One thing that annoyed me in "The Muppets"

[dwmckim]

I never really noticed the billboard and it doesn't bother me being in there for a coupla reasons...

(1) no one's yet mentioned it may have been worked in there as the filmmakers' way of saying "thank you" to Pixar with their help assisting them with the pre-production going-over-the-script.

(2) I actually DO like product placement WHEN (and only when) it's well done...meaning it makes things more realistic that it's there since modern society is very brand-oriented. I'd rather see a REAL can of Coke than a generic soda can or a box of Corn Flakes on a table rather than an a fake box that draws more attention to the fact that it's there specifically to NOT be a recognizable cereal. Hollywood is very much a "character" in this film - and Hollywood (as well as most places) have movie billboards all over. If they're part of the background fleshing out the world , i have zero problem with this. Now if the camera lingers on it or all of a sudden characters start an extended sequence about how they enjoy the product, THAT'S stepping over the line. But otherwise, generally speaking if non-intrusive product placement brings some more funding to allow a product to get made and it's in the background in a subtle true-to-life manner, i applaud it.

As for "Me Party" (and speaking as one of the apparently few people who quite liked it), it was better that Piggy and Mary were singing it "together but seperately" not directly interacting - that was the whole point of the song - being left alone and choosing to not let it be a bad thing or get you down...i relate to that FAR more easier than Life's a Happy Song.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Hey I loved Me Party but I still stand by they should've sang it together. Not in separate scenes. But it was still good. As for the billboard I don't really care anymore. Never really did. My attention was wayyyyyy more focused on the movie.

 

[Drtooth]

(2) I actually DO like product placement WHEN (and only when) it's well done...meaning it makes things more realistic that it's there since modern society is very brand-oriented. I'd rather see a REAL can of Coke than a generic soda can or a box of Corn Flakes on a table rather than an a fake box that draws more attention to the fact that it's there specifically to NOT be a recognizable cereal. Hollywood is very much a "character" in this film - and Hollywood (as well as most places) have movie billboards all over. If they're part of the background fleshing out the world , i have zero problem with this.

I can't tell you how much I hate seeing boxes of"Ouisp" with a human nose on Quisp, or bags of "Let's" chips. I always thought to myself, seeing products in a show makes it cheap... but the bland name fakers make it look far more like a cartoon and completely unrealistic. No one wants that, especially with sitcoms.

Really... "Let's" potato chips. Even 3rd Rock from the Sun had the decency to have a Lays bag with a large "SALE" sticker covering up 75% of the name. At least that gives the illusion that they're not trying to look fake.

Now if the camera lingers on it or all of a sudden characters start an extended sequence about how they enjoy the product, THAT'S stepping over the line.

Mac and Me. That is all.

 

[Misskermie]

They need more muppets anyway, billboard or not.

 

[conburke621]

Even though I'm a HUGE Pixar fan, the billboard annoyed me. So what if the DVD was coming out around that time? You know what other Disney movie came out on DVD around when The Muppets came out? Winnie The Pooh! In my opinion, Winnie the Pooh is a lot more Muppety than Cars 2, I would have seriously loved to see that poster. Or seriously, why not a simple poster for "Punch Teacher" or maybe even the Jack Black movie that he was in the middle of making when he got kidnapped? So many options, but they had to go with Cars 2.

 

[Drtooth]

Listen to me... watch ANY movie made in the past 5 years by Universal.

You'll be saying "Billboard? What Billboard?"

 

[Misskermie]

I'm watching the muppets now.


I hate how they make it sound like no one at all likes them.

 

[D'Snowth]

They did something similar with that Rocky and Bullwinkle movie in 2000: not so much that nobody liked them anymore, but rather, it's been so long since they had been on television, let alone been relevant to modern pop culture, that they were pretty much forgotten.

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

I'm watching the muppets now.


I hate how they make it sound like no one at all likes them.

Think about it though. Would your friends and peers say, "Oh, the Muppets are so cool, dude!" They weren't that off.

 

[Mo Frackle]

Think about it though. Would your friends and peers say, "Oh, the Muppets are so cool, dude!" They weren't that off.

Yeah I have to agree. Though to an extent, this movie changed that.