The Muppets: An Appreciation Part Two
By 1979, Jim Henson’s Muppets were a worldwide phenomenon, with syndication deals for The Muppet Show in countries all over the world. The show was even broadcast in the Soviet Union. But Jim Henson wanted to get into movies, as his ambition dictated. This required the standard ingenuity, heart and soul of the Muppets to be on full display, and judging by the production of the Muppet Movie, I think they pulled it off.
For Henson to perform Kermit sitting on a log, Henson was positioned underwater in a specially designed metal container, with a sleeve to perform Kermit, an air hose, and a monitor to see what he was doing. He was assisted with this by Steve Whitmire and Kathryn Mullen. Other, remote controlled Muppets were made for when they were to pull off more complex movements, and operated by the performers off camera. For shots of Kermit and Fozzie in the car, a special rig was designed. There would be a camera in the front of the car, and in the trunk, there would be the actual driver, driving with the aid of a TV set, and Henson and Oz performing in the actual front seats. This kind of ambition and ingenuity is what sets this movie apart from others, and in my opinion, it’s what gives it character, and makes it so enjoyable to watch.
In this film, Kermit is recruited by a local talent agent, and makes his way to Hollywood, meeting all of our favorite Muppets along the way, in the hopes of making it big. But he’s being pursued by the nefarious Doc Hopper, a real Colonel Sanders type, who’s trying to recruit Kermit to be a spokesperson for his restaurants that sell fried frog legs. This chase across the country is highlighted by the various adventures our Muppet friends go on, and all of the celebrity cameos made. Chances are, if you were a guest on the Muppet Show within the first three seasons, you were in this movie. Gilda Radner, Paul Williams, Dom Deluise and others make appearances, as well as non guests such as Mel Brooks and Orson Welles, and they all fill their roles pretty well. But my favorite cameo in this movie has to be Steve Martin, playing a waiter at a restaurant that Rowlf used to work at, and where Kermit and Miss Piggy go on a date.
This movie is fantastic because it’s just as ambitious as one would expect for the Muppets’ first cinematic foray. The Muppets bring fantastic performances, as usual, and the human characters compliment the zaniness and insanity of the Muppets perfectly, and there’s recognizable star power all over the place. The soundtrack is unique among the Muppet movies. While other movies after this go for a more musical feel, this movie’s soundtrack, written by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher, is more pop oriented and I think that works in the movie’s favor. Overall, the original Muppet Movie is a funny, fun and sweet comedy that proves why I love the Muppets. There’s no cynicism, no bleak humor. There’s just funny jokes, great songs and just joy all around, that’s what we need right now in this world. This movie is about finding who you are and what you’re meant to do, and I feel like everyone struggles with that from time to time. I did, but then I was determined to write about things I care about, and therefore, that’s what I will do!
In 1981, The Great Muppet Caper was released. This is a musical comedy mystery heist movie, directed by Jim Henson, his debut directorial effort. After working on what was described by many as an unhappy set, a decision was made that after the Muppet Movie, all Muppet films released after would be directed by people affiliated with the Muppets. And this debut, I will say, was…okay. Just okay. There are some good gags in there. In the film, Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo are newspaper reporters on their way to England to profile Lady Holiday, an English fashion designer, when they unwittingly uncover a conspiracy to steal a priceless jewel and race to foil it. I think my main issue with this movie is that the human characters don’t bring it on the same level as the Muppets, but there is an exception to that. Peter Falk’s brief performance in this film made me pause the movie and rewind because it feels so out of place.
The Muppet movies are great at doing those, those moments that are just too silly and off the beaten path that if they were done anywhere else, they’d be panned. There’s one other joke in the movie that just kills me, and they run with it from the very beginning. Fozzie and Kermit are apparently identical twins, and the only time anybody can tell is when they both have their hats on. They show a shot of Kermit and Fozzie’s dad and…just watch this clip:
This is my favorite joke in the whole movie. This movie felt like it was too short, and resolved too quickly and the human performances weren’t as good as they could’ve been. The soundtrack is pretty catchy though, and I’m not usually a fan of showtunes. Another Sesame Street Muppet made a cameo at the end, and that is Oscar the Grouch, played by Caroll Spinney. So that’s pretty cool. Overall, despite its shortcomings, this movie is still an enjoyable watch, if only for the Muppets themselves. The next film is one I haven’t seen yet, 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan. I haven’t seen this because it isn’t on Disney Plus. Same goes for Muppets from Space, and Muppet Wizard of Oz. If I do end up watching them, at some point, I’ll do another post. For now though, let’s just focus on going in chronological order.
Henson directed Labyrinth in 1986, which I haven’t seen, but it’s on my list, mostly because of David Bowie’s performance. But the puppetry intrigues me now that I know who the puppeteers are. I’ll give it a watch and maybe do a review, lump it in with the other Muppet productions. But after that, Henson continued to evolve. In 1988, The Jim Henson Hour premiered, featuring some of his Muppets and live action scenes, and in 1991, MuppetVision 3D was added to Disney World. Unfortunately, that would be the last Muppet production he worked on, as on May 16, 1990, Henson passed away from a bacterial infection at the age of 53. The roles of Kermit and Ernie and some other characters were handed over to Steve Whitmire, and Rowlf, The Swedish Chef and Dr. Teeth are now performed by Bill Barretta. In 1992, tragedy struck once more as Richard Hunt, the first openly gay Muppet Performer, the performer of Statler, Beaker, and Janice as well as full body Muppet Sweetums, passed away of AIDS complications. His roles were recast to David Rudman, Steve Whitmire and John Henson. As tragedy struck the Muppet team, they soldiered on, with the first post-Jim Henson film, The Muppet Christmas Carol releasing in 1992, directed by Henson’s son Brian, and starring Michael Caine in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. I haven’t seen this film either because it’s July and I don’t get in a festive mood until after Thanksgiving, but when that time comes, I will watch it!
The first Muppet Movie following the death of Jim Henson that I actually watched was 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island, an adaptation of the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. And my god, this movie is amazing. It has absolutely everything. Fantastic performances from The Muppets, a fantastic villain (Tim Curry absolutely kills it as Long John Silver), great songs, music composed by HANS ZIMMER, awesome comedic chemistry between the main characters, Jim Hawkins, Gonzo and Rizzo the Rat. And the typical offbeat and weird jokes we’ve come to expect from these movies, like this one:
It keeps getting more and more ridiculous as it goes, and it gets funnier and funnier! This, I would wager is my favorite Muppet movie, because on top of all of what I mentioned, it has adventure, and danger, elements that weren’t needed in the other movies, but add that zest and zing that was needed to keep this movie fresh. I was very much surprised by this film, but I would wager it’s because I love a good pirate story! Adventure on the high seas is always a great time!
But aside from that, as the 90s gave way to the new millenium, aside from Muppets Tonight, a late night talk show parody, there were no new film productions, save for Muppets From Space. Muppets Tonight has this clip, which I won’t introduce, just watch!
In addition to that, the show had the typical guest stars of the day. John Goodman, Garth Brooks, Billy Crystal, Prince and other stars of the 90s appeared on this show. I’m deeply disappointed that this show hasn’t seen a physical release on DVD because judging by this one clip, it seems like it was really good! But, it was all quiet on the Muppet front for several years. Sesame Street was experiencing a surge in Elmo’s popularity, which was around the time I grew up. Henson Productions was busy with Bear in the Big Blue House, but the Muppets fell by the wayside. The property was formally purchased by Disney in 2004, after several stops and starts in negotiations. Muppet Studios was formed and then the Muppet Show DVDs were released starting in 2005, and ending in 2007. But no movies were made until 2011, when a reboot film, simply titled The Muppets, hit theaters.
Written by Jason Segel and directed by James Bobin, this movie was a smash hit when it came out, grossing the highest totals for any Muppet movie to date. It was also well received critically. The movie introduces a brand new addition to the cast in Walter, a human Muppet, who’s basically a superfan of the original Muppet Show. Walter’s human brother Gary (played by Segel) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (played by Amy Adams) decide to take an anniversary trip to Los Angeles, and Gary decides to take Walter along, to take him to the Muppet Studios to get a tour. They arrive and find the studio dilapidated and run down. Walter sneaks into Kermit’s old office and finds Statler and Waldorf negotiating with oil barron Tex Richman (great name by the way) who wants to buy the old Muppet Theatre, demolish it and then drill for oil. But, as the contract drawn up in the original Muppet Movie states, the theatre is saved if the Muppets can raise at least 10 million dollars. With this goal in mind, Walter, Mary and Gary race to try and find Kermit’s house and try to persuade him to get the band back together for a reunion show.
They do this in classic Muppets fashion, with a montage:
Scenes like this are why I love this movie. Nostalgia is kinda my thing, after all. Some may call it pandering, but you’re rewarding longtime fans for their commitment to your show or property or whatever it is. Like the triumphant return of the Muppet Show theme:
Also they kidnapped Jack Black to host, but that’s not important. What is important is that this helped bring the Muppets back into the mainstream. This movie embodies the spirit of the Muppets perfectly, and I love it. However, it is rather predictable, and maybe a little too sweet, a sentiment echoed by Frank Oz, who has been retired from the Muppets since 2000. What they needed was twofold, bigger stakes, and less human relationship drama. I like Segel and Adams’ performances in this movie, don’t get me wrong but it felt like a subplot that was superfluous. But I get it, Gary needed to let Walter go, it establishes motivation for that. Overall, this is a great film for longtime Muppet fans and newer fans alike and it really shows the cultural impact the Muppets have had over the past half-century.
In 2014, Muppets Most Wanted was released, this time without Segel’s involvement, but returning mostly the same production team. And I think this is the rare sequel that’s better than its original counterpart. You’ve heard it here first. Muppets Most Wanted joins the company of such films as Empire Strikes Back and Terminator 2.
Just as an aside, I would totally watch The Swedish Chef in a Muppet art film!
At the heart of this film is a heist/crime caper. Manager Dominic Badguy (pronounced Bad-jee, it’s French), played by Ricky Gervais, convinces the Muppets to undertake a world tour, starting in Berlin. Unbeknownst to the Muppets, Mr. Badguy is the number 2 most wanted criminal in the world, behind number 1, a frog named Constantine, performed by Matt Vogel. In a classic case of mistaken identity, Kermit is framed for crimes committed by Constantine, a frog identical to Kermit save for a mole on his face and a Russian accent, and therefore sent to a gulag in Siberia which Constantine escaped from at the beginning, and Constantine takes his place as host on the tour. And nobody is the wiser except for Animal. It’s up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to stop Constantine and Dominic before they steal the British Crown Jewels. This movie ticks all the boxes for a great Muppet film. The usual good performances from the Muppets themselves, a great supporting cast, as Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais both give standout performances, great songs and awesome cameos, with Danny Trejo’s appearance being my personal favorite. Muppets Most Wanted is everything I wanted The Great Muppet Caper to be. It succeeded where Caper failed, and I commend it for that. This film remains the last Muppet film to be released, something that I hope changes in the future, because especially now, we need something to lift our spirits.
In 2015, the Muppets again hit the small screen with a primetime series, called The Muppets. The series concerned the gang we’ve come to know and love being writers for Miss Piggy’s late night talk show, Up Late With Miss Piggy. Kermit serves as executive producer and his much publicized split with Miss Piggy is one of the subplots for the show. This is a mockumentary style show, in the vein of The Office, Parks and Recreation, and others. People hated this show for some reason, but I like it, especially after watching the full series on Disney Plus a few months ago. I feel like it found its groove a little too late, and it had a lot of potential if it were to be picked up for a second season. I regularly said, out loud to myself, “how did this not get a second season?” I’m still wondering that, and it’s been almost 5 years.
This is my favorite clip from the show. It comes from the fourth episode, where the Muppets go out to Rowlf’s tavern for a night of partying and karaoke:
It killed 16 year old me when I first saw it, and it killed 20 year old me when I watched it again years later. It’s a shame, because the Chef has some other great moments in this show as well, and people haven’t given it enough attention. The pairing of Gonzo, Pepe the King Prawn and Rizzo getting into their shenanigans seemingly every episode made for great subplots, and Kermit and Miss Piggy, despite being separated at the beginning of the series, make up and get back together in the end, which is good because I love happy endings. Overall, this show didn’t get its due, like so many other shows before it, and that’s a real shame, in my opinion.
In 2016, Steve Whitmire was dismissed from his role in the Muppets, following years of internal friction between him and Disney. In his place, Matt Vogel took on the role of Kermit, debuting in this video:
If you’re a fan of Henson and Whitmire’s versions of the character, it’s jarring, and initially I was against Vogel’s portrayal, but then this video was uploaded in April of this year:
Vogel’s Kermit’s singing voice might be better than Steve Whitmire’s, and I grew up with Whitmire’s portrayal. That was when I knew that this is a Kermit that I could get behind. Sure his voice is a little deeper, but in a way it’s very similar to Henson’s portrayal, in both the mannerisms and expressions of the character. Tomorrow, we will see if the Muppets can recapture the magic of their original run in the 70s and 80s with the premiere of Muppets Now, a shortform, improvised series premiering on Disney Plus. Which, if early critical reviews are any indication, we’re in for a treat:
It’s a new realm for the Muppets but one I’m sure they’ll feel right at home in. It’s why they’ve survived this long, because although mediums and the way we consume media have changed, the Muppets have been able to adapt and prosper for over 60 years. It’s part of the reason why Sesame Workshop and HBO made an exclusivity deal a few years ago, and now have brought Elmo to “late night”, with his show on HBO Max. Because according to the book Sunny Days, the Workshop can’t survive in the climate they’re in right now. As for the separate Muppets, I don’t think Disney has “ruined” them, a sentiment shared by some Muppet fans. I think they could do more with them, and they get ignored in favor of more profitable properties, like Marvel and Star Wars, but in my mind that magic is still there. It’s part of why they’ve endured and endeared themselves to generations of people. I was raised on the Muppets, my family rented the Muppet Show DVDs, and I watched Sesame Street regularly until I was about 8. Both my mom and dad grew up with Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. When I was going through personal turmoil in my own life a few months ago, my Mom knew just what to do. She went on Amazon, bought those DVDs of the first three seasons and surprised me with them a few days later. After immersing myself in them enough, and then going back and watching old Sesame Street clips as well as the Muppet Movies, that was when I knew that I wanted to do something like this. The Muppets have been a source of joy for me through these difficult times, and will continue to be a source of joy for me in the days, weeks, months and years to come. I think Walter said it best in the 2011 Muppet movie. As long as there are Muppets, there will always be hope!