"Muppets Take Manhatten" Revisited

[CensoredAlso]

I am currently pulling my husband through all of Muppet-dom and really regretted picking this movie early on (Together Again nostalgia got me). It's pacing is awfully slow, the story doesn't pop like it does in other movies, and the only scene he really laughed at was Rowlf running the doggy daycare.

Of course when he was reading the wikipedia page, the movie he wanted to watch next was MWoO. I am trying to steer him toward something more classic. We will see how this goes.

Have you tried watching Muppet Show at all? Movies like MTM were targeted at an audience used to watching the Muppets every week.

And yeah maybe MWoW's pacing is technically "faster," but its story is eons below MTM, lol.

 

[Drtooth]

MTM is a special movie. TMM was a fast paced, gag filled, almost Bullwinkle level of humor Road show pic, GMC was a wacky salute to the 30's with just a touch of Airplane. But MTM has that 1980's indie quiet, realistic feel that hasn't been used in any Muppet project before or after. It's the only Muppet project with no villain or antagonist. And I'm not counting Dabney Coleman. He didn't chase them the entire movie like every other villain/antagonist in every other movie (cept MCC, of course... villain protagonist), he was just a stop on the way. Overall, a different film, and a great film for being different.

 

[CensoredAlso]

^^^I can't put it better than that.

And perhaps after a movie like MTM it's hard for me to accept anything less.

 

[MrBloogarFoobly]

MTM is a special movie. TMM was a fast paced, gag filled, almost Bullwinkle level of humor Road show pic, GMC was a wacky salute to the 30's with just a touch of Airplane. But MTM has that 1980's indie quiet, realistic feel that hasn't been used in any Muppet project before or after. It's the only Muppet project with no villain or antagonist. And I'm not counting Dabney Coleman. He didn't chase them the entire movie like every other villain/antagonist in every other movie (cept MCC, of course... villain protagonist), he was just a stop on the way. Overall, a different film, and a great film for being different.

It's a very Frank Oz movie. Kind of dark, a touch of cynicism, sweet-sadness. I really love this movie. I like GMC, but I love The Muppet Movie & MTM. They are tonally similar, where as GMC is kind of glitzy and bright.

 

[Drtooth]

The thing that makes MTM great is that it's dark without needing a villain in it (again, not counting Dabney, because unlike all the others, he was a cameo, not a big bad). There is no tangible antagonist.

Plus, it's the first Muppet Movie to introduce movie specific Muppets (the advertising Frogs). TMM and GMC didn't really need them anyway, but it was great to see specially created characters for a movie for the first time. We've had some ever since (with the exception of MWO).

 

[CensoredAlso]

The way I look at it, life is the (sometime) antagonist in MTM. Sometimes life works in your favor and supports your dreams. And sometimes it doesn't. You just have to keep going.

Life as an antagonist. We're not likely to see this in a Muppet movie again.

 

[Drtooth]

Well, we only saw it that one time anyway. Unless you count MCC. Scrooge was his own antagonist. But that's the original story, anyway.

It was refreshing to have one film where we had a break from the delightfully hammy villains snickering and breathing down their necks.

"Thieves aren't breathing down your neck."

 

[beaker]

I don't get the MTM hate from fans. It was the first Muppet film I saw in theaters, but it's the one I've seen the most. (tho I agree TMM is a more classic, better film) But I just love every scene and line of dialogue in TMM. Plus I LOVE(am obsessed with) the 1980's. The whole "peoples is peoples" and "this is phil, jill and bill" lines crack me up every time.

I guess I'm the odd one out...MTM is my fave Muppet film, while GMC is my least fave of the originals. Same with Star Wars...Jedi is my fave while Empire is my least fave of the original SW films.

 

[beaker]

so visionary. *melts*

 

[CensoredAlso]

I guess I'm the odd one out...MTM is my fave Muppet film

I hope not, because I agree with you. MTM all the way!