Frank Oz: "New Muppets Too Cute"

[Reevz1977]

Interestingly, he said that he would only work for the Muppets again if Disney were to ask him. I wonder how likely Disney will be to ask him in the near future.

That is the million dollar question!! I, for one, would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to see Frank Oz back...in any capacity with the Muppets. It would instantly lend it credibility to have one of the founding fathers restore some of the lost sensibilities that have disappeared over the years to the Muppets and I really don't think theres anyone else capable of giving us that back other than Mr. Oz.

 

[D'Snowth]

There seems to be an issue with money... supposedly, Frank is "too expensive" to hire... that, or it could be they're too scared to ask him, even Caroll Spinney has said that at times, Frank can be rather "scary".

 

[charlietheowl]

If Frank Oz left the Muppets because he didn't want his career to entirely be defined by them, and he wanted to have more time with his family and directing, then why would he jump back in, regardless of role? I can't see it happening.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Mannnn has Oz gottin MORE jaded! Now adays the man just comes of as a P***K to me!

I think that's going a little too far he might have good reasons more than we know of why he feels that way.

 

[D'Snowth]

Um, he's kind of has always been that way.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

All I'm gonna say is this I don't agree with Frank's opinion on the latest film I personally felt it hit all the right cords and was just what was needed for The Muppets to finally be back in their glory. No it wasn't perfect but it definitely shined. As far as I'm concerned The Muppet spirit is back and I think their finally on the right path after so many bumps in the road. I don't think Disney is gonna be asking Frank to do any Muppets anytime soon after those words about the movie. Lol! It would be great if he did but I think the chances of that are slim to none. But I still just gain nothing but more respect for that man.

Because god knows I admire Frank just as much as Jim Henson. And whether you've lost respect for Frank or not you can't deny he was **** good at what he did with The Muppets. He's still good at what he does IMO. I hope the man lives to be a 100 years old or more because god knows when he's no longer with us it's gonna feel like when Jim Henson past away. At least for me.

 

[Reevz1977]

Mannnn has Oz gottin MORE jaded! Now adays the man just comes of as a P***K to me!

Whilst everyones entitled to their opinion, that's a little personal don't you think? If he is jaded these days, the guy's earned it in my humble opinion!

 

[mupcollector1]

I personally agree with Frank. And that's all 'I'm going to say.

 

[Drtooth]

If Frank Oz left the Muppets because he didn't want his career to entirely be defined by them, and he wanted to have more time with his family and directing, then why would he jump back in, regardless of role? I can't see it happening.

There seems to be some very personal aspect to his work with the Muppets. When they started the Ernie and Bert sketches back up, there was some sort of hitch in Frank's Bert to Steve's Ernie. Not a coldness, not an air of dejection... just the microscopic awkwardness of doing something with someone else after years of doing it with a friend. Not quite as awkward as the Curly Joe Stooge Shorts, but there was something off about the chemistry. Now, compare that to when Frank performed Grover when Jerry was Fat Blue... he still got it.

But for the Muppet part, there was something very off about his characters in later films, MTI and MFS especially. Even if you take the dubbed dialogue into the equation. Fozzie became an idiot in MTI, nothing like Fozzie at all. And Piggy only had a couple genuine Piggy moments in MFS.

As far as this movie went... we got the best possible Muppet Movie under the circumstances, and considering how other family film revivals are done, I'd say we got off pretty lumping lucky. Frank's too safe comment does ring true to one thing. This was the first movie that was a continuation of another Muppet movie, albeit a loose one (unless you count the fan nugget of Doc Hoppers in VMX). Now, there's a reason why GMC and MTM were completely different movies from TMM, and a reason why JHH was completely different from TMS, which was mutually ended in season 5. Jim liked doing different things. That's why Muppets were basically TV specials in the mid-80's. Jim wanted to build more of a brand for the Creature Shop at the time. TM is backwards in the sense that the writers and director wanted a nostalgic Muppet film that brought together the three films AND the TV show, combining them in a way Jim wouldn't have done, only because that's already been done. HOWEVER, to build the brand back up after the last 3 theatrical films, they needed to work that nostalgic angle. A High concept like "Cheapest Movie" would scare away anyone but diehards. And then we'd just have that one film, like Superman Returns, that was supposed to build a brand back up but failed to do so.

And above all... Disney could have given us a CGI, realistic looking crapfest that made the Yogi Bear movie tolerable. I wouldn't want to seem ungrateful with the film they made, because the possibilities of what could have been are far more distressing.

 

[D'Snowth]

Now, compare that to when Frank performed Grover when Jerry was Fat Blue... he still got it.

That's what I've been saying: we know that for the longest time, whenever Frank did return for a few days out of the year for SST, it was to tape new inserts with each of his characters, but then shortly afterwards, he began doing Bert almost exclusively, and admittedly, those inserts weren't necessarily as strong as older ones, but then once they ressurrected the Grover/Mr. Johnson schtick, Frank started doing Grover again, and I'm sure because of the comradery and chemistry that was there even in the old days between him and Jerry when it came to the classic Grover/Mr. Johnson bits.

I don't even remember when's the last time Frank did Cookie.