Muppets From Space

[Grover82]

I really think the idea for Muppets from Space was cute and I do like the movie. But I am a little surprised that Gonzo is an Alien? Only becasuse I remember the Jim Henson movie (and I was born in 1982) "The great Santa Claus switch" from 1970? I BELIEVE it is even the FIRST appearance of Gonzo. Anyway in that they say he is a frackel (No, not fraggle) and he's an outcast becasue he doesn't look exactly like all the other frackels.
Does anyone else remember this movie? Why did they make Gonzo an alien

 

[CensoredAlso]

I personally did not agree with that decision. It took away the mystery and joke of Gonzo's character. We're always wondering what Gonzo is and that's funny. And we don't necessarily want to get an answer. It's like when you build up a joke and it's hilarious...until you get to the punchline. The punchline is often not as funny as the mystery of the build up.

Plus to me, Gonzo being a "whatever" sounds more Muppet-y. The Muppets were always about celebrating weirdness and it didn't matter if you didn't fit into a specific "label."

 

[dwayne1115]

kind of like tigger cause he is the only one it would kind of stink if there where a whole lot of them somewhere else ya know.

 

[Boppity]

I agree with pretty much all of this. I was fine with him being a weird frackle, or not knowing at all...ah well.

 

[dwmckim]

Yeah -that was the first appearance of Gonzo, or more exact, the PUPPET that would later become Gonzo. Though it was the same puppet that would be turned into Gonzo the Great six years later, it wouldn't be fair to say that that was "Gonzo" in the special...especially since he had a different name (Snarl). So in terms of Muppet continuity (which is often pretty sketchy anyway...no pun intented), unless you wish to think of "Gonzo" as an actor playing "Snarl" in that special, one can't really consider that as Gonzo proper.

...but still given that the Frackles did later continue on as Muppet Monsters, and Gonzo (especially in his earliest form) more a pretty big family resemblance, it would be pretty accurate to lump him in the category of Monster and/or Frackle anyway...at least until this was retconned in MFS.

If it helps you to reconcile the differences, you can consider that though there's a close enough resemblance to a Frackle or a Monster, there's enough of a difference as to set him a bit apart (in the same way that even though he may also somewhat resemble an anteater, he knows he isn't one). The knowledge of this fact may have over the years got him wondering about his origins/heritage (and sentient intelligent beings i believe have a natural tendency to question their heritage and existence especially if for whatever reason they grow up not knowing about it). And just because Gonzo was fortunate enough to have made contact with his alien family...who's to say that other Frackles or monsters weren't alien-evolved either?

 

[CensoredAlso]

Everyone's free to go with whatever interpretation they want of course, hehe. For my part, I'm content with Gonzo being a Whatever, and the Frackles and Monsters just being happy with themselves.

 

[Baby Gonzo]

Growing up watching Muppet Babies, I was already predisposed to the idea that Gonzo could be an alien, considering he mentioned it in a few episodes, even if it was just his imagination. By all means, I don't think of Muppet Babies as being canon in the Muppet universe, but I, in my childhood ignorance, figured he was a alien.

I am satisfied with him being a Whatever, but I don’t think that if he were an alien, he would be any less special. I always felt sorry for him when he seemed so alone. It’s okay if there are more Gonzo-like creatures, but his real family is the Muppets. And that’s where the heart of the story of Muppets From Space is.

 

[Mr.Penguin]

I'm okay with it, but I liked him being called a "whatever" better. I liked him just being another abstract Muppet creature, but I wasn't too shocked or bothered with the change (probably because of The Muppet Movie). It seems like recently the old joke is coming back, though. The only one I can remember now is him being called "the Tin Thing" in MWOO (is that the acronym?) instead of "Tin Alien"....or "Tin Spaceman."

 

[Pork]

Yeah, I was a little disapointed to find out that he was an alien. But I still reckon he looks more like a whatever.

 

[PrawnCocktail]

Personally I think the Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppets from space were disappointing. Especially with the last movie they didn't seem to have real inspiration, the muppet christmas carol has a more 'muppet feel' to it, if you follow.....

I think they made Gonzo an alien because a lot of kids might not be attracted to the plain muppet stories anymore. Adults do like the older movies but as a whole I don't think they bring in enough cash or something. It's difficult to focus on a specific target population.