The Muppets... The Future is Cloudy

[Movies205]

I know people like Muppet Wizard of Oz(I thought it was garbage) but IMO it's a bad sign and a good sign. Now I was not against the Disney buy out of the Muppets simply because Disney is mearly in a slump right now just like it was in the early 80s then Eisner/Wells/Katzenburg came along and it was awesome, then Wells died and KAtzenburg left and it went down the crapper so it'll probably become well again once Eisner leaves. Now it's great to see that Disney is paying great respect to the fans with the new Muppet Show DVDs so at least we know the old stuff will be coming out. Now on to the future of the muppets, the Muppet Wizard of Oz was GARBAGE aside from a few one liners and nice homages. My main problem with it stems from the muppets are great for two main reasons:

1. It's strong sense of character, every muppet character has some type of arch-type that has a broad appeal on some level we all have a fozzie bear in us or a gonzo, and when you get these great characters they clash with each other often ending up in humerous situations whether it be very subtly like in Muppet Movie where there talking about breaking into hollywood and gonzo says he wants to go to Bombey, INdia, or really big where they take animal outside in the ghost town and he can't help but touch and eat everything and ends up becoming a giant. Also character development, what makes a Muppet Movie so great is how the characters evolve, that scene where Kermit is talking to himself is great. Muppet Wizard of Oz did not have this all the characters were bland and there was no character interaction or real emotion there, nor did they evolve.

2. The muppets appeal to everyone including adults. Adult Humor does not mean dirty humor. Now I don't mind a sex, fart, or other kind of joke here and there but to me the humor in Muppet Wizard of Oz wasont family oriented I just thought it was garbage, you appeal to everyone by having strong characters and a good story.

What needs to be done is these characters need to evolve in one way or another hence why the future of the muppets is cloudy, it'll be shame if they stay the same for the next 10-15 years.

 

[DerekJ]

Actually, according to JimHillMedia.com,

1) Although it got fair ratings for showing up, ABC's already written "Oz" off as a disaster, and Disney is depending on coattailing audience interest in the TMS DVD's for their last bit of respectability,
2) Owning the Muppets was Eisner's own obsessive baby, and it's not the only one of his expensively idiosyncratic pet projects to have since fallen into a dusty corner with his exit and Bob Iger's new helm

The morning after... What next?

 

[Billy R. Hinshaw]

I personally think that they would be better if they wrote musical movies like their old movies again. However, if they're using the excuse that "people like [Joe] Raposo [wrote music for "Great Muppet Caper] and [Jeff] Moss [wrote music for "Muppets Take Manhattan"] are dead", then they need to just fold. If they can't do what they originally were good at doing: singing; then they just need to stop trying.

 

[BEAR]

I personally think that they would be better if they wrote musical movies like their old movies again. However, if they're using the excuse that "people like [Joe] Raposo [wrote music for "Great Muppet Caper] and [Jeff] Moss [wrote music for "Muppets Take Manhattan"] are dead", then they need to just fold. If they can't do what they originally were good at doing: singing; then they just need to stop trying.

There are plenty of great songwriters out there that could help out the Muppets. What about Randy Newman or the Sherman brothers??

 

[DerekJ]

I personally think that they would be better if they wrote musical movies like their old movies again. However, if they're using the excuse that "people like [Joe] Raposo [wrote music for "Great Muppet Caper] and [Jeff] Moss [wrote music for "Muppets Take Manhattan"] are dead", then they need to just fold. If they can't do what they originally were good at doing: singing; then they just need to stop trying.

Actually, Paul Williams returning after thirteen years was one of the few bright spots of "Muppet Christmas Carol"--
Face it, his songs just SOUND like Kermit wrote them.

 

[dpurves]

Actually, Paul Williams returning after thirteen years was one of the few bright spots of "Muppet Christmas Carol"--
Face it, his songs just SOUND like Kermit wrote them.

Yes! I was stoked when I saw that Paul Williams was involved with MCC. I like it when the Muppets do their own songs. Some work, and some don't, but I still enjoy it when they sing their own stuff. That was a big problem with MFS, IMHO, that they just played other people's music.

The Muppets need to stop playing characters, and they just have to be themselves. Through the years these characters have developed very specific, and unique, personalities, and unfortunately these personalities just never seem to be around anymore. Even when the Muppets are supposed to be themselves, they're just missing something.

It's just not that surprising to me that MWoo is now considered a failure. In my opinion, it just wasn't that good, and is yet another example of how the Muppets are consistently being misused. I want back the magic of the Muppet Show, and the early Muppet movies.

I'd like to see that Disney sticks with its claims to want to really push the Muppets, but maybe they just need to figure out what works before they go any further. Instead of just continuing to take the Muppets in the wrong direction, maybe it's time to go back to their roots and see what made them so special to so many people in the first place.

 

[piggyinmanhatte]

i think disney are being a bunch of *** heads. they're trying much too hard to make the muppets "kid-friendly" which was never what they were in the first place. you guys are all right-they need better and more music, they need to be themselves, they need not to be overshadowed by their less talented human co-stars (i'm sorry, but after mwoo, i have come to hate ashanti. she makes me want to kick people now.)
i'm so disappointed...they could have done so much better....