What is your least favorite Muppet Movie?

[Oscarfan]

The painfully shoehorned Ed Koch cameo in MTM. Didn't the filmmakers know that Koch wouldn't be mayor forever (thankfully)? Making it such a point to include him locks the movie in the early 80's. Same with the Hulk Hogan and Dawson's Creek cameos in MFS. Though, the MFS cameos are not as big a deal YET. But trust me, in 20 years they're gonna stick out in a big bad way.

MTM is my least favorite of the original three, but Ed Koch's cameo is one of my favorite parts; not for him, but the joke he's involved in.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I think the Koch cameo is fine. Dated isn't always a bad thing. It's fascinating when movies are a reflection of the times they come from.

 

[SpinneyBigBird1]

Copying D'Snowth's format, I have rated the movies on a four-star scale.

After reading this thread, it is apparent that I am one of the few who genuinely didn't hate IAVMMCM. Maybe it's because it came out at a time when I was still young and loving everything the Muppets did, but I still watch it every Christmas to this day. I feel like it's the Muppets at what they do best: putting on a show. To me, aside from a few sequences, I don't think it was "pop-culture overkill." Like what ToughPigs said in their original review, it was the first Muppet production since Jim's death that didn't apologize for its own existence. There were re-casts, lesser known characters spoke again (Janice and Scooter for the first time in over a decade), and to me it had just the right amount of zaniness and fun. Call me crazy, but I don't hate it.

I didn't care for MCC for a long time until this past Christmas when I bought the new DVD just to complete my collection and I watched it. I forgot how smart and fun it is. I watched it so many times this past holiday season and loved it every time.

What I've learned about myself is that I'm low-maintenance. I love the Muppets. I will see anything they do and as long as they are being the Muppets, I probably won't have a problem with it. Yes, they have fluctuated in quality over the years but I still have enjoyed every step of the way.

The Muppet Movie (1979) - ****
The Great Muppet Caper (1981) - ****
The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) - ****
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - ***
Muppet Treasure Island (1996) - ***
Muppets From Space (1999) - **
Kermit's Swamp Years (TV, 2002) - **
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (TV, 2002) - ***
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (TV, 2005) - **
Letters to Santa (TV, 2008) - ** 1/2
The Muppets (2011) - ****

 

[rexcrk]

I think the Koch cameo is fine. Dated isn't always a bad thing. It's fascinating when movies are a reflection of the times they come from.

Yeah, honestly I had to look up Ed Koch's cameo in Muppets Take Manhattan online because for the life of me I couldn't remember that part (and I've seen MTM a ton of times lol). I don't think it's THAT big of a cameo or distraction as an "'80s" thing lol.

 

[Drtooth]

One of my problems with MWoZ is that the Muppeteers don't sound like they're having fun. I love the earlier Muppet stuff because the Muppeteers sound like they're genuinely enjoying themselves, the chemistry is great. Some of the more recent productions don't have that same level of fun that TMS had.

The problem is Ashanti's terrible acting. You can't have chemistry with someone who can't act. It makes everything completely and utterly awkward when she's on screen. I mean, Bill really really tried to have chemistry as Pepe... but it really feels like the Muppets are acting around her than acting with her. If there's one thing that could have made the movie more tolerable, it's casting someone who could sing and act as Dorothy. That poor acting and the awkwardness it entailed made the movie even worse than it needed to be.

 

[D'Snowth]

LTS is NOT a movie, it's a SPECIAL.

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah.

Why is it considered a movie anyway? The argument could stand for the other television projects, but they achieve a feature length. LTS could have benefited from a movie length run time, but it's still considered jut a TV special.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

I'm in middle of watching Kermit's Swamp Years, easily the worst Muppet movie ever. After Muppet Wizard of Oz, of course.

What's with the Kermit's mom bit? It's the same Kermit puppet dubbed. That was weird.

 

[JimAndFrank]

I'm in middle of watching Kermit's Swamp Years, easily the worst Muppet movie ever. After Muppet Wizard of.. Oz, of course.

What's with the Kermit's mom bit? It's the same Kermit puppet dubbed. That was weird.

It has the same problem as MFS. KSY had a lot of potential going for it and yet the writing and the acting (not counting the Muppeteers) was dreadful. You can see that everything was pushed and pressed into each other and it ended up as a massive embarrassing clump in the middle of a swamp. The ideas behind it were great, but it all just failed in every single other aspect.

As for Kermit's mother, it would've been better to just leave her as a voice in the distance or had actually shown her in real light.

 

[Mo Frackle]

The Muppet Movie - Great all the way through. 5/5

The Great Muppet Caper - Again, great all the way through. However, I did find the ballet scene to be a bit slow. But I'm sure that's only because I'm not a ballet fan. 5/5

The Muppets Take Manhattan - Very enjoyable throughout, but not quite up there with the previous two. 4.5/5

The Muppet Christmas Carol - Works better as a Henson production than a Muppet film. A very well-made film, but the Muppets themselves are in more second-string roles. 4/5

Muppet Treasure Island - I'm surprised some people consider this a bad movie. It has the same degree of goofiness found in classic Muppet productions. So what if some of the Muppets are playing 'characters'? So what if several classic characters hadn't been re-casted yet? 4/5

Muppets From Space - Could have been much better if put into the right hands. The only positive notes that come to mind are the scenes with the Muppets Tonight characters, the Gonzo/Rizzo relationship (especially during the ending), and the boarding house scenes (why wasn't a series built around that?). The rats Rizzo befriends are also fun characters. Not great, but still worth seeing. 3/5.

Kermit's Swamp Years - Typical direct-to-video children's film (yes, I would consider this particular production a 'children's film'). It's yet another film that could have been better. The adventures of a young Kermit isn't that bad of a premise. But I really don't feel like enough care went into the finished product. Overall, it feels as though this was made strictly for the kids (hence my using the term 'children's film'). Still, there are some bright moments (namely Bill and Joey as "Croaker" and "Goggles").

A nitpick - what time period is this film supposed to take place in? Everything screams "2002", especially the school that Kermit and the gang wind up in. 1.5/5.

It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie - I remember when this premiered on NBC way back in November of '02. I liked it. Seeing old friends like Scooter and Janice (along with further exposure of new friends like Pepe, Johnny, and Sal) was great. Seeing the Muppet Theater make a comeback was also great. Overall, a fine film that I still enjoy watching. 3.5/5

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz - It's been awhile since I've seen this one (I don't even think I got through all of it in my last viewing). This is yet another film that I feel could have been much better. Still, I liked the bright, colorful depiction of Oz (even if it's largely green/blue screen), and the various Muppet cameos were fun. 2/5.

The Muppets - A solid comeback. While I was initially worried that the finished product would have "fan fiction" written all over it, I was very happy with what I saw. It's a love letter to the fans, but just as enjoyable for newcomers. However, I do wish a little more thought had gone into the editing of the plot. Keeping in the exposure of Richman's backstory, as well as the backstory of the Muppets' split wouldn't have hurt. Getting rid of Amy Adams' song and working on Richman's decision to give back the Theater also wouldn't have hurt. I also felt the excessive celebrity cameos was a bit much (some of celebrities literally do nothing but sit there). 4.5/5