the scenario. And of course, you’ve got what is arguably
the best element of the entire film; Tim Curry, in the role of Long John
Silver. Whereas Michael Caine as Scrooge was more serious in execution given
the story, Curry is obviously much more over the top and zany and here it just works
perfectly, with Curry stealing the spotlight whenever he’s on screen. Bottom
line, I’m not saying that ‘Muppet Treasure Island’ is the absolute best film in
the series but I think it’s better than what some put it out to be. It’s just a
fun lighthearted and very entertaining take on the classic novel ‘Treasure
Island’ and as such I feel that it deserves a little more attention than what
it has gotten.
Rating: 4/5
MUPPETS FROM SPACE (1999)
The last major Muppets film before the 2011 reboot, ‘Muppets
From Space’ is generally considered by many to be the weakest of all of the
Muppets films… and I’m not going to lie, I do agree with that notion. But with
that said, I don’t think it’s necessarily ‘as bad’ as some say it is. Quite frankly,
I don’t think that any of these Muppets films, even some of the weaker ones,
are technically ‘bad’ as they’re all fun to watch even if some aren’t really as
good as others. Ultimately in the case of ‘From Space’, it’s similar to ‘Muppets
Take Manhattan’ in that it doesn’t do much in terms of satire (and from what I
hear, that’s actually what a lot of people thought this movie was going to be) and
that it takes things a bit too seriously in terms of its plot. It’s also the
only Muppets film to not be a musical and it mainly focuses on Gonzo instead of
Kermit, as this film revolves around Gonzo, who for years was referred to as a ‘whatever’,
finally learning that he’s from outer space. I know a lot of Muppet fans weren’t
too happy about this plot due to the fact that the whole point of Gonzo’s
character was the fact that no one knew exactly what he was but I’m not really that
bothered by it because A.) Gonzo’s one of my favorite Muppets and B.) I
actually think it’s an interesting concept… but it would’ve benefitted much
better from having the satirical writing that the Muppets were known for and as
I said before, this film doesn’t really have that. Now, it’s not all bad, as the
film does have some funny moments from time to time and again, it’s the Muppets
so you know you’re in for a fun little film. But overall, this is a Muppets
film that’s primarily for kids. Adults are less than likely to find much here
for them, unlike some of the previous movies. Even so, I can’t really hate this
movie that much even if it is easily the weakest Muppets film to date.
Rating: 3/5
(just keep in mind that this is mostly from a kid’s perspective)
THE MUPPETS (2011)
After more than a decade away from film following the less
than stellar reaction towards ‘Muppets from Space’, The Muppets finally
returned to the big screen in 2011’s aptly titled ‘The Muppets’, which was
co-written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. This film centers on the
Muppet-like character Walter, who along with his brother Gary (Segel) has been
a big fan of the Muppets ever since they were young. One day, the two of them,
along with Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), travel to Los Angeles for Gary
and Mary’s tenth anniversary while Walter gets a chance to tour Muppet Studios.
But, when they get there, they discover that the studio has been out of
business for quite some time and that it is about to be sold to a rich oil
industrialist named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who plans to have it demolished.
Not wanting it to be destroyed, the trio set out to reunite all of the Muppets
so that they can put on a big telethon at their old theater in order to raise
enough money to buy back the whole property from Richman. However, they find
that it’s going to be very hard to do that given the fact that the Muppets haven’t
worked together in quite some time and they also have to deal with the fact
that they’re not as popular as they once were.
Now despite the fact that this film received rave reviews
from critics when it was first released, I find that a lot of audiences weren’t
actually as big on it as the critics were. From what I can tell, the big reason
for this was because many felt that the Muppets were being downplayed in their
own film while the new Muppet Walter and the two human leads Gary and Mary were
focused on more. Maybe this is true, maybe it isn’t, but there’s a different
reason why I think this is one of the best Muppets movies period. It’s because
this film wears its heart on its sleeve. It’s clear that this film was intended
to be a love letter from Segel and Stoller to the franchise and it really shows
focusing on their legacy and charm while also managing to make this franchise
relevant again after so many years. Even if they arguably do get more attention
than the Muppets, I think Segel and Adams both do a good job and Chris Cooper
is an absolute scene-stealer in the role of Tex Richman, from his repeated
saying of ‘Maniacal Laugh’ whenever his character is supposed to, of course,
laugh manically to his completely out of nowhere rap number. The direction from
James Bobin, in his feature length directorial debut, is solid and the musical
numbers are excellent, especially the one that won an Oscar, ‘Man or Muppet’.
Bottom line, ‘The Muppets’ is a welcome return for one of the best family
franchises of all time with the heart and charm that have defined this
franchise from the very beginning.
Rating: 5/5!
MUPPETS MOST WANTED (2014)
For my original
review of ‘Muppets Most Wanted’, click the link provided here:
Doug Walker (AKA The Nostalgia Critic) made a very good
point about these last two Muppets films in that they have a lot in common with
the first two Muppets films in regards to how they’re executed. Whereas ‘The
Muppets’ and ‘The Muppet Movie’ were primarily focused on their heartwarming
storylines, ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ and ‘The Great Muppet Caper’ place more
emphasis on the humor. And because ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ is more focused on the
humor than the first film, I’m finding that many do prefer ‘Most Wanted’ over ‘The
Muppets’. However, I’m the other way around. Now for the record, I’m not saying
that ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ is a bad film, far from it in fact. It’s yet another
charming entry in this series and it has the right amount of zany humor and
cameos galore that you would expect from a Muppets movie. However, I feel that
this film kind of lacks a bit of the heart that the first film had. I’m not
saying it isn’t there in this movie but not really as much as the first film,
which of course was mainly due to the fact that it was an open love letter to
the franchise.
I guess you can say my favorite Muppet films are the ones
that have a lot of heart and I feel that for the most part, ‘Most Wanted’ just
goes through the basic beats of your typical sequel. It’s not that there’s
really anything wrong with that, per se, but I would’ve liked if this film had
a little more heart to it in terms of its story. Still, the direction from
James Bobin is solid once again as are the musical numbers. It’s also clear
that the human members of the cast are clearly having a lot of fun in their
respective roles, including Tina Fey as the main guard of the prison that Kermit
winds up in when he’s mistaken for the infamous criminal Constantine (who’s a
really fun villain), Ricky Gervais as Constantine’s accomplice (who’s
frequently remind of that fact (“my name first, then spacebar, spacebar, spacebar…
your name”)), and Ty Burrell, who is probably the biggest standout of the three
leads thanks to his camaraderie with Sam the Eagle (especially in the scene
where they’re comparing their badges). All in all, ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ is a genuinely
good movie that the whole family can enjoy. But as for me, I would’ve liked it
to be on par with the first movie in terms of its heart. I know that some like
these movies to be really funny and I’m guessing that because this focuses more
on the Muppets than the last film did that’s probably why many prefer this one over
that one but in the end I still prefer ‘The Muppets’, though ‘Most Wanted’ is
still a very fun entry in this series.
Rating: 4/5
And to close this
post off, here’s how I rank all of these films.
8. Muppets From Space
7. Muppets Take Manhattan
6. Muppet Treasure Island
5. Muppets Most Wanted
4. The Great Muppet Caper
3. The Muppet Christmas Carol
2. The Muppet Movie
1. The Muppets
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