MOVIE REVIEWS: The Muppets (James Bobin, 2011)

If you read my Top 10 Favorite Muppet Productions list, you know that I was not the least bit excited for this movie when it came out? Why? Because not only were the Muppets breaking up and being sold to different companies, but they also hadn’t been releasing good productions since the end of the ’90s. After The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, the Sesame Street Muppets sold to Sesame Workshop in 2000. Later we had the straight-to-video film Kermit Swamp Years (David Grumpel, 2002). Later that year, we got a TV movie, It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (Kirk R. Thatcher, 2002). In 2004, the Jim Henson Company sold the rights to the Muppets (Kermit, Piggy, and friends – not Fraggle Rock) over to the Walt Disney Company. (I will always rue the Muppets being owned by Disney!) In 2005, the Muppets released another TV movie, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (Kirk R. Thatcher, 2005). THIS IS THE WORST THING THE MUPPETS HAVE EVER DONE!!!!! Then there was Elmo’s Christmas Countdown Gary Halvorson, 2007), Studio DC: Almost Live (Kirk R. Thatcher, 2008), and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (Kirk R. Thatcher, 2008). All of these productions were mediocre at best. They had nice moments, but as a whole they did not work at all. They were pretty bad. In 2009, the Muppets began producing YouTube videos to reintroduce the Muppets to the younger generation. Their most famous video is their rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It was great, but I still wasn’t looking forward to this new film – I knew it would suck. It seemed as though I was the only one who felt that way, because everyone else was really hyped for this film! Everybody talked about it, all the critics praised it, and the Muppets were welcomed back to the forefront of mainstream. After I finally saw the movie over 7 months after its release, I must say…I fell in love with it as well. This film is AMAZING!!! I LOVE IT!!! This is one of my favorite films EVER!!! It is amazing how incredible and wonderful this movie is! Why do I love it so much? What makes this film so great? Let’s find out!

STORY AND THEMES & MESSAGES: The story is very engaging. One of the Muppets’ biggest fan, a young man named Walter, gets the opportunity to go to California with his brother, Gary, and Gary’s girlfriend Mary to see the Muppets Studio. However, he learns that an evil oil magnate, Tex Richman, is planning on tearing down the studio and drill for oil. Walter, Gary, and Mary find Kermit and tell him that the only way to save the studio is to raise $10,000,000. That means Kermit has to round up the gang, who has been broken up for a long time, and put on an old fashion telethon, Muppety style.
The story is good, but it’s very busy and full. There is so much going on in this story. (1) Walter wants to meet the Muppets. (2) Tex Richman has to make sure nothing comes in the way of his oil. (3) Mary wants to spend time with Gary, who is always looking over his brother. (4) Kermit has to round up all of the Muppets, that takes some time; especially when he has to convince Piggy to come back. (5) The Muppets have to convince a network to air their telethon, that’s a big deal. (5) The Muppets have to plan and rehearse their show, which is somewhat of a disaster. (6) Kermit can’t find a celebrity host. (7) The Muppets have to get the money they need to buy the studio back. It’s a lot! There’s is always something going on! It’s not necessarily bad seeing as how everything is so entertaining and they all have closure. However, it is a lot to take in. The earlier Muppet films were simple in their plots, and thus they had a lot of room to breathe. Here, the story is constantly moving.
That being said, however, the story isn’t bad at all. It gives us a lot of insight to our favorite characters. I like seeing what they’re doing when they’re not together. Gonzo owns a plumbing factory, that sounds about right. Piggy is the editor of plus-sized fashion in Paris, that’s perfect for her! Rowlf is relaxing and taking it easy in his home, duh! It all stays true to who these people are.
The entire movie stays true to who the Muppets are. I love that this film belongs to the Muppets. We see Gary and Mary in the beginning to sort of introduce the story, but we are ultimately looking at the Muppets. Unlike The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, the Muppets don’t share the spotlight here. We are looking at Kermit. We want to see Kermit achieve his goals and learn something. I like watching Gary and Mary too, but the focus is not on them.
I think a lot of people were surprised by the number of emotional scenes in this film. There are a lot of tear-jerking moments in this movie! We’ll get to “Pictures in My Head” later. The nostalgia lies heavy when the Muppets sing “Rainbow Connection.” I read a comment when a lady said all the women and half the men were crying in the theater during this song. The other half of the men broke down when Animal began playing the drums. I always get emotional at the end, when the Muppets walk outside the theater to all of their fans cheering them on. It’s just wonderful to see people love and care for these wonderful characters! They’re so great to me, and I’m glad to see other people declare them as great too. As great as this moment is, though, my favorite moment is when they recreate the opening of The Muppet Show! From the time Scooter knocked on Jack Black’s door to the end of the theme song, I thought I was going to cry. It was so reminiscent of The Muppet Show, and it makes me smile wide! I love it!
I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few things I didn’t like concerning this story. They’re not big, but they are things I want to address. First of all, some of my favorite Muppets don’t get too much screen time in this picture. Gonzo’s on screen for about 20-25% of the film, and I wanted to see more of him! He’s got a lot more time in front of the camera than Rizzo, however! Rizzo didn’t have any lines in the film! He was in 2 frames of the entire film: he was in the crowd when Kermit gave his speech to the Muppets, and he appeared with one of the groups of Muppets during the finale. ANGER! Unfortunately for me, Pepé does show up in this film. Thankfully he only has 3 lines, but that’s 3 more lines I’d like him to have. But my more serious problem occurs at the end of the movie. After Kermit’s speech, the Muppets are greeted by their fans, and the finale number, the movie says “The End.” But then, what happens? Tex Richman gets hit in the head and gives the Muppets their name and theater back! I’m not necessarily angry that he gave that stuff back to them. They definitely needed their name back if they were going to do more Muppet productions; they refer to their productions all the time. If the “Muppet” name was taken away from them, what would they had been called? I’m just disappointed with how they got their name and theater back. It’s rushed in 10 seconds as the credits are rolling. It’s funny, yes, but it still feels rushed and somewhat lazy, like it was a last minute thing. I just think the filmmakers could have been more clever in making that ending work better.
Since there’s a lot going on in the movie, you can imagine there are a lot of themes and messages too. I love Kermit’s speech toward the end about endurance and being strong is a great message. I love how Gary and Kermit learn not to let the love of their lives slip away from them. I LOVE the scene where Veronica shows the Muppets the type of TV shows that were currently popular, to show how crappy entertainment was. (I hated television in 2011.) My favorite lesson from the movie, though, is the one Walter learns. Gary tells him, “You always believe in other people, but that’s easy. Sooner or later, you’ve got to start believing in yourself; because that’s what growing up is, becoming who you want to be.” This was handled and conveyed with such care and delicacy. I was going through a little situation of my own when I first saw this movie, and that was the thing I needed to hear. I love that line, I love that moral, and I love how it was taught! Well done, movie! Well done!

HUMAN CHARACTERS, NEW MUPPETS, & CAMEOS: I love this cast! These characters, these actors – they’re all so wonderful! This movie is also unique because it introduces a new Muppet to the franchise! Let’s get into it!
1) Gary – He’s a fun guy. There’s not a whole lot to say about Gary. Like most live-action human stars in Muppet movies, Gary is not the most engaging character. He’s alright, but he’s not that entertaining. I italicize “that” because Gary is funny. He’s not as entertaining as the Muppets, but that’s because it’s not his movie. However, he does have a lot of likeability to him! I love the humor that comes from him. I love his heartfelt moments with Mary and Walter. I like how relatable he is. He’s a good guy!

2) Mary – I feel almost the same way about Mary that I feel about Gary. I do find her more entertaining, though. She’s funnier to me. I think that’s because of how Amy Adams is playing her. Mary is kind of a wide-eyed bland woman, but Adams puts a lot of the energy into the comedic moments. I love watching her sing. I love all of the jokes that involves her. They are all too wonderful!

3) Tex Richman – This guy is amazing! I love Richman! There isn’t much development to him, and you wouldn’t really understand why he hates the Muppets so much unless you’ve heard the soundtrack. But that’s part of the joke. Richman is an over-the-top bad guy. What is so ironic about this, though, is that Chris Cooper plays him pretty reserved for the most part. It’s not until toward the end of the film that he becomes bigger in terms of physicality and volume. But I love how deadpan he can be! I just love him!

4) Veronica – I don’t like this lady at all! Veronica is a rude, mean, cruel douche! I don’t like how she talks to Kermit! I don’t like how she disrespects the Muppets! I don’t like the show she airs on her network! And I don’t like the way she talked about Benson! She refers to it as if there’s a problem with it. What the crud is wrong with Benson? Crud you, Veronica! Crud you!

5) Jack Black – Jack Black’s role in this movie is incredible! I really want to find an interview where he talks about his involvement and enjoyment in this film. I love his first appearance in the film, and I love the surprise of having him come back during the telethon! He’s the celebrity that always second guessed being with the Muppets on The Muppet Show! I love how “Tuesday” is one of his trigger words! Why is “Tuesday” a trigger word? That’s a whole day of the week you can’t say! It’s great! This guy is wonderful, and it was wonderful seeing him in the film!

It was wonderful seeing a new character to the Muppets. Walter is a great addition to the group! I was surprised when a lot of people were confused how Walter, a Muppet, could be the brother of Gary, a live-action human. I wasn’t so surprised. Not only have the Muppets done a joke like this before (Kermit and Fozzie being twins), but in the Muppet universe we’re supposed to accept these creatures as real. Kermit is a frog. Fozzie is a bear. Miss Piggy is a pig. And now, Walter is a human. He’s a human in the likeness of a Muppet, but he’s a human nonetheless. Why can’t we believe he and Gary are brothers?
Walter has an innocence to him that is very refreshing. He’s very sweet and optimistic. He’s very much like a child in an adult’s body. From having stickers on his headboard to his belief that everything will be OK in the end, Walter is the child we all know and love. It’d be easy to have a strong annoyance or dislike for a character like this, a sort of man-child. I don’t know if it was Jason Segel and Nicolas Stoller’s writing, if it was Peter Linz’s performance, James Bobin’s direction, or some sort of combination, but Walter is a very loveable and endearing character! It’ll be interesting to see how the studio continues to use him in the future, but I’m excited to see him appear again! It’ll be fun! Walter is a great guy!

There are a slew of cameos in this film! You really have to be careful not to blink, otherwise you’ll miss someone. I like that these cameos sort of serve the same purpose they did in the first Muppet film – it’s a “who’s who” game with the audience. Who’s going to appear next? As always, it’s just great to see current stars interact with the Muppets! I will say that I don’t get as excited over all of these celebrities because I don’t know all of them. I don’t know all the cameo stars from the earlier films, but I’m familiar with more of them than I am with the celebrities in this film; I just don’t keep up with modern pop culture. But of those who appear, we’ve got Bill Cobbs, Alan Arkin, Kristen Schaal, Eddie Pepiton, Sarah Silverman, Aria Noelle Curzon, Donald Glover, Ken Jeong, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, James Carville, Rico Rodriguez, Selena Gomez, John Krasinski, Neil Patrick Harris, Leslie Feist, Emily Blunt, Dave Grohl, Judd Hirsch, Jim Parsons, Zach Galifianakis, Mickey Rooney, and Whoopi Goldberg! Goodnents gracious, this may be the most number of celebrities to ever have a cameo in a Muppet movie! But that’s not all – some of the celebrities’ cameo scenes were cut. Those celebrities are Wanda Sykes, Kathy Griffin, Sterling Knight, Billy Crystal, Sarah Hyland, Danny Trejo, Ricky Gervais, and Rob Corddry. In fact, the latter three would go on to star in Muppets Most Wanted (James Bobin, 2014). I must say, though, that I read that Elmo was supposed to have a cameo in this film. He didn’t because Sesame Workshop and Walt Disney representatives could not come on good terms. CRUDDED WHAT?!? I NEED to see a Sesame Street Muppet have a crossover/cameo in a Muppet movie! That would have been so perfect! And it would have been great to see Elmo featured seeing as how his fame has grown so much since The Muppets Take Manhattan and A Muppet Family Christmas! SHAME ON YOU, DISNEY AND SESAME WORKSHOP! SHAME ON YOU!!! All of that aside, my favorite cameo in the film is Jerry Nelson! In his last Muppet role, he is the announcer in the Muppet Theater! He’s the one who says, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your host: Kermit the Frog,” and “The Muppet Telethon will be back after this break!” This is the last role he had before he passed away in 2012. This is the man who performed many of our favorite Muppets like Robin the Frog, Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Camilla the Chicken, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Pops, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Uncle Deadly, J.P. Grosse, Count von Count, the Two-Headed Monster, The Amazing Mumford, Sherlock Hemlock, Herry Monster, Gobo Fraggle, Pa Gorg, and many, many, MANY more. Rest in peace, Mr. Jerry Nelson!

One more thing I have to say is it was great to see classic Muppets from The Muppet Show appear in the background AND foreground in this film! I’m talking about characters like Nigel, Lips, Wayne and Wanda, and Uncle Deadly! I was as familiar with that show as I am now when I first saw this movie. Imagine my surprise when I go back and watch The Muppet Show and I see many of the characters that fill the screen in this film! It is all too wonderful!

SONGS/MUSIC: Oh boy, here we go! The music in this film is fantastic! The score is composed by Christophe Beck, who we’ve talked about before. His music is outstanding here, it adds to the tone greatly. He really feels the emotions our characters onscreen are feeling. Most of the songs are composed by New Zealand performer, Bret McKenzie. His songs are absolutely fantastic! These wonderful songs, written with such hilarity and heart, makes McKenzie’s songs as memorable and great as Paul Williams’ songs! Let’s talk about them.
1) Life’s a Happy Song: What’s funny about this song – the whole opening of the film – is that it should be something that people hate. Listen to the words! The characters are singing about how great and perfect they’re lives are. Doesn’t that annoy you? Doesn’t that make you angry? Doesn’t that tick you off? Depending on how someone tells you about their perfect life that has no problems, you’d be upset. But that’s thing: it’s the way they do it. Here, this life seems pleasant. It’s actually quite encouraging. This song doesn’t make me wish I was in Gary’s and Walter’s world; it makes me look at my world and say, “it’s a happy song!” It’s so welcoming and warm, you can’t help but smile when you hear this number! I love it!

2) Pictures in My Head: This song was written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, and Chen Neeman. I said in my review of The Muppets Take Manhattan that I was surprised when I heard that the “Saying Goodbye” number made people cry since I never cried when I heard it. THIS song, on the other hand, is a totally different story. Here’s the difference for me: in “Saying Goodbye,” I knew the Muppets would get back together in the end. My present was fine because I knew what was in the future. That movie also came out during a time when the world still went crazy over the Muppets. Here, Kermit’s singing about something that happened – something that really happened – very recently! It really felt as though no one cared about the Muppets, these characters we all knew and loved and wanted to see more of. My present was now gray and depressing because the recent past was sad. I felt the weight of emotion in Kermit’s voice and lyrics. I wanted to be one of those pictures on the wall so I could reach out and give him a hug! My goodness, this song is so sad! And didn’t you gasp and smile when you saw the pictures come to life and sing to him? And didn’t the smile quickly go away when you saw the portrait of Miss Piggy? MOST DEPRESSING MUPPET SONG EVER!!!!!

3) Me Party: I frickin’ love this song! This is the anthem for any person whenever they find themselves alone. I can’t help but sing and dance anytime I hear it! I know it doesn’t really have much purpose in the film, but that’s OK. It’s short, sweet, and entertaining! Again, it’s like the songs in The Muppet Movie! Let the disco music play, and enjoy your you party!

4) Let’s Talk About Me: I’m not going to lie, I really hated this song when I first saw this film. “Really,” I thought. “A rap number? There’s a stupid rap song in a Muppet movie – a stupid rap song that has nothing to do with anything?!” After time passed, I realized how wrong I was. First of all, much like “Me Party,” this song is short, sweet, and entertaining. Secondly, the Muppets have always been great at satirizing, and this song satirizes modern raps. Third, CHRIS COOPER IS RAPPING!!! That’s all I need! This song is hilarious, it’s wonderful, and it’s enjoyable!

5) Man or Muppet: Oh boy, here we are! I don’t know a person who saw this film that doesn’t like this number! This song was so great, it won McKenzie an Oscar!…Which was always confusing to me. This won an Oscar, but “Rainbow Connection” didn’t?…Oh well. This song is funny, genius, and catchy. It takes a hilarious spin on the traditional message of accepting who you are. The scale and the size of the production on this song is what makes it funny. I love this song so much!

6) The Muppet Show Theme Song: This song was, of course, written by Jim Henson and Sam Pottle. There’s not much to say about it except I love how they recreated this theme almost perfectly! Of course there are some differences between this and the original theme of the show, but look how close they were! And it’s wonderful to hear the voices of the original Muppet performers in this track! Listen carefully, and you can hear Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, and Richard Hunt! It’s wonderful!

7) It Smells Like Teen Spirit: What’s great about this film is that the Muppets are putting on sketches like they would on the original show. Here, they take a famous song and put a barbershop quartet spin on it! It’s funny!

8) Forget You: Chickens sing a CeeLo Green song? Golden!

9) Rainbow Connection: Oh, this will make you cry! Get the tissues ready!

10) The Whistling Caruso: This song was written and performed by Andrew Bird. It’s a very beautiful song. I can imagine hearing this in a classical opera. It just sounds so sweet and charming. It’s very lovely!

11) Life’s a Happy Song Reprise: For as much as I love the first rendition of this song, I love this version even more! It’s much more satisfying to hear all of the Muppets singing this song at the end after their happy ending! It’s endearing, it’s fulfilling, and it brings the story full circle. It’s just wonderful!

12) Mahna Mahna: Not only is it a great Muppet classic, but it’s still Jim Henson’s and Frank Oz’s voices on this track! The soundtrack to this film is awesome!

PUPPETRY: The puppetry in this film is really impressive! These characters look so alive and humanistic! Aside from the rats skating and scrubbing the stage in a montage in the middle of the film, there aren’t any scenes or moments that feature the Muppets pushing the envelope of puppetry like they did in their earlier films. However, just look at the way these guys move! The Muppets are doing things here that I’ve never seen them do before. To actually see the Muppets push a door open, pull a case open, or grab something is remarkable! Again, you have to remember these characters have rods on their wrists in order to really understand the significance of the work here. My favorite pieces of puppetry actually involve Walter. He doesn’t just part his lips to whistle – he actually puckers his lips! I loved watching him climb on the furniture and walk during the opening number. What really blew me away was him pulling the trigger on his water gun at the beginning of the film! Watch it – he’s pulling the trigger, and his hands aren’t built to do that! How was that accomplished?!? I don’t know, but it looks fantastic! I believe all of these characters are real!

COMEDY: There is no way I can talk abut the comedy of this film in its entirety. It is way too good! The comedy is so strong and so amazing! We’ve got a lot of great fourth wall jokes which, you may remember, the Muppets were always great at doing! When ’80s Robot suggested picking up the Muppets using a montage, Fozzie proposed driving by map, Gary referenced to the song and dance numbers he performed, or Mary made the comment that this would be a short movie – all of those were great and fantastic moments! They were appropriate! They were funny! They were always wonderful! I love the jokes that the characters said to give themselves a distinction. One of the best moments in the film (which is saying a lot) takes place whenever Tex Richman delivers a “maniacal laugh!” That is hilarious! How did Segel and Stoller come up with that?! It is so perfect! There’s no real reason for it, but gosh darn it if it’s not one of the funniest jokes I’ve ever heard in a movie! I also love the jokes that reference the other Muppet productions! When I saw Sweetums leaving Mad Mad Mooney’s to chase the Muppets in a car down the road, that was outstanding! I could not believe they put that in the film, but it worked so well! The only joke I don’t really get is the ’80s Robot. What’s the joke? Why exactly is that funny? I can tell that something is supposed to be funny about that, but I don’t get it. The things he does and says are funny, but the concept of ’80s Robot is confusing…Oh well, whatever! The comedic moments in this film are way too funny! The filmmakers clearly worked hard to make ALL of these jokes funny! There’s thought, there’s effort, and there’s talent! The filmmakers all knew that in order to make the heartfelt moments very emotional and powerful, they had to balance it all out with the lighthearted comedy that only a Muppet movie can bring! What can I say, folks? The comedy in this movie is top notch! It will have you laughing from beginning to end!

CONCLUSION: I am so glad I was wrong about this movie! I do not believe I have ever been more wrong about a film than I was when this picture came out. Sure, I have a few problems with it, but they’re all very, very, very minor. This film brought audiences all over the world back to the characters we love! It reminded us why we love them so much! Their personalities and their spirits are so endearing. These characters made out of foam and fabric can so wonderfully and perfectly convey human emotions unlike anything else I’ve ever seen! This film totally embodies the spirit of the Muppets – the spirit of Jim Henson! This does feel like one of the earlier Muppet films! It’s great! It’s obvious that there was a lot of great care in making this film. Segel, Stoller, Bobin, McKenzie, and the rest of the crew worked as hard as they could to make a wonderful Muppet film, and they more than achieved their goals! This film is funny, memorable, impactful, emotional, and relatable! I love it, and I can’t wait to watch it again later! Thank you so very much, filmmakers, for this most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational movie! God bless you all!

P.S. Here are some of the amazing parody teasers that came out for the movie:

MOVIE REVIEWS: The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (Gary Halvorson, 1999)

Oh boy, here we go. I know a lot of you were expecting to see my review of The Muppets (James Bobin, 2011) next, but I consider this a Muppet movie. It has Muppets in it, and it was even produced by the Jim Henson Company. I know I haven’t seen The Dark Crystal, Follow That Bird, or Labyrinth yet; and I know that a lot of people consider Muppets from Space as the worst theatrical Muppet movie, but…I give that distinction to this movie. Almost 15 years after the first Sesame Street movie, the Children’s Television Workshop (now known as the Sesame Workshop) decided to make a new one, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Yes, this film focuses on Elmo. Unlike a lot of people throughout the nation, I love Elmo! He is my second favorite Muppet of all time! He’s funny, he’s energetic, he yearns to help, and he loves learning. He’s not the reason I think this is a bad movie. What is the reason, then? Let’s find out.

STORY AND THEMES & MESSAGES: Alright, here we are. The story is so stupid! Elmo’s best friend is his blanket (Elmo needs some friends), and he doesn’t want to share it with anybody; not even the person we thought he was best friends with, Zoe. It winds up falling in Oscar’s trashcan. When Elmo jumps in there to rescue it, both he and the blanket get sucked in a portal to Grouchland. Elmo finds out that his blanket, which was separated from him in the portal, was stolen by a mean man named Huxley who doesn’t like to share. He thinks he can take whatever he wants and make it his. Elmo eventually gets help from a young grouch named Grizzy, his Sesame Street family comes to Grouchland to try and save him, and the race for Elmo is on to save his blanket from Huxley.
OK, here’s what I don’t like about the story: IT’S STUPID!!! Both the story and the set-up is stupid! There’s a portal in Oscar’s trashcan that leads to a place called Grouchland?! WHAT?!?!? First of all, look at Oscar’s can. Does it look like it’s that big on the inside? How many times have people taken the can off that corner in the show? Second, there’s a portal that leads to a place called Grouchland? Is this where Oscar’s from? This is where he grew up? Does he have family here? Are there portals from Grouchland to other places around the country – around the world? This should be an Oscar-focused movie! You can’t give us a set-up like this and have it focused on the wrong character! We’re going to Grouchland for the first time, but we’re focusing on Elmo!?? We’re not learning anything about Oscar?!? What sense does that make?!!
The reason I dislike the story and the set-up is because they’re not realistic at all! There is nothing real about having a portal in a trashcan that leads to a whole different land. Yes, I know the show contains an 8’2″ tall bird, a grouch, and a bunch of monsters, a frog, and a vampire running all over the place. The thing, however, is that these characters, who are real to us, have encountered real situations. They’ve gone through marriages, childbirths, adoptions, deaths, and many other realistic events. They were displayed in a realistic way. Big Bird never had to travel to Monstropolis to learn about patience. We’ve kept it simple and real before; why can’t we do that now?
I don’t get the stakes in this film. I know that Elmo’s 3-and-a-half, but someone explain to me why it’s so important for him to get his blanket! Sure, he’ll be sad, but so what? Is there a more important reason for Elmo getting his blanket? And what about Huxley? Why does he need it so badly? What will he lose if he gives up the blanket? Why is it so important to him? What are the stakes?
Elmo is supposed to be the hero in film, obviously. However, the story caused him to do 2 things that kind of backfire against him. First of all, he committed the crime of breaking and entering. Yeah, he broke into Oscar’s trashcan! What’s up with that, movie? Why is Elmo turning to crime? Second of all, are we just going to look over the fact that Elmo ran away from home? Elmo ran away to fight an adult male for a blanket by himself…I CAN’T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS!!! (1) Elmo ran away from home (2) to fight and adult male (3) for a blanket (4) by himself. This is not the Elmo I know.
Let’s talk about the message. Obviously, the movie wants to teach kids about sharing our things with people. I have no problem with that message, but let’s look at how the movie conveys that. Zoe does pick up Elmo’s blanket without permission. He tells her to give it back to him, but she doesn’t. Elmo may not have been very nice to her, but she could have been more respectful. I’d like to see a children’s movie teach kids to respect the word “no.” Yes, it’s important to teach about sharing, but every kid isn’t going to share. Some kids are going to say, “This is mine. You can’t have it.” We have to teach kids to respect that and walk away.

CHARACTERS: I’m only going to focus on the main stars of the film. I’ll mention the other characters toward the end.
1) Elmo – As I said earlier, I love Elmo! Elmo is amazing! I love watching him on Sesame Street, and I really love watching him in interviews! Go to YouTube and look up any interviews with Elmo – they are hilarious! However, that charm doesn’t always come across in this movie. I actually do find myself being annoyed with Elmo here. Again, he ran away from home to go on some epic quest for a blanket. FAIL!!! What confuses me is that he went from being mean to Zoe and breaking into Oscar’s home to suddenly being nice to Grizzy. I don’t know – that just didn’t flow too well. I like the idea behind the things Elmo does: he figures out there’s more to him than he thought there was, he learns to be kinder to others, he goes on an epic journey, etc. I just don’t like the actions he does. They’re lame, and they don’t accurately represent Elmo.

With his cherished blue blanket at his side, ‘Sesame Street’s’ lovable red monster, Elmo, makes his feature film debut in the Columbia Pictures/Jim Henson Pictures/Children’s Television Workshop presentation, “The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland.” Photo by James Bridges/handout (Scanned 9/30/99)

2) Huxley – Huxley is your basic over-the-top villain. He doesn’t really have a reason for his actions – there’s no stake to what he’s doing. Think about it, villains are villains for a reason; they are evil because they have something important they want. In The Lion King, Scar didn’t kill Mufasa because he felt like it. He did it because he wanted to be King, and getting rid of Mufasa would make him King. Huxley takes everyone’s possessions because…he wants it. OK…why the crud does he want it all? He has no motivation to his actions. He’s just that awkward man-child you’d never let your children come near. That being said, I will say that I do enjoy this character. He’s the most entertaining person in the film! Mandy Patinkin’s performance is absolutely enjoyable. He’s funny! He’s clearly enjoying this moment, and I can’t blame him. He may be in a crappy Sesame Street movie, but he’s still interacting with the Sesame Street characters! I’d enjoy it too. Plus, the eyebrows are insane! I don’t know who came up with that, but treat them to dinner or something!

3) The Queen of Trash – What in the crud? Why is this character here? No, really, she’s not that big of a deal, despite the fact that the movie talks her up as one of the main characters. I guess her scene is important because Elmo learns he was a jerk to Zoe, but that’s it! Did we need the song, the trash Muppets, and the Queen of Trash? If you take her away from this film, what do we lose? I’ll tell you what we lose: a sexy Vanessa Williams! Yeah, how come no one ever talks about how sexualized this character is? Look at how she’s dressed! Listen to how she talks! How did Katy Perry’s appearance on Sesame Street get so much controversy and this never did?! And what was up with her raspberry?! The raspberry scene was already weird, but what was up with her raspberry?!? It was so sexy! Who the crud raised their hand and said “I want a sexy raspberry?!?” Who would think of a sexy raspberry?!? Who the crud warranted or green lit the sexy raspberry?!? Did Williams get in the mirror and practice the sexy raspberry?!? Why would Sesame Street want to be associated with a sexy raspberry?!? STUPID SEXY RASPBERRY!!!!!

I’m excited when I see the great Sesame Street characters in the film, both Muppets and live-action humans. I love seeing Gordon, Maria, Bob, Susan, Luis, Ruthie, Gina, Count von Count, Baby Bear, Ernie, Bert, Oscar, Grover/Super Grover, Cookie Monster, Prairie Dawn, Zoe, Rosita, Telly, Bert, Ernie, and Big Bird! I love seeing these great and wonderful people I’ve grown up with; which is why I hate it so much that they’ve been given a backseat to the story and characters I care nothing about! I don’t care about Bug or the Pesties! If I’m not seeing Oscar’s interaction with the other grouches, why am I looking at them? Give me more of the Count! Give me more of Rosita! Let me see Bob and Gina more! I love them, and I want to see them! Step on Bug and make way for the real stars of Sesame Street!

SONGS/MUSIC: The score was composed by John Debney, and the songs were written by…a lot of people. These songs don’t really leave an impact to the Muppet or Sesame Street franchise. When you think of legendary Muppet songs, you’ll more than often think of “Rainbow Connection,” “Movin’ Right Along,” and “It Feels Like Christmas,” just to name a few. These are great songs from the movies. The songs in this film…they’ll leave you humming for a little while, but they are not going to be the songs you think of when you try to name Sesame Street songs. They’re not as memorable, timeless, or charming. Let’s talk about them.
1) Together Forever: On the one hand, this is a nice and cute song. It describes a charming friendship between two people. It’s innocent. It’s almost even adorable. On the other hand, Elmo’s singing about a blanket. I’m sorry, I can’t get over that! Elmo, you have plenty of friends on the street – other monsters, a vampire, birds, humans, frogs, chickens, pigs, cows, snuffleupegases (I think that’s the plural form of that word), grouches! You’ve got so many friends to choose from, people who love you, and you hang out with your blanket?!? How does Dorothy feel about that? Whatever. If you can look beyond that, I guess the song is OK.

2) Welcome to Grouchland: This song confuses me. I understand we probably need a song about grouchland to help explain to us quickly what kind of place it is. I understand it’s an entire world where everyone’s an Oscar. What I don’t get is if these people hate singing, why the crud are they singing. They’re not even happy when the song begins, but they keep going. It’s as if this number is their national anthem. Why have a song for your anthem if you hate singing? Wouldn’t it have made more sense in this world if their anthem was just a chant telling people to get lost? The song, I guess, is alright. It tells us about this world we’re in now, but I don’t know why the grouches would sing about it if they hate singing.

3) Take the First Step: My feelings for this song are almost the same as my feelings for the last song, but I do like this song a lot more. On one hand, this is grouchland. Grouchland is entirely different from Sesame Street. Back on Sesame Street, everything and everyone sings and they’re almost always positive. In this world, then, everything and everyone should hate singing and almost always be negative. So, then, why is this plant and these animals so happy? Why are they singing? Shouldn’t they be saying “scram” or “stop sitting on me?” On the other hand…this song is a lot of fun! It’s actually my favorite song in the movie! When I was a kid, I loved this song. I remember it the most, almost every lyric. I like the message of the song, I like the style of the music, and I do like the singers. My like for this song is probably strongly tied to the nostalgic feel of it, and I can admit that. Regardless, this is probably the best song in the movie.

4) Make It Mine: Eh…it’s just another weird song. We don’t really learn why Huxley’s a jerk. He just sing about what a jerk he is. “Then I take it and I make it mine.” Why does he think he deserves everything in the world? Why is he a bully? Why does he steal? Who knows? Who cares? He’s just the antagonist. But, of course, Patinkin is entertaining. I don’t know if he saves this number, but it is worth watching and listening to because of him…if that makes any sense.

5) I See a Kingdom: As I said earlier, the entire scene this song takes place in does not make sense. It feel like a different movie. And this song introduces the scene. It’s a nice song, it’s actually pretty good! But why is it in this movie? This mystical, other worldly song about one’s perspective of the world doesn’t belong in a movie with a three-and-a-half year old chasing a grown man who’s holding his blanket hostage. It doesn’t work! The song itself is fine, and Vanessa Williams performs it wonderfully, but it does not belong in this movie. It has literally nothing to do with anything!

6) Precious Wings: Crud, I don’t even remember this song…It has Tatyana Ali…Yay…

PUPPETRY: It’s…alright, I guess. There aren’t too many moments in this movie that makes me say, “Wow, this puppetry is amazing!” Nothing surprises me. Nothing impresses me. In fact, it’s almost like watching an episode of Sesame Street. We see Super Grover flying, that’s cool. We see a full-figured Elmo walking and dancing during “Take the First Step,” that was fine. Nothing else really stands out. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate the hard work the Muppet performers are putting into this, I do! But there’s not really anything here that I couldn’t see in another Muppet production.

COMEDY: There’s not a lot to say about the comedy either. I didn’t find myself laughing that much. Ernie and Bert made me laugh in every other scene they were in. Huxley was so over-the-top that I couldn’t help but laugh at him. I like Big Bird trying to fit into Oscar’s can. The “When they take our goo, we gotta do” chant is awkwardly hilarious. Those are the main things I can think of that make me laugh. Everything else is just too confusing and weird for me to get into. The strange set-up is too strange for me to find most of these jokes funny.

CONCLUSION: I must admit, on one hand I do feel bad being so harsh to this movie. It’s clearly a film for children, and I did enjoy this movie as a kid…Then again, I also enjoyed Kermit’s Swamp Years (David Grumpel, 2002) as a kid. The movie means well, and a number of children do enjoy it. I guess I’m bitter with it for two reasons. Number one, Sesame Street is a lot smarter than this. This is the type of bad children’s film you’d see a lesser studio release. This wonderful franchise has given us fantastic, timeless characters who have taught us important lessons. Think of all of the wonderful, entertaining, and incredible moments Sesame Street has given us over the years. Do you think the same people who gave us those moments and that show would give us this movie? Secondly, I don’t think we should excuse the stupidity here simply because this is a children’s movie. Don’t children deserve good, smart, excellent entertainment? Shouldn’t we challenge a child’s mind and give them something that is lasting, something they’ll want to keep coming back to even when they’re older? That’s why I love Sesame Street so much! The show is made to entertain people of all ages; children can continue watching the show as adults because it has a lot to offer. This movie does not. If you or your children like this movie, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. However, I would strongly urge you to look into getting a film more challenging and engaging.

MOVIE REVIEWS: Muppets from Space (Tim Hill, 1999)

One month after Muppet Treasure Island, the Muppets brought a new show to television, Muppets Tonight (Jim Henson Productions, 1996-1998). It was a sort of updated version of The Muppet Show, but…it was bad. Very bad. It didn’t feel like a Muppet show, and the main Muppets we all know and love (Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Piggy) took a backseat to new Muppets who we can’t even name today…with the exception of a few. This introduced a dark time for the Muppets when their productions were…not very good. Mostly everything ranged from OK to HELP ME JESUS, HOW WAS THIS GREENLIT?!? I say most things because some of them were good. I hear Big Bag (Nina Elias-Bamberger, 1996-1998) was alright; I loved watching The Wubbulous World of Dr. Suess (1996-1997) as a kid; and Bear in the Big Blue House (Mitchell Kriegman, 1997-2007) was pretty popular among fans. But we also got Elmo Saves Christmas (Emily Squires, 1996) and Elmopalooza! (1998). But in the summer of 1999, it seemed as though the Muppets were due for another feature-length film. Enter Muppets from Space. This film came out during a time when a lot of sci-fi films were taking place. This was supposed to be the Muppets’ parody of that genre. By the sounds of that, this movie should be awesome, right?…Well, you’d think so. As a lot of you know, this movie is famous for being the worst Muppet movie ever made. Does it really deserve that title? Is it true? Well…let’s find out.

STORY: The story and the set-up are the most problematic elements of the movie. It just begs so many questions. First of all, who the crud wanted to know Gonzo’s species? Who was dying to know that? By the time this movie came out, Gonzo existed for over 30 years. That’s more than 30 years of us accepting him as a whatever. That’s his identity! That’s his character! We were all comfortable with that! We didn’t need to know his origins or his species! Second of all, this does, in all honesty, open the door for a mature set-up. Perhaps this could create some adult dialogue and situations with the Muppets. Gonzo wants to feel like he belong in a world where there’s only one of him – the conversations almost write themselves! So, what do we get here?…Gonzo is an alien…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!? You choose to give us something a third grader could have thought of?!…I don’t even know what to say to that! Gonzo’s an alien. HUH?!?
As I said, this movie was supposed to be a parody to sci-fi movies. The problem with that is there doesn’t seem to be enough parody; and by enough, I mean none at all. This film seems to take itself way too seriously. We’re supposed to accept that Gonzo’s an alien. We’re supposed to believe there’s a government agency searching for Muppet extra terrestrials. Nothing in the film says that this is a parody or a joke. We’re just supposed to accept this story and that it exists within the Muppet universe.
It’s ironic that we’re supposed to take the story seriously because the script is a joke. The dialogue the characters speak is so strange. Listen to some of Edgar’s conversations with Rentro (Bobo the Bear). It’s too mature for children to understand, but it clashes with the story that is too juvenile for adults to take seriously. When Gonzo tells Kermit how he feels about being an alien, it sounds like a coming out speech. I can hear a closeted homosexual giving that same speech word for word.
I think the biggest problem is that this doesn’t feel like a Muppet movie. It feels like the Muppets attempting to make another kind of movie, a sci-fi/action-type of movie. There’s nothing wrong with those kinds of films, but it doesn’t feel very Muppety. If you’re going to make a movie for the Muppets, make a legitimate Muppet movie! Even though I have problems with Muppet Treasure Island, it still feels like a Muppet movie. This does not. The story takes itself too seriously – it is too absorbed in the genre it was supposed to parody – to feel like a classic Muppet movie.

CHARACTERS AND CAMEOS: This should be interesting. In addition to talking about the main human stars and cameo guest stars, I’ll briefly address the new Muppets that appear in this film.
1) K. Edgar Singer – Edgar, like the story, is nothing new or interesting. He’s pretty dry. On paper, he’s as bland, boring, and dull as damp paper. However, Jeffrey Tambor’s portrayal of him makes this character so entertaining to watch! I love him! That is what a great actor or actress does: they take a person’s character out of the pages and breaths life into them! Tambor is not just a great comic, but he’s a wonderful actor as well. I love watching the choices he makes – the expressions he makes, both subtle and unsubtle. Tambor really does make this character and this movie a lot of fun!

2) General Luft – This character frustrates me. Not only is he boring, but he’s ignorant. Why wouldn’t he believe Singer’s reasonings that aliens are coming to earth? Even if he need more evidence, the proof he provided would have made me suspicious. I certainly would have thought, “Hmm. I should look into this more!” How in the world could the same message, “R U There,” show up all over the world as a practical joke? At least look into it more! Crud you, Luft! Crud you!

This film does continue the Muppet film tradition of having celebrity cameo guest stars…As a whole, they don’t work well. In a traditional Muppet movie, you can have random celebrities show up for no reason. It’s a joke. It’s a funny joke. You can do that! Here, the story is too serious to have a joke like that work. Hollywood Hulk Hogan appearing out of nowhere doesn’t make sense! Kathy Griffin shows up just to be Animal’s new girl toy for the day. We’ve also got Ray Liotta, Josh Charles, Gary Owens (who lends a voice cameo), F. Murray Abraham, David Arquette, Andie MacDowell, Joshua Jackson and Katie Holmes from Dawson’s Creek, and Rob Schneider. You might call me crazy for this, but Schneider’s actually my favorite cameo in this movie. This is one of the few restrained and non-offensive roles he’s played. It’s actually rather nice to see him do something like this.

Some of the newer Muppets from Muppets Tonight appear in this film. We’ve got Johnny Fiama and Sal Minella, Dr. Phil Van Neuter, Bobo the Bear (as Rentro), and Pepé the King Prawn. All of these characters are played by Brian Henson and Bill Barretta. I won’t lie, I didn’t like any of the new characters on Muppets Tonight. They weren’t funny, they weren’t relatable, they weren’t interesting, they weren’t charming. For the most part they yelled and screamed all the time, and that was their character. The only new character on the show that had a full personality was Bobo – and even then, I didn’t like him on the show. I like him in everything else he’s in, including this movie, but that was not the show for him. The character I’m surprised by how big he became was Pepé. He had literally no personality on the show! How did he get such a big role in this movie?! How did people find him so likeable and fun?! I would have loved if people went that crazy over Clifford! Clifford was miscast as the host of Muppets Tonight, but I still love his character! He’s so cool! And Clifford originated on The Jim Henson Hour in 1989 – he existed while Jim Henson was alive! I wish we got more of Clifford today! He brings a different feel to the Muppets that they didn’t have before, a more urban coolness to him. I love it! I love him!…But I digress.

SONGS/MUSIC: The score composer of the film is Jamshied Sharifi. The song composer…is an unfulfilled role in this film. Yeah, there are no songs in this movie. Ain’t that strange! This Muppet movie does not have any songs in it! Why would the filmmakers produce and create a new Muppet film without including great Muppet songs! This goes back to what I said earlier: this film feels like the Muppets trying to make another kind of film, a sci-fi and adventure-type film. It doesn’t feel like a legitimate Muppet movie! What was the last Muppet production you saw that didn’t have any songs? Every straight-to-video production, television show, TV special, and movie the Muppets ever made all included songs. Muppet Babies had songs, and that was animated!
There are songs in this movie, but they’re not new and the Muppets don’t sing them. They’re neo-soul/funk/R&B songs from the 1970s. I don’t know how or why this genre of music fits with the sci-fi genre of film, but…I’m not going to lie, I like these songs! Your appreciation for the music in this movie is based on whether or not you like funk. Even though it doesn’t make sense to have this music in this Muppet sci-fi movie, I still love these songs! I love this tone and style the music is in. In fact, when I was a kid this film introduced me to great classics as “Flashlight,” “Brick House,” “Shining Star,” and the other songs that appear. I have a lot of fun listening to them. I actually can’t imagine a lot of the scenes in this movie without these songs.
I know there’s not much else to talk about and I can’t go through all of the songs in this movie, but here are notes on some of the musical moments.
1) Brick House: A lot of people have said that this is the best scene in the movie…Yeah, it is! If the Muppets were to live in the same house, this is pretty much how I’d imagine their mornings. This scene as a whole is the closest thing in this film to capturing the Muppet/Jim Henson spirit.

2) Celebration: This is the only time the Muppets sing in this film…unless you count Rizzo singing the Oscar Meyer Weiner song.

3) Shining Star: The Muppets have a music video! Not just a montage – a legit music video! That’s neat! I think the only other times we had ever seen a Muppet music video before this was on Sesame Street. That’s pretty cool.

PUPPETRY: The puppetry in this movie is really good if you pay close enough attention to it. In my opinion, it’s better than the puppetry in Muppet Treasure Island. The characters do simple human things that puppets cannot do on their own. Gonzo opens a drawer. Do you know how to get a puppet to do that while making it look simple and ordinary? Rizzo turns a key in the lawnmower. The Muppets open doors. There are penguins – full scaled penguins – diving into a bathtub. It looks so simple, but when you think about it you realize that the filmmakers and performers had to work very hard to make these actions look as realistic as possible. In the last Muppet movie, it sometimes looks like they’re trying to do something; the Muppets were trying to fight during the battle scene towards the end. Here, they’re just doing the actions as simple as anybody else can do it. I love that!

COMEDY: The comedy is OK. Often times, the jokes do not work. There are only 2 fourth wall jokes, and they’re not funny. You have to pay attention to them, or else you’ll miss them. However, when a joke does work it is very funny. Anytime the Muppets do or say anything that matches their unique spirit, the jokes are hilarious! Statler and Waldorf partake in their usual wise cracks, and they’re great! I like the silly and naive comments Fozzie makes (with the exception of him not knowing what scotch tape is). Sam’s short speech to the people on his front lawn is fantastic! And, of course, Bobo the Bear gives the funniest line in the movie!

It’s so odd and strange, but it’s so funny!
I can’t talk too much about the bad jokes because they don’t stand out as well as the good jokes. There are plenty of bad jokes, but the good ones are more memorable. As a whole, the comedy is OK. When something is done or said that matches the spirit of the Muppets, the jokes work well and they are absolutely funny!

CONCLUSION: OK, so you see that this movie has a lot of problems. The story is crap, the writing is weird, there are no original songs in this film, and the comedy is hit and miss. But there are good things about the movie as well. The puppetry is impressive, some of the jokes are really funny, and the Muppets still act like the Muppets. As a whole, this movie is OK. It’s not their best work, but it’s far from their worst. Believe me, the Muppets would go on to do much worse than this film. At least in this film, our characters still seem like themselves despite a faulty script. So long as Kermit is still himself and the rest of the Muppets are still themselves, I’m in a good place. Despite the problems this movie has, I still like it! I enjoy it a lot! The good stuff is more than likeable, and the bad stuff is fun to make fun of. If you don’t like this movie, I can understand why; the story and script are just too strange for the Muppets. However, it’s also understandable why you may like this movie. The Muppets are still the Muppets. They’re still entertaining, they’re still loveable, and they’re still relatable. Take it for what it is.

MOVIE REVIEWS: Muppet Treasure Island (Brian Henson, 1996)

It’s hard to talk about this film without comparing it to the last Muppet movie. I know they’re two different stories, but if you focus on the productions you’ll discover they’re almost the same movie. Both films were made by Walt Disney Pictures and Jim Henson Productions. They’re both based on novels written by English authors from the nineteenth century. The Muppets share the spotlight with a famous English actor. They both open the exact same way, with camera trucking backwards and zooming out of the sky as the credits role. Even the credits are the same – almost everyone from the last movie is back to reprise their role on this film. This movie has the same producers, director, production designer, director of photography, editor, writer – they’re all here! There’s certainly a lot to consider regarding this film, especially since it reminds me a lot of The Muppet Christmas Carol. If I can be honest now, I think the Christmas film is far better. I remember loving the mess out of this movie when I was in high school, but now I just see it as a good movie. It’s good, but not great or amazing. Even having that being said, I’d say this film is on the lesser side of good. It’s an enjoyable movie, but there are some elements that get in the way of the film being great.

STORY: The story is the Muppet’s version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale Treasure Island. Like the last film, the plot is based on one that had already existed for over 100 years. Unlike the last movie, this film isn’t as serious or dramatic. It does have a lot of darker themes and moments, but it doesn’t shy away from some lighthearted comedy. We’ll get to that later, of course. I’m not familiar with Stevenson’s story, but I understand this movie follows the book pretty closely.
There are 2 moments in the story that I do have to address, however. The first takes place after Blind Pew gives Billy Bones the black spot and leaves his tavern. I heard someone ask how come he didn’t come with his band of pirates the first time…Yeah, that’s a good question! Why didn’t Blind Pew have his gang with him the first time he went into the tavern instead of coming and leaving and coming again? Did he realize that by doing that, he gave Billy Bones a chance to run away? Unless he had a plan regarding that, I don’t know if he thought that all the way through. The second moment I wonder about is after Polly, Clueless Morgan, and Mad Monty broke out of the ship’s jail. Did anyone ever question how they got out? I’m pretty sure Captain Smollett did not intend to keep them in time-out for what they did. They didn’t break an expensive vase – they tortured 2 shipmates! I’m positive Smollett meant to keep them in jail for the rest of the voyage…And yet they’re walking and roaming as freely as they please after they get Mr. Arrow’s keys. No one questioned that? No one wondered why or how they got out? No one wondered if their release from jail had anything to do with Mr. Arrow’s disappearance?…No?…OK…
I think one of the biggest themes of this story is knowing what to value. Jim Hawkins valued honesty, purity, friends, family, and adventure. Because of that, he not only got what he wanted but he also gained more. He got the adventure he was longing for, and he got a much larger family. He and his new family also gained riches. They were able to row back home with a ship full of gold. Long John Silver, on the other hand, longed for the gold and riches. He was willing to kidnap a boy, take over the Hispaniola, and hang a frog and a pig over their death to get gold. Where did it get him? Jail. And when he broke out of that place, he nearly drowned and found himself on an island with no riches. If we value the purest and best things of life, the rewards will come to us. If we become selfish and greedy, however, we’ll be trapped and worse than we were before.

CHARACTERS: I know I won’t get to everybody. I’m only writing about those who played integral characters in the story.
1) Tim Curry as Long John Silver – A lot of people consider Curry to be the best live-action human star to perform in a Muppet movie…Yeah, that sounds about right! He’s over the top, he’s enjoyable, he’s entertaining, he sings, he has a soft spot that makes him loveable – he’s perfect for this movie! He basically is a live-action Muppet! What makes his character loveable is his connection with Jim. Yes, he uses him as a ploy to get the treasure, but he still genuinely likes Jim. He does care for him. He doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him. He protects him from harm. He respects him. He has fun with him. The two are friends, but Silver’s greed for treasure puts conflict between them. Curry conveys that so greatly. Throw in his always enjoyable over-the-top performance, and we are set!…By the way, did you ever notice he often rolls his eyes or looks up when he laughs? That’s hilarious!

2) Kermit the Frog as Captain Abraham Smollett – There’s not a lot I can say here. It’s Kermit acting like Kermit, but in a sea captain’s uniform. It’s not as charming as his performance as Bob Cratchit, but it works alright here. I think my favorite moment with Kermit comes toward the end of the movie when he fights Tim Curry. He has a tattoo on his chest – how is that not hilariously cool?!? I love it!

3) Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney – Since I didn’t talk about Fozzie in the last review, I thought I should mention him here. He’s…OK. Fozzie’s here to not only give our main characters a boat to set sail on, but mostly to deliver comic relief. I do find the things Fozzie says and does funny. However, I do have to admit that there’s not much logic to his humor. If his company deals with boats, why doesn’t he know what the ocean is? He refers to it as “the big blue wet thing.” And…how in the world did the filmmakers come up with “Mr. Bimbo?!” Fozzie has a tiny man that lives in his finger named Mr. Bimbo. WHAT?!? What the crud sense does that make? The obvious joke here is that Fozzie is funny because he’s stupid. While Fozzie wasn’t always the “quickest” Muppet, he wasn’t stupid. That’s a lesser form of comedy geared toward children…So, is it wrong that I find some of this stuff funny?…I don’t know, but I laugh anyway. Fozzie’s character does get me to smile, even though there is not much sense to his humor.

4) Sam the Eagle as Mr. Samuel Arrow – This may be one of my favorite Muppet castings ever! It’s so perfect! Sam the Eagle is already a tight, pompous stick-in-the-mud who demands order and dignity, and that is exactly what he does in this role. His attention to detail and making sure that everything is done right is spot on! I love the humor we get from him! His early dialogue with Smollett is fantastic, but we’ll get to that later. It’s great to see Sam the Eagle in a bigger role in a movie. We didn’t get that in the other Muppet films, so it’s really good to see him take up more screen time here! I love it, and I love him!

5) Kevin Bishop as Jim Hawkins – Bishop actually makes a good Jim Hawkins in this film. We see how honest and virtuous he is. We sympathize with his yearning for adventure. We understand his character. I also like how natural Bishop is when connecting with the Muppets. He makes it look so realistic, like they are all normal, everyday people. He never winks to the camera or gives the impression that this isn’t real. It’s as if Bishop has always known these characters – these people, and the chemistry he has with them is genuine. I love that!

SONGS/MUSIC: The music in this movie is memorable, but it doesn’t stand out in comparison to other Muppet songs. First of all, the score is composed by Hans Zimmer. You heard me praise his talents and contributions to The Lion King, and he does a good job here. This score isn’t as impressive or grand as it was in the other movie, but it’s good. The songs are brought to us by pop songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil…Oh boy. I’m not upset because of Mann or Weil, I’ve never heard any of their songs outside of this movie. It’s just that…They’re pop songwriters. Modern pop music is hit and miss for me…More so of a miss. Every now and then I hear a good pop song, but more than often I hear pop songs that remind me why I’m not a fan of that particular genre. But this isn’t modern pop music – this is ’90s pop music! So that means these songs will be better!…Right?
1) Shiver My Timbers: This is the best song in the movie, in my opinion! It opens the movie perfectly! It begins the story epically! It sets the tone! I love how dark it is. This is clearly different from your typical Muppet song. We’re not in the Rainbow Connection anymore, folks. We are in Dead Man’s Chest burying and killing for doubloons! Yes, we still see snakes and crabs tell the story, but at one point we see skulls! There are singing skulls in this number! YES!!! I love it!

2) Something Better: Ah, yes. The Disney song of Jim Henson/Muppet movies. Here we have our lead character singing about how he wants more out of life…Yeah, Disney did that for the Muppets before they even bought them. Really, this song is OK. It sounds grand and we learn what Jim wants. If it didn’t sound like every other Disney “I Want” song, I think I’d like this number a lot more.

3) Sailing for Adventure: This is a fun, campy number. It’s enjoyable and funny. My only problem with it is that it can be too kiddy friendly. The lyrics serve as entertainment to the kids. They’re lighthearted, they’re silly, they’re simple, and they’re silly. There’s nothing wrong with that necessarily, but the Muppets are not just kids’ entertainment. The Muppets are for everybody! When I hear this obviously kiddy song, I get annoyed. If you’re looking for a kiddy Muppet song, this number is for you.

4) Cabin Fever: …What in the world? I don’t know what to say…What does this number have to do with anything?! It comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with anything! If you took this song out of the movie, what do you lose? The story still goes on, and we still understand and relate to these characters. It doesn’t match with the tone the film was originally going for. In fact, would you believe that this song and “Shiver My Timbers” were in the same movie? I don’t know that I do. As a stand alone song, it’s fun and silly – it’s OK. As a song in a musical version of Treasure Island…WHAT?!?

5) Professional Pirate: I feel the same way about this number that I feel about “Sailing for Adventure.” I do like this number more, though, because (1) it has a darker tone and (2) it features Tim Curry! Yeah, the other number did too, but for only one stanza. Here, Curry has an entire song, and he hams it up big time! I can deal!

6) Boom Shakalaka: I really like this number! I love how it builds and builds in production. Not only does the sound get bigger and bigger, but the visual grows more as well. It becomes quite the production number, and it’s kind of impressive how big it is! I enjoy it!

7) Love Led Us Here: I don’t like this song. At all. I can’t stand it. First of all, Kermit and Piggy are singing a pretty ballad about how love led them back to each other…as they are literally hanging over their deaths…HUH?!? That doesn’t work! It doesn’t match! What about the sequence of events prior to this moment said that this number was warranted? We don’t always need to force a love song in our movies if they don’t belong! Second of all, how come we keep cutting back from Kermit and Piggy hanging over a cliff to Long John Silver and the pirates burying themselves in treasure? What do those moments have to do with each other? Did love lead them to the gold? I DON’T GET IT!! Nope! I refuse to accept this song! I don’t like it!

PUPPETRY: The puppetry in this film is good. Unfortunately, there’s nothing groundbreaking or impressive like there was in the other Muppet films. We’re not seeing anything here that we haven’t seen before, and there’s nothing here to challenge our suspense of disbelief. This is something the other Muppet movies were so good at doing! Even The Muppet Christmas Carol gave us those incredible looking ghosts. This film doesn’t offer that much. Some of the Muppets made for this film can blink, but that’s about it…OK, Floyd could already do that, and so could a lot of the other Muppets. What’s the big deal. Along with that, I think I see a lot more rod in this movie than I’ve seen in any other Muppet movie. I can often spot the rods controlling the Muppets’ arms, and that keeps me from feeling as though these characters are alive and living. As a whole, I guess it’s not bad. I just wanted something that would continue to challenge us – something grand and amazing.

MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, 1996, © Buena Vista Pictures /

COMEDY: I’ve been hinting at the comedy, but let’s finally talk about it. The comedy is…OK. When a joke is legitimately funny, it’s great. I hinted at some of the early dialogue Mr. Arrow had with Smollett:
MR. ARROW: …Any man caught dawdling will be shot on sight.
SMOLLETT: Uh, I didn’t say that.
MR. ARROW: I was just paraphrasing.
I LOVE that stuff! It’s dark, it’s ironic, and it’s funny! I also think the roll call scene that takes place after “Sailing for Adventure” is hilarious! When will you ever hear a name like “Big Fat Ugly Bug Face Baby Eating O’Brien?” That is so awesome!
Where the comedy dies is when it gets juvenile. When the Muppets are just being themselves and/or serving the story, the humor is fine. But when they do something especially for the little ones in the audience, it gets annoying. A great example of that is whenever the Muppets refer to pop culture. Gonzo makes reference to the NBA. Polly Lobster mentions Disney Land…or World. Piggy talks about the shopping channel – it doesn’t make sense. A lot of kids’ movies were doing this in the ’90s, making reference to modern pop culture if the story took place hundreds of years ago. It was clever in Aladdin (Ron Clements and John Musker, 1992) because it was unique and different. But when EVERYBODY started doing this in their children’s movies, it got old.
I’m torn here. The comedy isn’t bad. Even some of the juvenile jokes can get a laugh, like the stuff with Fozzie. But the Muppets should not focus on being merely for kids. When they do, their humor is awkward and bad. When they make a joke that supports the story or is consistent with the Muppet spirit, it’s great! It’s a treat to watch and listen to. So, yeah, the humor is OK overall.

CONCLUSION: I do like this film. It’s a nice movie. I do like the darker elements and themes that are explored in this film, and I love the Muppets. I love it when they do something that is consistent to the Jim Henson/Muppet spirit. Tim Curry is a perfect collaborator for the Muppets, and Kevin Bishop helps suspend our disbelief. But the songs can be too childish, the puppetry isn’t as sophisticated or adult as it has been in the past Muppet movies, and the comedy is lacking. If this film hadn’t relied on childish antics, it’d be a better film. As it is, it’s still entertaining. It’s fun, and it’s enjoyable. I just like other Muppet movies more. And, yes, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a much better movie. If you like this film better than the Christmas Carol, that’s fine. However, the Christmas film is better than this film. That film knew when to provide comedy and when to let a moment be dark. The songs supported the film and the story, and there was advanced puppetry along with the characters we all know and love. It was a more focused movie. This one kind of felt cluttered. As a whole, though, it’s nice. It’s a nice movie. I just have my own reservations about it.