What went wrong with Muppets from Space?

[Lola p]

I'll have to pay attention to "Kermit and Piggy's relationship" again. But the reply from Kermit is too funny. The Muppets was indeed an awesome comeback

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To everyone, I just watched it for the first time today. I thought it was pretty funny and well worth $5.00. I kept thinking the Muppets Wizard of OZ was much worst, honestly.

I agree. I personly think that Wizard of Oz was the worst Muppet movie. No offense to people who like it. just my personal opinion.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Here is the interview I was talking about. It's also really funny so I recommend watching the whole thing! The guys in the background laughing are hilarious. Lol!

 

[Mo Frackle]

I remember reading a simular forum. Not sure if this is the same one or not. But I don't mind talking about it again. Talking about Muppets is one of favorite things to do. lol
I think what happened with Muppets From Space is Jerry Juhl wrote a script and Kirk Thatcher write a script. Kirk's was called Muppets in Space and I think it had something to do with Koosebane or something like that. Jerry's was about Gonzo worrying about who he is and where he came from. And the original Jerry Juhl script was really really funny and he even said he liked Kirk's script a lot but Jerry's got picked and Jerry mentioned that Kirk's would make a good film in the future. But there was a director who came in and walked off the project and then Tim Hill went to direct it and he made changes and perhaps executives did too to make it more hip to the new generation basicly why it fell apart. Originally it was going be a bunch of parodies of X-files and ET, but got replaced with toilet themed scat humor. (I ownly found Animal dunking his head into the toilet to be funny because it was really close to Animals primitive character.) Junk like Fozzie picking his nose and Miss Piggy running up the stairs saying that she's got to pee. Even Frank Oz said in an interview that he didn't like the final product, no one did, they all said it could have been better. I think that's when Frank decided to slowly quit The Muppets and pay more attention to directing.
I've even heard Frank Oz didn't like the new Muppet movie draft script, didn't know if he seen the final movie. Personally I loved the new Muppet Movie, totally kicked the socks out of Muppets From Space.
I'm sort of glad that Muppet Studios supervising everything before it's made now a days.
It's strange no one stood up and said, No Muppets don't do toilet humor durring the pre-production of Muppets From Space.

I could have sworn that was Joey Mazzarino who wrote the MFS script that got picked up. Or maybe he and Jerry both wrote it?

As I recall, the proposed Muppets in Space was about Kermit getting kidnapped by some aliens who thought that he was their leader. It was up to the rest of the gang to save Kermit. Some merchandise was sold for the film, but obviously nothing happened beyond that.

Interestingly, MFS was originally supposed to have had a different ending. It was something along the lines of Gonzo finally meeting his 'family', only to learn that they are actually Gonzo fans. This therefore kept Gonzo's species up in the air, but Gonzo was happy because he still had a family (obviously the Muppets). There was also supposed to have been a cameo by Traveling Matt. This probably would have been a more suitable ending (although the finished ending was still played well).

 

[Lola p]

The only problem I have with The Muppets is that there was too much concept in the run time they were allotted. They cut out quite a bit, but the movie had a break neck pace that made the most of every single moment. Other than the Me party segment, nothing dragged the movie down.

MFS is quite the opposite. There are just too many drags in the script that stop the movie cold and ruin the pacing. A lot of it was Clifford checking mail, Kermit painting the house... and just droning portions of too few Muppets acting bored. The card playing scene? What was that about? Gonzo rushes in and says "I'm from OUTER SPACE!!" He could have just yelled that off the roof tops and got the same reaction of characters running out to see what the explosion was. Not 4 of the Muppets bored to death playing cards.

Here's how the COVNET break out should have gone.

Kermit, Fozzie, and Pepe should have been the only ones that broke in, with Floyd and Animal in the car for back up (having left Bunsen and Beaker behind... I still think that part was pretty brilliant). Piggy was back at Cape Doom covering the story, cutting to a sequence where she worries if Kermie is safe. Using the invisible spray, the three of them split up undetected looking for Gonzo (who just walked out of his holding cel after talking to the sandwich... Bobo forgot to lock the cel behind him), and the invisible spray wears off at compromising moments. They aren't caught, and manage to remain incognito. They all regroup to think up another plan to get Gonzo. Fozzie asks "okay, now how are we supposed to rescue him?" Gonzo pops up behind him and says "Find Who?" Fozzie replies "Well, Gonzo, we have to go find Gonzo." Realizing that, Gonzo points out they still need to find Rizzo. Fozzie asks, "Yeah! Where is he?" Rizzo pops up and says "WHere is who?" Fozzie replies "You know Rizzo, we have to... WOULD EVERYONE CUT THAT OUT!?!" Just a corridor away from escape, they manage to sneak closer to the exit without making a scene, even though it's clear that Gonzo escaped at that point and they just started to alert the guards. Meanwhile, back in the van, Animal grows impatient, Floyd is unable to hold him back. Animal storms the base (the guard is still affected by the Mind Mist), causes a ruckus before the others are almost out, causing a massive chase that leads them in circles (where they run into, and knock over Van Neuter, who himself is being chased by the rest of the rats)... there's large spread confusion, they use the door in a jar (to the same extent in the film) and manage to escape. Gonzo points out that it's almost time for the aliens to land, and they speed off in the Mayhem Van with Agent Singer and Bobo in hot pursuit.

Meanwhile at the landing site, everyone gets sick of waiting for both the aliens and Gonzo (both are late), and everyone else seems dejected until the Alien Gonzos touch down. After asking where the one called Gonzo is, one of the Muppets waiting says that he didn't show up yet. The head alien says "We're a very busy people. Maybe we should try again next century." With that, the Mayhem bus careens to the beach, passers by jump out of the way. The bus skid to a stop, Gonzo jumps out of the door, runs, collapsing at the base of the ship and says "I'M HERE! I'M HERE!"

And basically everything's basically the same from there.

Oh. My. God.... All in favor of letting Dr. tooth re write the entire movie and directing it?

 

[Powerstars]

Alright, here's what I think of the movie.

PROS:
-Sereval great laughs, such as “Doctor, doctor.”
-The Gonzo/Van Neuter scene
-The opening with Noah's Ark
-“Brick House”
-Pepe. Need I say more?
-Good initial concept

CONS:
-Poor directing
-Mildly butchered script
-Not enough Kermit/Robin/Fozzie/Mayhem/Beaker
-Muppets in “Brick House” seem to disappear after the song
-Not “Muppetty” enough.
-Funk
-No original songs
-Gonzo's an alien

Overall, it was a good movie, not great, not bad, but certainly enjoyable.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

All I'm saying is is if Kermit wasn't too fond of it then.... Lol! I'm sorry and no disrespect to people who really liked this movie but I really just have nothing good to say about it. It wasn't the muppets I know and love.

 

[Lola p]

Alright, here's what I think of the movie.

PROS:
-Sereval great laughs, such as “Doctor, doctor.”
-The Gonzo/Van Neuter scene
-The opening with Noah's Ark
-“Brick House”
-Pepe. Need I say more?
-Good initial concept

CONS:
-Poor directing
-Mildly butchered script
-Not enough Kermit/Robin/Fozzie/Mayhem/Beaker
-Muppets in “Brick House” seem to disappear after the song
-Not “Muppetty” enough.
-Funk
-No original songs
-Gonzo's an alien

Overall, it was a good movie, not great, not bad, but certainly enjoyable.

there is more i could add to cons, but i am to tired to talk about it.

 

[Powerstars]

there is more i could add to cons, but i am to tired to talk about it.

Alright, I'd love to see what you can add!

 

[Lola p]

Ok, my add ons:

No muppet songs at all!
A LOT of potty humor
Too many muppets involved in the Convent scene (when they broke gonzo out)
They were not the muppets we know and love
So many old favetoite muppets are ignored and there's mabye 10 muppets that are focused on (what I mean is: it is all about gonzo, Kermit, piggy, etc. other muppets are just there)
And finally, my personal pet peeve: scooter had 1 line.. AND IT WAS NOT EVEN LIKE SCOOTER!

 

[JJandJanice]

Ok, my add ons:

No muppet songs at all!
A LOT of potty humor
Too many muppets involved in the Convent scene (when they broke gonzo out)
They were not the muppets we know and love
So many old favetoite muppets are ignored and there's mabye 10 muppets that are focused on (what I mean is: it is all about gonzo, Kermit, piggy, etc. other muppets are just there)
And finally, my personal pet peeve: scooter had 1 line.. AND IT WAS NOT EVEN LIKE SCOOTER!

Well Gonzo was so much the focus of the whole movie. I feel Rizzo even had a better role than Kermit, Piggy or Fozzie.

As for the Scooter line, you have to remember, at least Scooter GOT A LINE. He was NO WHERE in the last two Muppet movies before this, Muppet Christmas Carol and Treasure Island.