Why did MFS and EIG bomb so bad?

[frogboy4]

Oh my head, lol.

My first thought on it was the Silence of the Lambs side, but I like the Kermit. He's one of the Holy Grail figures in their new Vinylmation series.

 

[D'Snowth]

My first thought on it was the Silence of the Lambs side, but I like the Kermit. He's one of the Holy Grail figures in their new Vinylmation series.

I'd be curious to see what the other Muppets would look like, lol.

And Prawnie, I'd love to see a Halloween special; Halloween's a favorite of mine, though there's really not a lot of good Halloween specials out there other than It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! That Elmo Halloween video/DVD a few years ago was okay, but not quite something I'd watch over and over again, lol.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

My first thought on it was the Silence of the Lambs side, but I like the Kermit. He's one of the Holy Grail figures in their new Vinylmation series.

yeah he is! i bought one on eBay about a month ago abd cost me $29 bucks! and thats with shipping too

 

[Vic Romano]

Some really great viewpoints here! I still haven't see EIG, but I did just watch FTB again and boy, it is still as great a movie today as it was when I was a kid. I always was really impressed by this picture because of how difficult it must have been to make a feature length movie from an educational series.

I will say though that TMM and MTM are perhaps stronger in memory then in reality. I watched them all again this weekend, and I have to admit, they did feel dated. Still classic and as great as ever, but I can see how today's audiences just wouldn't get them. GMC was surprisingly hip for me. It has a very distinct look over the others, and if there's a Muppet movie that closely resembles The Muppet Show, it's this one. It feels like a theatrical version of the show (which ironically also seems more dated).

As per the Hulk cameo in MFS, this was also the Hulk's low point in his career. This was before the days of Hogan and Brooke knows best. If MFS was made now, I don't see the Hulk making an appearance.

 

[Drtooth]

While I liked the third one better than the second, I kind of felt the third one lacked originality - the whole concept of their being another world where dinosaurs actually still exist... LOTL anyone?

The concept of a lost world was ancient in and of itself by the time LOTL came about in the 70's.

Not only that, it seems like they just kept forcing any cultural references they could (I felt the whole thing about the pit with "noxious fumes" was put in there for the sake of that Chipmunks reference).

The Pop Culture jokes bugged me, I ahve to agree... I swear the Chipmunks reference was some form of marketting to say "Hey! Movie 2 is on the way!"

There was no character development for Diego either; in fact, he seemed to be rather set aside in this movie so others could have screentime.

That's what I really didn't like about the movie. Watching it, there seemed like 2 things were missing... first, it was CLEARLY obvious that Diego was running off to wait until death- like Elephants do with elephant grave yards- because he was getting weak. But somehow the Fox execs said "Wait a minute! We may make a lot of male part jokes and a gay joke, but there's NO WAY we're referencing suicide... even if it is in an animal's nature to drift off when he's gotten too weak to hunt." Plus, it also seemed like there was a LOT more they were going to do with Diego, but it all got cut to make it a 90 minute movie. No way were they goning to make a 95 minute movie!

I can't believe it would bomb, not because Will Ferrell's in it and he just ruins every movie he's in other than Elf, but because Sid and Marty Krofft were actually involved with the production, and surely they wouldn't ruin one of their own projects would they? But then again, Ross B and Janice Karman have been involved with the production of both of these new Chipmunk movies, the first left a lot to be desired, the second one I'm not even interested in seeing.

There's a difference. I think, while the Alvin movie suffered from a bunch of jaded jokes (Alvin's porno music reference, the raisin bit- no wonder why I don't eat them- and the under the towel fart) and the poor casting on the part of Jason "here to cash a check" Lee (which stinks, since he is highly talented but always gets into these lame movies... except for Incredibles... he was fantastic in that one) the Alvin movie had heart, and almost served as a semi-biographical tribute to the real Dave Seville. LOTL, unless it has something good in the film that I'm missing, looks like the same lame Frat Boy jokes you can get all over the internet and adult swim for free. And Will Ferrel basically being Will Ferrel. least he wasn't wearing ultra tight pants in this one. Comedic or not, I don't wanna see that!

I've seen a lot of Ratatoullie merchandise actually, but it's mostly in the form of party favors and such, lol. As for Toy Story 3, I'll wait and see... because once again, how many times has Disney green-lit this project, shelfed it, green-lit again, shelfed it again, etc?

There WAS a lot of Rat merchandise. It was clearance even BEFORE the DVD came out. Even the Disney store stuff. I never got anything, except for a couple lollipops and a bean bag of the dead Chef. I'm guessing that's why they were so careful with UP... they couldn't give some of the Rat stuff away. Cars still makes a fortune in merchandising, Toy Story as well. All I wanted, though, was a figurine set of Up. I just want a reasonably sized Dug to put on a shelf.

Really? 23 year olds? Who knew?

Daggum rotten hyphen button. You KNOW I meant to say 2-3 year olds, right? EIG was for about... 3-4 year olds.

 

[frogboy4]

I'd be curious to see what the other Muppets would look like, lol.

The Wiki has some prototypes. Miss Piggy's eyes are placed terribly, but the rest seem like a good start.

 

[Traveling Matt]

No, I really haven't; when news of the comic books came out, I've been looking through comic stands all over town and have seen nothing. As far as merchandise is concerned, all I've seen were TWO Palisades sets... four years ago... in a comic book store.

Nothing sticks out with old-school singularity anymore. You have to dig to find what you want, unless it's this week's hot property.

 

[D'Snowth]

movie suffered from a bunch of jaded jokes (Alvin's porno music reference, the raisin bit- no wonder why I don't eat them- and the under the towel fart) and the poor casting on the part of Jason "here to cash a check" Lee (which stinks, since he is highly talented but always gets into these lame movies... except for Incredibles... he was fantastic in that one) the Alvin movie had heart, and almost served as a semi-biographical tribute to the real Dave Seville.

True, and there were some references to the cartoon as well - like Dave's disasterous dinner with his current love interest being ruined by the baby Chipmunks, and the whole thing with "Uncle" Ian was very similar to the episode introducing "Uncle" Harry.

LOTL, unless it has something good in the film that I'm missing, looks like the same lame Frat Boy jokes you can get all over the internet and adult swim for free. And Will Ferrel basically being Will Ferrel. least he wasn't wearing ultra tight pants in this one. Comedic or not, I don't wanna see that!

Reminds me of what I heard on a movie set where Will Ferrell had to do a nude scene... and after that, he liked it so much, he just simply walked around the set naked, to the point EVERYONE was BEGGING him to put clothes on.

The Wiki has some prototypes. Miss Piggy's eyes are placed terribly, but the rest seem like a good start.

I think the Bunsen one looks the best of all of them, but then again, it's close to his original design anyway - short and round, lol.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Hmm... I'd hate to suggest this, but maybe they should take a hint from the Schulz family and simply retire the Muppets altogether?

I know I'm going to become very unpopular for that, but seriously, when Schulz passed away, the Peanuts gang went with him, because his children didn't want anyone else to try to continue the magic; unless the Henson children were to do something with the Muppets themselves, then perhaps maybe the Muppets should be laid to rest as well?

Honestly, I think there's some validity to that argument. I'm not saying the Muppets should just disapear. And I respect the efforts to keep it going. But throughout history, all the great works of art have their prime and then it passes. That's part of what makes something good, that it doesn't happen everyday.

I think the people running the Muppets (whoever it is now, heh) should be making more of an effort to showcase what was their best work (I don't buy into the idea that young people wouldn't enjoy it). Instead they keep creating this uphill battle to recapture some glory. When the glory is still right there to be found. It's just not being given any chance to be seen because it's "too old."

 

[beaker]

Hmm... I'd hate to suggest this, but maybe they should take a hint from the Schulz family and simply retire the Muppets altogether?

What?

I want the Muppets to be around forever. For my children, my children's children, and their children's children.

The Muppets have been around since 1955, for 54 years now; and I see a very large resurgence ahead. Why would you want to see that derailed?

Also, there's continually new Peanuts/Snoopy stuff, what do you mean retired?