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10 Ways to Knock the New Muppet Movie Out of the Park
This is my first-ever post, so here goes...
10. Only classic characters for the main and supporting roles please. The newer, “Muppets Tonight”-era characters were a good idea in theory to breathe some new life into the Muppets, but Pepe or Clifford should not have starring roles in this production. Go back and look at the older characters and see how well-written they were. I’m talking about Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and Camilla, the Electric Mayhem (all of them! Even Lips), Sweetums, Robin, Sam, Rowlf, Scooter, Lew Zealand, Pops, Beauregard, the Newsman, Crazy Harry, Bunsen and Beaker, Statler and Waldorf, and the Swedish Chef. There is no need to have anyone else in the cast detracting from these characters or stealing their glory. Be true to the characters. The ones listed above are more than enough to move the plot forward, and Jim and Co. have already done the hard part. The characters are established; now just roll off of that.
9. Let’s get the classic Muppets speaking again! Although it was appropriate and respectful to “semi-retire” some of the characters in the wake of Jim and Richard’s deaths (Rowlf and Scooter for example), enough time has passed now to get them back in the mix. It would be a shame to simply stop doing these great Muppets, and it does a disservice to the memory of Jim and Richard to simply put their creations to rest. How much fun would it be to see Scooter, Rowlf, Janice, Dr. Teeth, and Sweetums take center stage again? Who remembers the last time we heard Zoot or Floyd talk.
8. Moving right along, it needs to be mentioned that this might by the end of an era for the original performers. With Jim and Richard gone, and Frank and Jerry’s participation up in the air, that leaves Dave Goelz as the only “original” voice left. This goes back the previous point, but keep the characters alive no matter what, even though the original voices are gone. No amount of words can describe how much Jim and Richard are missed, and seeing Frank, Jerry, and Dave involved would be nothing short of thrilling, but just because the original performers will not be involved does not mean that you can’t recast the roles. Some of the voice work in the “From the Balcony” series was phenomenal. Just because the creators of Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, or the Peanuts gang have passed on doesn’t mean that the characters have to be put away as well.
7. The Muppets were always about the music. Great care should be taken in writing and performing songs in this film. The music in the last few Muppet productions has been atrocious, and it reflects on the quality of these films. Bring Paul Williams back; his involvement with the Muppets was just as important as any puppeteer’s performance. The songs in TMM, TGMC, TMTM, and even Emmit Otter were moving, energetic, and beautiful. The rumor is that Ween was originally tapped to write songs for MFS. If Williams is unavailable, something creative along these lines would improve the film ten-fold.
6. Wow us with the puppetry again. Think of the first time you saw Kermit playing his banjo in the middle of the swamp, or Muppets riding bicycles, or the entire cast singing from parachutes and hot-air balloons. Who can forget the final scenes of TMM and TMTM that were comprised of hundreds of puppets? These are iconic scenes and are mind blowing when trying to think about all of the work involved in achieving them. It’s been 24 years since TMTM. Say what you will about the film, but the puppets from the Creature Shop in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” were incredible. There should be little to no CGI in this film: show us what can be done with puppetry in the 21st century.
5. Keep it clean. A PG rating would be fine, but there really isn’t a valid reason for not aiming for a G-rated film. Look at the success Pixar has had with their films. Although their movies are loved by children and adults alike, Pixar films are NOT kiddie films. They are movies to be enjoyed by EVERYONE, and will truly stand the test of time. Throwing in some sly winking to the adults or spicing up the dialogue with a few sexual innuendos would be out of place in a Muppet movie. This isn’t Triumph the Insult Dog or Crank Yankers: The Movie.
4. While we’re at it though, give us some laughs. Go back and watch TMM; it is hysterical. It doesn’t cater to a young audience, but they are still entertained. This is how you appeal to the older and younger audiences alike: make the film entertaining enough for children, but have the writing be clever and sophisticated enough for the adults. Let’s face it: the core audience for this film are people in their 20’s and 30’s. Young people today don’t know the Muppets as well as we do, and what a perfect way to introduce them to the characters. Don’t dumb it down for the children; instead give them a movie that they can revisit ten years later and pick up on stuff they never even noticed before.
3. Be careful with the cameos. Think of how memorable Orson Welles, Steve Martin, Milton Berle, James Coburn, Mel Brooks, Bob Hope, Dom Deluise, and Richard Pryor were. And that’s just in one movie! Now try to recall, without groaning, how jarring Hulk Hogan and Dawson’s Creek were in MFS. Cameos can either strengthen or ruin a film, and the earlier Muppet films cast perfect stars for the roles, and their performances were timeless. Let’s get some respectable stars in this picture. People have already been talking about Dame Judy Dench squaring off with Miss Piggy, or Ricky Gervais popping in. One of the problems with the more recent Muppet movies is that the human actors outshine their Muppet co-stars, when it should be completely the other way around. And believe it, true Muppet fans want to see classic Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock characters make a brief appearance.
2. Don’t be afraid to sneak in a message or to make us tear up a little. There are some incredibly touching moments in the first three Muppet flicks; try watching TMM without getting a lump in your throat. Jim Henson was one of the most inspiring people of the 20th century, and I’m sure was one of the primary reasons why I became an elementary school teacher. That old theme of “following your dream” was prevalent in all of the Muppet projects and is synonymous with Kermit’s personality. Jim was very quotable guy, and his philosophy on life can only improve the final product of this film.
1. Keep on doing exactly what you are doing. All the news so far about this project has only gotten fans more and more excited. We love hearing comparisons of Kermit to Tom Hanks, that the aim is for the early 80’s vibe, and even rumors that Charles Grodin is now attached. The tentative plot line of saving the theater and putting on a show is perfectly simple. It is evident that Jason is a huge Muppet fan, and nothing is more reassuring than hearing that the Muppets will be treated like actors and that character will be emphasized. The past few years have been slightly rough for Muppet fans; the brilliant video by Weezer probably being the biggest highlight. The Henson Co. has resorted to doing the “Unstable Fables” series, which is somewhat sad to think about. However, the near future looks very optimistic for Muppet fans. With the Dark Crystal sequel, the Fraggle Rock movie, and this new film on the horizon, we could be experiencing a new era of interest and quality films with the Muppets. Certainly this beloved franchise will not go the same route that Underdog, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have. After seeing “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” it is safe to say that the Muppets are in perfect hands with Jason, and we can only look forward to an inventive return back to Henson’s original creation.
This is my first-ever post, so here goes...
10. Only classic characters for the main and supporting roles please. The newer, “Muppets Tonight”-era characters were a good idea in theory to breathe some new life into the Muppets, but Pepe or Clifford should not have starring roles in this production. Go back and look at the older characters and see how well-written they were. I’m talking about Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and Camilla, the Electric Mayhem (all of them! Even Lips), Sweetums, Robin, Sam, Rowlf, Scooter, Lew Zealand, Pops, Beauregard, the Newsman, Crazy Harry, Bunsen and Beaker, Statler and Waldorf, and the Swedish Chef. There is no need to have anyone else in the cast detracting from these characters or stealing their glory. Be true to the characters. The ones listed above are more than enough to move the plot forward, and Jim and Co. have already done the hard part. The characters are established; now just roll off of that.
9. Let’s get the classic Muppets speaking again! Although it was appropriate and respectful to “semi-retire” some of the characters in the wake of Jim and Richard’s deaths (Rowlf and Scooter for example), enough time has passed now to get them back in the mix. It would be a shame to simply stop doing these great Muppets, and it does a disservice to the memory of Jim and Richard to simply put their creations to rest. How much fun would it be to see Scooter, Rowlf, Janice, Dr. Teeth, and Sweetums take center stage again? Who remembers the last time we heard Zoot or Floyd talk.
8. Moving right along, it needs to be mentioned that this might by the end of an era for the original performers. With Jim and Richard gone, and Frank and Jerry’s participation up in the air, that leaves Dave Goelz as the only “original” voice left. This goes back the previous point, but keep the characters alive no matter what, even though the original voices are gone. No amount of words can describe how much Jim and Richard are missed, and seeing Frank, Jerry, and Dave involved would be nothing short of thrilling, but just because the original performers will not be involved does not mean that you can’t recast the roles. Some of the voice work in the “From the Balcony” series was phenomenal. Just because the creators of Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, or the Peanuts gang have passed on doesn’t mean that the characters have to be put away as well.
7. The Muppets were always about the music. Great care should be taken in writing and performing songs in this film. The music in the last few Muppet productions has been atrocious, and it reflects on the quality of these films. Bring Paul Williams back; his involvement with the Muppets was just as important as any puppeteer’s performance. The songs in TMM, TGMC, TMTM, and even Emmit Otter were moving, energetic, and beautiful. The rumor is that Ween was originally tapped to write songs for MFS. If Williams is unavailable, something creative along these lines would improve the film ten-fold.
6. Wow us with the puppetry again. Think of the first time you saw Kermit playing his banjo in the middle of the swamp, or Muppets riding bicycles, or the entire cast singing from parachutes and hot-air balloons. Who can forget the final scenes of TMM and TMTM that were comprised of hundreds of puppets? These are iconic scenes and are mind blowing when trying to think about all of the work involved in achieving them. It’s been 24 years since TMTM. Say what you will about the film, but the puppets from the Creature Shop in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” were incredible. There should be little to no CGI in this film: show us what can be done with puppetry in the 21st century.
5. Keep it clean. A PG rating would be fine, but there really isn’t a valid reason for not aiming for a G-rated film. Look at the success Pixar has had with their films. Although their movies are loved by children and adults alike, Pixar films are NOT kiddie films. They are movies to be enjoyed by EVERYONE, and will truly stand the test of time. Throwing in some sly winking to the adults or spicing up the dialogue with a few sexual innuendos would be out of place in a Muppet movie. This isn’t Triumph the Insult Dog or Crank Yankers: The Movie.
4. While we’re at it though, give us some laughs. Go back and watch TMM; it is hysterical. It doesn’t cater to a young audience, but they are still entertained. This is how you appeal to the older and younger audiences alike: make the film entertaining enough for children, but have the writing be clever and sophisticated enough for the adults. Let’s face it: the core audience for this film are people in their 20’s and 30’s. Young people today don’t know the Muppets as well as we do, and what a perfect way to introduce them to the characters. Don’t dumb it down for the children; instead give them a movie that they can revisit ten years later and pick up on stuff they never even noticed before.
3. Be careful with the cameos. Think of how memorable Orson Welles, Steve Martin, Milton Berle, James Coburn, Mel Brooks, Bob Hope, Dom Deluise, and Richard Pryor were. And that’s just in one movie! Now try to recall, without groaning, how jarring Hulk Hogan and Dawson’s Creek were in MFS. Cameos can either strengthen or ruin a film, and the earlier Muppet films cast perfect stars for the roles, and their performances were timeless. Let’s get some respectable stars in this picture. People have already been talking about Dame Judy Dench squaring off with Miss Piggy, or Ricky Gervais popping in. One of the problems with the more recent Muppet movies is that the human actors outshine their Muppet co-stars, when it should be completely the other way around. And believe it, true Muppet fans want to see classic Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock characters make a brief appearance.
2. Don’t be afraid to sneak in a message or to make us tear up a little. There are some incredibly touching moments in the first three Muppet flicks; try watching TMM without getting a lump in your throat. Jim Henson was one of the most inspiring people of the 20th century, and I’m sure was one of the primary reasons why I became an elementary school teacher. That old theme of “following your dream” was prevalent in all of the Muppet projects and is synonymous with Kermit’s personality. Jim was very quotable guy, and his philosophy on life can only improve the final product of this film.
1. Keep on doing exactly what you are doing. All the news so far about this project has only gotten fans more and more excited. We love hearing comparisons of Kermit to Tom Hanks, that the aim is for the early 80’s vibe, and even rumors that Charles Grodin is now attached. The tentative plot line of saving the theater and putting on a show is perfectly simple. It is evident that Jason is a huge Muppet fan, and nothing is more reassuring than hearing that the Muppets will be treated like actors and that character will be emphasized. The past few years have been slightly rough for Muppet fans; the brilliant video by Weezer probably being the biggest highlight. The Henson Co. has resorted to doing the “Unstable Fables” series, which is somewhat sad to think about. However, the near future looks very optimistic for Muppet fans. With the Dark Crystal sequel, the Fraggle Rock movie, and this new film on the horizon, we could be experiencing a new era of interest and quality films with the Muppets. Certainly this beloved franchise will not go the same route that Underdog, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have. After seeing “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” it is safe to say that the Muppets are in perfect hands with Jason, and we can only look forward to an inventive return back to Henson’s original creation.
I third the motion! I think they should try to keep the Muppet performances as consistent as possible. Frank Oz put in his time and if he really wants to come back and perform that would be great, but Eric Jacobson has been doing such a fine job I think it's finally time to just let go of the Oz performance factor. I'd rather see him involved behind the scenes. 
I bow to the work of the great and powerful Oz! 
