Muppets Oz
I actually posted some more detailed comments in another thread here at Muppet central. But I appreciate this opportunity to sort of eat my own words.
As many of you know I have been very critical of the Muppets, especially there more recent productions, and I was feeling pretty low about this New Muppet Wizard of Oz story. For the past 10-12 years I have collected, studied, and read the original Oz books by L. Frank Bum and his predecessors. When I began hearing about Muppets OZ, I was very disappointed, the clips of the trailer I saw confirmed my disappointment and my fears, there was no way that this Muppets Oz Would live up to the book I knew and loved so well.
But I listened to all the positive things folks had to say here, and so I decide I would watch the film. In fact I was actually very excited about it. So there I was at the age of 29, sitting Indian style on the floor in front of the TV with a big bowl of popcorn. The only time I left the room was to go to the bathroom on the commercials, I watched the entire film, and in fact it was great!
Now was it fantastic, no it was not, but it was so good I can hardly wait for the DVD! In a strange and twisted Muppet kind of way the story really does fallow the book really very closely. The Voices were really great, Scooter sounded so close I would say it was so close he has actually grown younger. Sam as many of you know is one of my favorites voice was really good, in fact I would say it was as good as when I do his voice and that is top notch. The Frank Oz joke was timed perfectly, and did not mind that it was Kermit who asked and not Fozzie. The story was good, at the very heart of it all they did get the message across that home is where the heart is, and there is more to life than fame and fortune. Miss Piggy was great as the witches, but I had wished that Gonzo was not a robot but more of a tin man.....I mean thing.....but that was ok....he still gets his heart in the end.
So gang I owe you all an apology, it seems that I was wrong, and I am sorry for perhaps the overly critical comments I had made earlier. But I will say this, there is still room for Muppet improvement, and I think that is very good, very, very good indeed.