Disney Enlists Segel & Stoller for new Muppets movie

[RedPiggy]

Well I realize that and I know what ya mean like how he acts all hip and talks about how he's not with miss piggy all the time now.

Do you blame her? I used to be a real big fan of Piggy x Kermit ... but as I get older, I see that both of them have their issues. Kermit feels she cares too much about her career to be with him ... and she feels held back by someone who claims not to want anything to do with her (BEFORE Steve took over), yet gets irritated whenever she gets a gig somewhere else.

Besides, I think the REAL explanation for Kermit's behavior is on their website when both are in the elevator. Piggy reminds Kermit that if they don't act like they have relationship problems, people won't care about them. So, if you still want to believe Kermit loves her, take that sketch to heart.

 

[Super Scooter]

Personally, I think Steve does a wonderful job with Kermit. Maybe not 100% of the time, but pretty darn close. He was just fantastic during his Turner Classic Movies stint last year. And the films on Muppets.com are just great!

I think with Muppet characters, and really any character, your priorities should be:

1. Character
2. Ability (skill, talent)
3. Voice

The voice should be your last concern, personally. Now, I do believe a good, effective voice is very important, as it does bring everything else together, but the character should always be your main interest. Part of that character is to bring it to life convincingly through your hand (or drawing, or acting, whatever your particular craft might be), and then the voice wraps it up.

In the book The Muppets Make Puppets, under the section titled "What does it take to make a puppet?", the very first part of that section is on Character Building. Cheryl Henson wrote, "A really good puppet has to have character, personality - that special something that defines who it is and what makes it 'tick.'" Then later, she writes that "voices don't necessarily tell you everything." The voice should simply help to reveal the character's personality.

Jerry Nelson also talked about voices, and how they should come from the puppet and it's character. So, yeah, deffinitely alot more to the Frog than the voice.

Lots of people can do a good Miss Piggy, Grover, Kermit the Frog or Ernie, but few can capture the spirit of them the way that Eric and Steve have done. It's just thrilling to watch these people work - and have fun too!

I agree, Jamie. Eric and Steve really have captured those characters very well.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

Do you blame her? I used to be a real big fan of Piggy x Kermit ... but as I get older, I see that both of them have their issues. Kermit feels she cares too much about her career to be with him ... and she feels held back by someone who claims not to want anything to do with her (BEFORE Steve took over), yet gets irritated whenever she gets a gig somewhere else.

Besides, I think the REAL explanation for Kermit's behavior is on their website when both are in the elevator. Piggy reminds Kermit that if they don't act like they have relationship problems, people won't care about them. So, if you still want to believe Kermit loves her, take that sketch to heart.

I was just giving examples, I don't care about hollywood relationship gossip and I don't care about puppet relationship gossip lol
People seriously get so defensive over Steve you'd think the man was paying you for good reviews of his work.
I think there's a few times that the man is dead on with Kermit other times he sounds like an animture or some one who thinks he's doing a good job because no ones' got the nerve to tell him he should work a bit harder on it.
How can you ever grow or better the character if you're not given constrive cristism or room to grow.
I know the Muppets haven't been around much anymore but I sort of just look right through Kermit these days.
Honestly at the recent interviews I could care less if Kermit was there it was all about Fozzie for me because I still the him as the same Bear.
And it's really pointless to get into a discussion with anyone on here about it considering everything thinks there's no room for improvement with the actors behind these characters or the characters themselve, yet they keep complaining.

 

[Super Scooter]

People seriously get so defensive over Steve you'd think the man was paying you for good reviews of his work.

*hides money clip*

*looks around innocently*

Seriously, I'm not complaining about the characters. I think everyone has room for improvement. I also can't think of anyone who could do a better job with Kermit than Steve Whitmire. I defend him because I love Kermit. I'm grateful that Steve has continued the character in Jim's absence. Perfect? No. I admited that. He'd probably admit that. I still love his work with Kermit, and just expressed that I hope he's never replaced as the Frog. Until he's ready for it, anyway, like Jamie said.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

I know quite a few people who are allot like Jim or even Kermit not only in actions but in the voice, I just some times think perhaps Steve takes this job as Kermit to lightly, Jim's gone now whats not to say they won't replace him.
I don't mind Steve as Kermit I think allot of people are getting me wrong there, I just think he should keep Kermit as Kermit ..if that makes any sense.

 

[frogboy4]

Personally, I think Steve does a wonderful job with Kermit. Maybe not 100% of the time, but pretty darn close.

I think with Muppet characters, and really any character, your priorities should be:

1. Character
2. Ability (skill, talent)
3. Voice

The voice should be your last concern, personally. Now, I do believe a good, effective voice is very important, as it does bring everything else together, but the character should always be your main interest.

Jerry Nelson also talked about voices, and how they should come from the puppet and it's character. So, yeah, deffinitely alot more to the Frog than the voice.

I agree, Eric and Steve really have captured those characters very well.

Precisely. Voice is third. It is important, but only after character craft.

Eric's Fozzie is about as spot-on as can be. Actually, if anything he's too funny, but I don't mind that one bit.

Eric's Piggy is very good. She sometimes garbles/mumbles her lines, sometimes she gets a bit gruff too, but Frank's Piggy was sounding fairly deep toward the end of his performing her. He's definitely sharpened up his improv with her in interview situations. Frank's character work is probably the hardest of all to replicate and Eric does a fantastic job with her.

Steve's Kermit has grown on me. In his first appearance for The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson television special Steve's Kermit sounded almost pre-pubescent! I wasn't pleased. For the most part I felt the voice work in MCC was merely adequate with stellar performance work on him. These days Steve's overall Kermit is great about 90% of the time. He sometimes breaks in and out of Kermitdom, but I can't imagine anyone doing a finer job. Looking back at Jim's Kermit there is a different demeanor, but that's just Jim's personality. Kermit comes from a true honest place and that place is a little different for Jim and Steve. The same issue would arise from any other performer, but in different ways. He's still Kermit to me.

 

[Zack the Dog]

I remember hearing and "i think" it was in the Jim Henson interview in the TMTM dvd features with Jim Henson saying that Frank Oz would sometimes catch Jim slipping out of Kermit's voice and talking in his own once in a while. I don't fully know for sure thats the source or not so please correct me if I'm wrong, anyone?

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

I remember hearing and "i think" it was in the Jim Henson interview in the TMTM dvd features with Jim Henson saying that Frank Oz would sometimes catch Jim slipping out of Kermit's voice and talking in his own once in a while. I don't fully know for sure thats the source or not so please correct me if I'm wrong, anyone?

It wouldn't make much of a differnce with Jim though as he pretty much sounds like Kermit.

 

[uppitymuppity]

I miss Frank Oz's deep voiced Miss Piggy. I always felt it added irony and sarcasm to her character. It was as if she went back and forth between being girly and manly. Now Miss Piggy is just ok... Too high pitched and she never reaches the manly thing anymore. The gestures aren't there either. I think Oz did her best.

I like Steve's kermit though.

 

[TheJimHensonHour]

My only problem with Modern Miss Piggy isn't her voice it's the fact that she only seems to have one emotion, constantly snarky and mean.
Like before when it was Frank behind the pig she would be sweet then get ticked off and then get the attitude.
Now she's just all attitude like all the time, it's not very becoming of the character.