Your Thoughts: "The Muppets" Theatrical Film

[MWoO]

i liked it, but there was certainly stuff missing that needed to be there. we needed to see piggy and kermit break up. we needed to see to see the entire bits during the show. "foget you" was too rushed and made no sense. the background on tex richman needed to be there. i had no idea why he was saying manical laugh.

it was great watching it, but it missed the mark on being a great movie. the editing destroyed this thing.

 

[beaker]

Forgot to mention...
KRISTEN SCHAAL!!!

Seriously, she has to be the cutest and awesomest actress I've ever seen(sorry Zooey) In interviews she just has the warmed, fun kind of personality I wish more people had.

Before I run off to bed I just wanted to list my favorite things about the movie:
• Walter
• The opening/closing numbers
• Jim Parsons part
• Pictures in my Head
• The first time they all walk into the theatre
• Everyone holding hands/Rainbow Connection
• Any emotional speech given ("one person to love you" "you're my hero" "we're family" etc.)
• Beau
• Rowlf's montage bit
• Jim's pictures that could be seen throughout the film
• Jerry's voice!!!
• Jason Segel's handsome face
• Scooter going to a TED conference
• TMS theme

I'm sure there's more, but I'm too tired at this point.

That's kind of eerie, as that is pretty much my *exact* same favorite moments, though I would also add the camilla translation scene, Behemoth and Droop having their own scene with Jack Black, Kermit and Piggy talking in the streets of Paris at night time, the Rowlf bit about how they found him, and my the funniest moment to me: the Moopets butchering of rainbow connection in Reno

 

[redBoobergurl]

Forgot to mention...
KRISTEN SCHAAL!!!

Seriously, she has to be the cutest and awesomest actress I've ever seen(sorry Zooey) In interviews she just has the warmed, fun kind of personality I wish more people had.

That's kind of eerie, as that is pretty much my *exact* same favorite moments, though I would also add the camilla translation scene, Behemoth and Droop having their own scene with Jack Black, Kermit and Piggy talking in the streets of Paris at night time, the Rowlf bit about how they found him, and my the funniest moment to me: the Moopets butchering of rainbow connection in Reno

I LOVE Kristin Schaal! Between her and Bret Mckenzie doing the music, this was like the perfect Flight of the Concords meets the Muppets mashup! And as a fan of FOTC, it's like just the best thing ever to me!

 

[Barry Lee]

I got to see an early screening of it last week, and I'll be seeing it again tomorrow. But overall I give this a B.

This is a love letter to fans and The Muppets themselves. Little tidbits I enjoyed

• At the end of "Life's a Happy Song" when Gary, Mary, and Walter leave they all fall down. I think this almost a reference to what Segel talks a lot about in his interviews when it comes to "dead muppets."
• Tex Richman is one heck of a villain. I didn't mind the rap, because it's supposed to be perfectly bad. Also it's not supposed to be a "Muppety" song because well, Richman doesn't like the Muppets to begin with.
• The Moopets are hilarious, wish I could've seen more of them.
• This is basically "The Muppet Show: The Movie" which I love, I feel it's a nice companion after watching the seasons of "The Muppet Show"
• Walter is brilliant!
• I'm totally fine with a downer Kermit, it's something new to explore with the character.
• Miss Piggy brings on that "I Am Woman" mentality, and it's pretty awesome. I feel like Piggy and Kermit's relationship in this film had to be serious to coincide with Gary and Mary.
• Great cameos, not too much and not overbearing.
• The kidnapping scene is hilarious and typical Miss Piggy, I feel though it was odd that Kermit accepted it. I think it would've worked better if Kermit didn't KNOW that the celebrity was kidnapped.
• A Sesame Street cameo wouldn't have worked in this film. Too much confusion to the viewer even though it's a nod to the first 3 movies, it's still trying to be it's "own thing."
• They make this a modern comedy, in terms of cuts etc, though they maintain the classic Muppet humor. I applaud you Segel/Stoller.
• Fozzie is adorable in this, and I for one love the new Puppet.
• I'm okay with Rizzo not being in it, though Robin should have been featured with Kermit. Maybe living with Kermit or something.
• Subtitles from the Chef and Camilla wasn't really necessary but kind of funny.

 

[beaker]

There was an interview with the director which explained the reason, claiming to give it a sense of "realism". He said that some characters simply missed their cues or forgot where to go. But if that's the case (and I haven't seen the movie yet, so I'm going by what we saw in the commercials) the large shot of arches should have emphasized this more; They should have had characters running down the arches while the others were singing, looking for their spots, and maybe had two characters in one arch.

A sense of realism? They lazily provide a bizarre Star Trek/Donnie Darko time warp ("travel by map" gag), where characters can warp anywhere in the world. Time can also somehow be stopped, a zillion people can magically appear outside of the movie theater, and Gonzo in this bad economy would be willing to blow up his business and endanger the lives of soon out of work employers...so much of this film is very UNrealistic. I mean a 1950's pleasantville world?

But then a lot of the film feels very serious and real, so its an odd mixed bag.

Almost cried? Geeze, my hormones must be raging because I was pretty damp by the end of the movie. I cry at figure skating though.

I have nothing much to add, everyone has summed it all up pretty well. A couple music nerd observations: when Hobo Joe sings "Why don't you get things started?" his voice is provided by Joanna Newsom, a harp player with a VERY singular singing voice, and I was delighted that Walter's whistling was provided by Andrew Bird, whom I've long been a fan of.

Joanna Newsom=AMAZING! Been a fan of hers a few years. Im glad that Zack Galifawhatshisname wasnt one of the celebrity cameos and instead played his own character.

 

[beaker]

The whole 'we need to put on a show to raise money to save the theater' thing was the whole plot of 'Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'.

Rachel Bitterman and Tex Richamn were essentially the same.

That said, I loved the movie. And while the plot was almost the same, I think I enjoyed 'The Muppets' more than 'Very Merry....' (<--- which I also loved!)

Was I alone in thinking this?

Not at all. The movie is essentially VMX and a rough screen treatment I wrote and posted in 2002 on here.

In 2002 I posted an outline where a few Muppets work in a big city at their own muppet consulting firm(san francisco or chicago), but a tall corporate highrise loomed over headed by a nasty ruthless CEO(played by Christopher Walken or someone similar) is threatening to destroy them(in the synopsis i wrote that his henchmen should be skeksis like characters) The few Muppets would have to contact Kermit, who youd see travel all over America and the world making his case and convincing each one to return to confront the CEO ala Roger Rabbit.

Not saying anyone with the film saw it, but these ideas are out there in the ether. I definitely would not have had so many fantastical unrealistic gags, and would have had the movie much closer in tone to the realism of TMTM and TMM. But yes, in a way this movie is a mix of VMX with the whole "we gotta convince everyone to comeback" thing of TMTM.

 

[beaker]

One thing that's surprised me from the very beginning is the inclusion of Crazy Harry, especially in such a prominent role. You know how highly people regard nutjobs who blow things up? I'm surprised that Disney didn't say "This guy's gonna remind people of terrorists. Let's leave him out." Not that I think they should have; maybe this is a sign that people are less paranoid than I thought.

Also, I was prepared to be a little unhappy at the removal of arm rods. I like to see the nuts and molts, and I was a little concerned that they might try to make arm movements too realistic. Nope, didn't happen. I completely forgot about it. When Walter danced around, he still looked like a puppet, and when Fozzie demonstrated the whoopie shoes I flashed back to the dance at the El Sleezo. Nice work!

Well no offense to anyone, but I posted in 2001 on here that its kind of funny because Crazy Harry looks like the stereotype of an Islamic terrorist with the beard and clothes. And did he even have an official explosives job, or was he literally just committing acts of terrorism in America? It made no sense...he should have officially been contracted by explosives companies. Again, it was frustrating seeing the slapdash way some of this stuff was handled.

The only time it looks unnatural with the "full body muppets" was Swedish chef in the kung fu spoof. That was just odd/bad cgi. Otherwise it was nice finally being able to see living real breathing muppets without them being all cgi. They included as many full shots as possible, and even Piggy on SNL looked full bodied(not full body as in monster muppet suit, but just nothing hidden below the waist) I agree, I like the armrods...for me its because I think its charming and kitchy, but removal adds to the realism

 

[beaker]

In a post 9/11 World, I am stunned that a character that is a dark skinned bearded man that indiscriminately blows things up would be very PC, but in the last few years, I've seen more of Crazy Harry than I have since he was phased out of the original Muppet Show.

I joked last year that if Animal is in anger management and Fozzie is in Reno,
Crazy Harry should be in some tribal region of Pakistan at a training camp

It would have been HILLARIOUS if Sam the Eagle on the Fox channel parody cuts to footage of Crazy Harry, since Fox News is obsessed about Islamaphobia/fearmongering. Maybe Crazy Harry is Muslim? (I kid!) We know Zoot and Baby Bear are Jewish!

 

[RedPiggy]

Forgive me: using my phone...

Likes:
FINALLY Piggy and Kermit work on the relationship. Like GMC but with better barbs.

Rowlf. LOL.

Walter ... should not be 1 time deal.

Heard the Mink's voice (in a different character) so I knew Karen was there before credits said so.

Oh well. A man @ the end is wearing a Sinclair tartan-plaid jacket. It'll have to do.

Dislikes:

Uh...

No I'll come up with some ... UD doesn't mention his own history?

That's all LOL.

Anyway the DVD BETTER have more sketches!

This felt like I was watching a "real" movie that starred the Muppets.

LOL ... and if Karen was there, have the LAST bit be a poor Red knocking at the back door wondering if this is the only shot she'll have at being in a movie.

And the mentioned backstory for Tex is neat but I just took it as similar to Jareth's "well laugh".

And another thing, Nicky must've REALLY made an impression on Piggy given her attire @ the kidnapping.

 

[dwmckim]

Okay, okay - i think i finally perfected my review of the movie! Ready? Okay...here we go...

Louis Kazagger, Gladys and Miss Mousey weren't in it. Complete travesty. Absolute waste of time and total letdown.

No? Well maybe i'll keep working on it...