I'm going to wade right in here. IMHO, MWoO failed with the audience it was intending to reach because the characters were simply not likable. Whoa--before I get tarred and feathered (that's Gonzo's job)--I don't mean that the Muppets themselves weren't sympathetic, but that the characters that they portrayed failed to find sympathy and empathy with the audience.
If we accept the premise that Ashanti, Kermit, Fozzie, et al are actors portraying roles in a scripted movie, here's the promblem: Ashanti's character is a whiny brat. Her character fails to take responsibility for her own actions (whose fault was it she showed up late to audition?) and does not appreciate the sacrifices that people in her life have made for her. I don't know the singer at all--she's probably very nice, but the script portrays her as full of herself, ungrateful, hateful and whiny. Not really her fault if she compares poorly to cute, fluffy little Judy Garland with her little girl mannerisms and her big booming voice. See--heroines are supposed to be long-suffering--think Snow White and Cinderella--and they are supposed to bring comfort and cheer to those they encounter, even--especially--in the face of adversity. They are life-embracers, which this Dorothy character was not.
Despite my adoration of Kermit, his scarecrow was too passive to be interesting. We've all waited dozens of time with baited breath for that moment when Fozzie, or Piggy or Gonzo will manage to push the right combination of Kermit's buttons and he errupts into arm-waving hysteris, thereby restoring order to the universe. No angst, no order. Kermit's scarecrow would have been funnier if he had actually been very clever--only people kept assuming he was stupid because he was a scarecrow. THis would have played very well into Kermit's schtick as "the only sane one backstage," and he could have muttered about "Actually I'm not really stupid, they just...oh, never mind," and "When they told me I've have a huge audience, this wasn't what I expected" and "This is the last time I work with crows," etc.
Gonzo was, well, weirder than usual, but he who has always been so full of soul is not easily cast as someone with no heart. I could have rooted for him more if--by proving himself capable of a great romantic quest--he could have proven to Camilla that he could be her romantic hero. Having him forced into the role of heartless sortof robs it of its pathos. What is more sympathetic than the man who wants to love but is afraid of love? But I have to say that I thought the most touching moment in the whole movie was when Gonzo--who knows more than any of us about the courage it takes to believe in yourself when no one else does--reaches out and gently leads Fozzie across the bridge. That's the Gonzo I know and love.
Fozzie made a great cowardly lion, and proved the most centered and secure in his role. (Talk about role revearsal!) My only real gripe with the use of Fozzie came from thinking that they missed an opportunity here--The Wizard of Foz. Wouldn't Fozzie's Mom have made a great WoFoz? It would have brought Fozzie's need for acceptance and love right back to the forefront, making him our familiar, lovable, insecure bear.
Piggy, Piggy--what did they do with you? Very little, for all the roles they thrust you into. The only moment I actually recognized Piggy was when she goosed Kermit in the bum as Dorothy's leaving Oz. (You go girl!) What a missed opportunity to not have everyone telling Piggy how she must love "getting back to the county" while she insists she has always be a sophisticated city pig. (Shade of Eliza Doolittle--"What's th' 'arm in me leaving Covent Garden? It we'ren't fit for a pig to live in and I had to pay...)
And can I say,with great sadness, that when Johnny Fiama turns in the most emotionally believable performance in the whole cast, we got a first-class credibility problem on our hand.
Pepe was the most true to himself--he kept all of his Pepe sass while playing an uncharted role. He made the most out of what he was given to work with.
My biggest gripe about movies today in general is that there is no snappy dialogue, no intelligent progression or plot, no character integrity that supersedes going for a cheap laugh or a glimpse of thigh. The Muppets are best when they go back to the Old Hollywood/Vaudeville roots that used to be assumed. We expect the Muppets to sing, to dance, to do comedy and drama and their own stunts. Name me five actors--no, three--who can do all of that today! We have to WANT the dream for them, want their starry-eyed illusions to be fulfilled, not stripped away and ridiculed. Kermit never told Fozzie that his jokes were funny if they weren't. I think it's okay if we show the same attitude that Kermit had--come on, guy--entertain us--I dare you.
(Ma'am--if you could just step down of that soapbox before someone gets hurt....)
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