Explain to me again...

[Barry Lee]

The fact is disney isn't doing good with the muppets. They keep making promises, and nothing is happening! Yeah, they released Season One of TMS, which was cut. I could really care less about new projects, I would rather see the muppets not suffer than having disney making the muppets worse.

 

[Beauregard]

I have an opinion, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to caputre it very well in words. The first fact is that the Muppets under the creative fingertips of Brian Henson *cough* were on their way down the slippery slope. This was because they were copying others, and grabbing at straws. Muppet's From Space...is it a coincidence that it came out along with a dozen other "Space" movies? Naerry a bit, as they say in the north. What about a "prequel" movie coming out with Star Wars prequels, and everyother prequel under the sun...

Those two movies were copies, and they just...died. Sure, MFS has a small fan-base, but who honestly enjoyed KSY as good Muppet entertainment?

VMC dosn't fit my mold here because that was a genuinely good Muppet movie, it contained everything (almost) that a Muppet Movie should contain. Heart, humour, slapstick, original songs. But that may have sold best because of the harking back to TMS nostolga value. Seeing the outside of the Muppet Theater, for example.

But they were dying. Really, seriously, badly dying.

And so the "kids" passed them on while they could still get something for them.

Now, as I see it, Disney got handed a hot-potato and dropped it. They knew we MuppetFans needed to see something from them and fast so they planned these MuppetChristmasCapers and World'sNextMuppet and all this stuff, but it was too fast, it wasn't planned and those projects dropped off the chart.

MWoO was released and that was this close *holds up two fingers* to being right. Miss Piggy was off. In fact, most of the muppets were a little off. But it was the Muppets broken down into a corperate-ness. Like, the 6 values, or wahtever it is called which Disney wrote for them. Madness, disrespect, humour - etc. It had a lot of the Muppet zanyness of the show, but lacked the heart.

After that there's been nothing if substance. We need to give them time. If they were to rush new movies and projects out, the Muppets would truely die, painfully. As it is they are paused. I'd rather they were paused than slaughtered.

- Beau

 

[Barry Lee]

I agree Beau, what they need to do is stop making new stuff and focus on making dvd's etc.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

just for the record here....

(and i know the Power Rangers are "newer" then Muppets here but...) it took Disney, really 2-3 years before they started to release stuff (slowly) DVD, and SOME vhs, and toys and now 5 yeras latter....BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! there at the Disney parks, the Disney store's in the mall, on Toon Disney channel and its Disney's BIGGEST propety for boys 6-12. So i say give Disney a few more years here. Its ONLY been 2 years since Disney got the Muppets, then after 5 years we can "bark" all we want ok?

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I have an opinion, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to caputre it very well in words. The first fact is that the Muppets under the creative fingertips of Brian Henson *cough* were on their way down the slippery slope. This was because they were copying others, and grabbing at straws. Muppet's From Space...is it a coincidence that it came out along with a dozen other "Space" movies? Naerry a bit, as they say in the north. What about a "prequel" movie coming out with Star Wars prequels, and everyother prequel under the sun...

Those two movies were copies, and they just...died. Sure, MFS has a small fan-base, but who honestly enjoyed KSY as good Muppet entertainment?

VMC dosn't fit my mold here because that was a genuinely good Muppet movie, it contained everything (almost) that a Muppet Movie should contain. Heart, humour, slapstick, original songs. But that may have sold best because of the harking back to TMS nostolga value. Seeing the outside of the Muppet Theater, for example.

But they were dying. Really, seriously, badly dying.

And so the "kids" passed them on while they could still get something for them.

Now, as I see it, Disney got handed a hot-potato and dropped it. They knew we MuppetFans needed to see something from them and fast so they planned these MuppetChristmasCapers and World'sNextMuppet and all this stuff, but it was too fast, it wasn't planned and those projects dropped off the chart.

MWoO was released and that was this close *holds up two fingers* to being right. Miss Piggy was off. In fact, most of the muppets were a little off. But it was the Muppets broken down into a corperate-ness. Like, the 6 values, or wahtever it is called which Disney wrote for them. Madness, disrespect, humour - etc. It had a lot of the Muppet zanyness of the show, but lacked the heart.

After that there's been nothing if substance. We need to give them time. If they were to rush new movies and projects out, the Muppets would truely die, painfully. As it is they are paused. I'd rather they were paused than slaughtered.

- Beau

You have to remember though that AVMC came out before the Disney deal.

 

[JJandJanice]

Yeah anyone who is getting all mad at disney for this, well is being a little unfair.

It's not like the Muppets were "hott" still with Henson.

 

[JJandJanice]

Yeah it's like what myself, Beau, and a few others are saying. The Muppets were a sinking ship even while with Henson. Disney nor anyone esle can make the Muppets huge within a year or two. It takes time, they have to build from the ground up, almost. I mean I hear some people saying they want Disney to make a Muppet movie in theaters, that's not going to happen anytime soon. Muppets from Space was a flop and Disney isn't going to release a new Muppet movie in theaters, unless they are sure it would do well, rather or not it would is a different story.
The fact is the Muppets can't survive on only us hardcore fans that are in this forum, they have to try and rebuild a new and younger fanbase, which is what they been trying to do for the past 10+ years, and sorry to say, haven't been doing a good job at that.

 

[theprawncracker]

Ok, here comes my two cents. The Muppets are good. They may not be great. Anymore at least. But they're good. And more or less, Disney is trying. Look what they're "trying" for us. They're putting out Statler and Waldorf From the Balcony, albeit they're different performers, but they're there. Disney released four of our favorite Muppet movies on DVD along with Season 1 on DVD, however cut it may be. And I agree with other things that have been said, Disney needs to wait, and so do we.

The Muppet specials need to be released on DVD, The Muppets at Walt Disney World, The Muppets go to the Movies, Rocky Mountain Holiday, etc. AND Muppet Family Christmas, The Muppets Celebrate 30 Years and the Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson. If all of the companies agreed to cooperate (Just like they did on the "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" book) these magnificent specials could be released.

This is what Disney needs to do while they plan a new Muppet show/Feature film/etc. That way, it gives us Muppet fans some wicked awesome Muppet stuff to savor, and something to look forward to.

That's all I got to say,
Ryan
Prawnie
theprawncracker

 

[aaronmojo]

I think Disney has enough of its own "Disney Stuff" they are trying to get back in order without having to worry about the Muppets. Far as I am concerned (and I might catch some flak for this), the Muppets nowadays are kind of like Bugs Bunny without Mel Blanc. Animators and illustrators can give you the "look" of Bugs Bunny but Mel Blanc was his personality -- well, Mel Blanc and good writing (Jones, Maltese, et al).

Kermit and Co. had nuanced personalities best served by their original performers, and as those performers left, so too did the spirit of these characters -- particularly when Jim Henson died. I don't think the Muppets will ever be as big as they were since so much of Jim (his sensibilities etc) was in these characters. Couple that with the loss of the unique writing voices (Jerry Juhl) and you're left with a product that is potentially as bland as Mickey Mouse has become (who really "cares" about Mickey Mouse as anything beyond a corporate symbol?).

The Henson kids ran the characters into the ground (didn't they sell the Muppets before, or was Henson Co. sold to some German company...?) but I don't think there's a lot the kids could have done to save things without Henson and Oz and Juhl being in there together. I am not saying this as a bad thing or a good thing either, it's just one of those things. I mean, everything has its time -- how popular is Bozo the Clown nowadays?

Of course our tendency is to want to drag our childhood favorites kicking and screaming into adulthood with us, but that sort of thing is what gives us "Superman Returns" and live-action "Underdog" movies. Sometimes it might be better to relish in the discovery -- and re-discovery -- of the past.

Anyway I have rambled on enough!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Of course our tendency is to want to drag our childhood favorites kicking and screaming into adulthood with us, but that sort of thing is what gives us "Superman Returns" and live-action "Underdog" movies. Sometimes it might be better to relish in the discovery -- and re-discovery -- of the past.

quote]

That's a great point. While Superman Returns wasn't terrible, the best moments of the film were consistnetly the references to the original film (judging by the audiences' reactions).

To me, that says it all. These remakes only serve to remind you just how good the originals were and why you should be watching THEM instead.