Your Thoughts: Muppets Letters to Santa

[Dr. Bombay]

Well, I am in the minority for probably the first time since I joined this board.

I didn't like it very much at all...overall grade: C -. It felt like it was directed totally at children rather than a mixed audience of children and adults like the Muppets always have been in the past (with the exception of that first Studio DC). Bunsen's head looked way too big and the Piggy puppet was seriously just strange to me.

But most of all, just way too saccharine for my tastes.

I did like the inclusion of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem though they needed to be featured more. And I also thought Sam's public service announcement about opening the mail was funny.

And it was weird that Kermit's "I Believe in Santa" song wasn't included.

 

[uppitymuppity]

Thank you Prawncracker and JJanice...

I love, love, love it!

I can't critique a single thing about it. Of course there were things left to be desired but overall the magic, intent and puppeteering was intact and I think Jim Henson himself would have enjoyed this special. It was truly that, "Special"!

A great big thank you to Paul Williams for bringing that music, lyric and spirit back into the world. I got all warm inside.

Excuse me now while I go cry for joy.... weep weep

 

[Redsonga]

Well...hmm...ok. I mean, every great entertainers go through their initial period of being edgy and appealing to all ages. Then eventually, inevitably, they get watered down. This has happened to the Muppets, it was just that time. I found the special very sweet, but targeted mainly at children. I do hope kids enjoy it, and perhaps will be persuaded to give the older specials a chance too.

Then call me a kid because I loved it and didn't see anything wrong with it, except I have always hated Bunsen's new look . Oh, and as a life long Robin fan his voice was very off to me...As far as him aging, none of the main muppets ever age past their prime (or oldest) so why can't he stay five forever? There is no harm in it IMHO ...

 

[dwayne1115]

I must be a 26 year old kid to because i truly loved this movie!

 

[JJandJanice]

Than I'm a 23 year old kid cause I thought it was great.

Actually I knew I was really a big kid already before this special hit tv,

 

[theprawncracker]

I must be a 26 year old kid to because i truly loved this movie!

Agreed! ...Except I'm 18.

 

[bazooka_beak]

I There was a goal, but there was also a level of "Why should I care?". I just didn't have a reason to care about the girl and her mom. I wanted to, but it was missing something. Maybe an element of urgency or a deeper meaning. Not something like "Oh, we have to get these leters from terminally ill kids to Santa!" but something to make me care. I think that if there were some fixes with the story, everything would have fallen into place nicely.

Yeah, I couldn't bring myself to care about the kid and the mom. They came out of nowhere and there was no urgency. Maybe if she'd written something like "I just want my daddy to come home" (maybe from the war or something, I don't know) or "Make my mommy well again" - something to punch at my heart a little. For all they know she was simply asking for a box of crayons and a doll. Hardly a "MUST get to Santa or her childhood will be scarred" emergency :S

I hope that made sense, I'm half asleep :/

And also, I just don't think I'm going to adjust to a few things, at least not for a long time. A lot of the Muppets sounded odd, and some of them looked "off" (like Piggy and Fozzie). It was distracting.

 

[Redsonga]

Than I'm a 23 year old kid cause I thought it was great.

Actually I knew I was really a big kid already before this special hit tv,

I think the whole 'oh no it shows Santa and says he's real, and the adults are big kids, that means it's too childish and no adult can like it for the same reasons little ones do' idea is more than a little silly.

 

[JJandJanice]

I think the whole 'oh no it shows Santa and says he's real, and the adults are big kids, that means it's too childish and no adult can like it for the same reasons little ones do' idea is more than a little silly.

What I'm wondering now since you said that Redsonga, is if these people who dislike this Muppet special for thoes reasons does that mean they also dislike other christmas classics? I mean didn't "The Year Without A Santa Claues" treat Santa as though he was real and there was grown up in that movie that said they believe in santa.

I kind of understand how that airport guard getting his tricycle is a bit silly, but it was like he's kid side coming out.

 

[uppitymuppity]

I believe in Santa and i'm 35.