Your Thoughts: It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas

[Jaga828]

This movie was everything the Muppets are. It's great to see them back in their own element. It truly felt like all the magic has returned. The voices were excellent! Although Robin and Sam sounded a bit off. It was so great to see and HEAR Janice, Rowlf, and Scooter again. I still miss the Electric Mayhem cranking out the tunes. For the first time since his passing, a Muppet movie has heart and it really feels like the Muppets are back. I truly enjoyed it, and hope they keep the gang going in this direction. It was a great gift for Muppet fans, and an honor to Jim Henson's vision of the Muppets.

 

[beaker]

A new season of hope

Muppet cage dancing at an industrial rave club? Kermit referencing our Muppet fan sites? The return of the 2 40 foot Bossmen? The first openly gay pig Muppet? Whoopi Goldberg as GOD? Muffins? The return of Doc Hopper? Penguins galore? More sexual inuendo with Pepe than ya can shake a shrimp at?

My goodness, we were in store for quite a brave new world tonight.
First off, I dont recall ever a time in post 80's history where the Muppets have literall been *everywhere* on tv. From the huge Muppet and internation representin with Al Roker at the Macy's parade, to the talk show circuit, commercials, merchandise, etc it's been quite a whirlwind.

But first and foremost...JHC issued a press statement about how they cut Snoop and 30 other minutes. Hmmm, I guess they forgot to trim the real fat(ie: the 15 minute Arquette/Whoopi segment opening, and the awful Croc Hunter/Grinch satire) But more on that later...

And for those that say the Muppets shouldnt be edgy, that's like saying Sesame Street shouldnt be educational. The Muppets are back baby...and I smell the beginning of a brave new world.

Now I think my favorite scene had to be when Kermit was talking to the various Muppets in the theatre. This totally brought back the classic feeling of watching TMS for the first time, or the Muppet Movie theatre scene...very surreal to have that recaptured again.
And my, I had no idea we'd be seeing the Bossmen(ie: the 2 biggest Muppets ever) Watching these scenes flooded me with the overjoying experience of seeing the live production of the Muppet show, as that 'episode 121' really was the long over due reintroduction of
favorites like Scooter, Rowlf, and the Electric Mayhem as a whole.

The duet between Kermit and Gonzo was not some throw away song from KSY or any Muppet film from the last decade, but one of th emost heart felt and memorable Muppet songs in a long while.

And once again my fave guys Beaker and Pepe manage to steal the show.
I think the biggets treat for longtime fans is the full fledged return of Fozzie...I mean he was practically the main star, something you havent seen in awhile. We also had the return of Janice, Scooter, Sam, and so many others. It truly felt like a reunion with some old friends.

Ok, now the things I found absolutely abhorrent: You knew this was coming, but is it a requirement for every Muppet film in the last decade to be filled with excruciatingly embarassing human acting?
The Crocodile Hunter and Grinch sendoffs had to be almost a channel turner for me...as was the Matthew Lillard character. And my oh my, after the awesome opening 5 minutes we get switched to a boring
15 minute segment with Arquette and Goldberg? eek, again these are the type of bad pacing scenes that *should* have gotten cut.

Yes there were a number of parts that had me cringing...Kermit getting spit on, Piggy getting punched, Kermit frozen, and a number of crimes against our beloved furry ones. Why scibers continue to put this material into muppet films I'll never know why.

And finally, yes Scooter, statler and Waldorf, Janice, and Sam sounded off. But this is a new era, and evolution is at foot.

I was sad to see the apparent MIA of Jerry Nelson. Hopefully we'll hear soon how he's doing.

Overall a great treat for the first time ever, a Muppet movie broadcase on television...and the first one in this post Muppet online world.

As a side note, I will address a few people:

Phillip, congrats on the comment Kermit made. Even I wont deny whose responsible ultimately for getting that remark. Good to see JHC has their flippers on the pulse of things.

Jamie, I LOVED that Scooter cage dancing thing. I remember you once mentioned your glam goth days, and that totally reminded me of that, LOL

Emmy: Well, not one but two mentions of 'Muffins' in regards to the Muppets.

Luke: Have you seen *so* many penguins?

Finally I just want to say, there was a very important message at the end of the film after Kermit goes outside to address the other Muppets. I forget the exact words, but it was something to the effect of what Xmas is not about.

Muppet fandom is not about flame wars, or elitism...it is about unity. This movie illustrates even when ya get past all the sillyness, the true order of things.

It is with this statement I wish to make amens to those who I have fought with, and would like to publicly state that it is with great passion that I feel a true new genesis is coming in the new year.

We are all Muppet fans...no matter if we run with MC, TP, Palisades, etc. There are too many great fans segregated because of politics or affiliations or past dealings. A return to a time when things were great seems to be coming, and I think every single one of us will matter as fans. As Kermit and Gonzo sang 'Everyone Matters'...I pray things can begin anew soon with all of us so we can finally get the real Muppet party started.

~.c//0ry

 

[Muppet Guy]

Yes! The Muppets Are Back!

I had high expectations for this feature and, fortunately, was not let down. I believe this was a step in the right direction toward seeing the Muppets back on the big screen. The material here was an improvement over what we saw in Muppets From Space. For one thing, no Clifford! Thank God! Also, Kermit was a main character here, just like the good old days. And so were some old favorites like Scooter and Fozzie. I was disappointed by the lack of Rowlf though, but oh well. Brian Henson seems to have improved his talents as Kermit since the last outing. Also, there was heart in this movie...just like the Muppets we grew up with. The only thing that really disappointed me was the NBC tie-ins, which was kind of shameful. But perhaps that was because this was a TV movie. Future Muppet movies may not suffer from this. In Muppets From Space, I hated the Hollywood Hogan scene. I think it's good to have celebs, but they need to play characters, not themselves. That just dates the movies. Years from now, when reality shows are extinct (I'm counting the days) the Fear Factor scene will look stupid. But there were loads of funny bits and warmth and inside jokes. Yes, the Muppets are back.

 

[Chilly Down]

I liked the Fear Factor stuff and the other spoofs. Yes, it was heavily NBC-centered, but keep in mind that the Muppets have done tie-ins before. "The Muppets at Walt Disney World" is considered by many to be one of their best specials. I haven't heard anyone call that special "shameful." And Kermit got away with calling "Fear Factor" horrifying. He didn't have nearly that freedom when talking about Disney's Carousel of Progress.

 

[trcrack]

Originally posted by RobintheBrave


When did you hear Kermit say "Porn is fine"?

I think the line was "Pork is fine." because I remembered thinking I heard the same thing. Then I saw retreaded the conversation and figured it was "Pork" not "Porn."

 

[frogboy4]

Before more is said on this thread, I must iterate that opinions are not only valid, but very much encouraged here. I have noticed some new members (welcome!!) and I want to make sure they feel comfortable expressing their thoughts. We are all rather passionate Muppet fans and should remember that we have that in common.

I must agree with much of what Cory said about the special and its conclusion. Glad to see you back on board! It would be nice if everyone could get along like the dysfunctional Muppet gang because we kind of are a dysfunctional Muppet gang. LOL!

I want a Palisades Rave Scooter!

For the record, some of the Pepe activity did bug me a little bit. He is one of my favorite characters, but the footage was right on the line. Not quite over it though. I think if it had been a more restrained performance that more humor would have come from it. Hmmmmm

 

[L-Champagne]

faces and my poor memory

Hi Ho all -

Personally, I loved it !!!! Even my mom liked it.

Many of you seem to be hung up on the voices being different. Though I noticed this, I had a different take - I think the muppets themselves looked different. It started with Robin - something was off about the shape of his head. Then I saw Fozzie and I knew something was up. I don't recall him having such an over bite. Others looked different, too, and I'm not just talking about hairy blue feathers. Was it just me, or have the wonderful people in the workshop altered the patterns a little bit? Not that I mind - but was it all in my mind?

BTW, OF COURSE G-d is a woman. Sheez.

- Lori

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by frogboy4
We are all rather passionate Muppet fans and should remember that we have that in common.

I must agree with much of what Cory said about the special and its conclusion. Glad to see you back on board! It would be nice if everyone could get along like the dysfunctional Muppet gang because we kind of are a dysfunctional Muppet gang. LOL!

Thanks Jamie. Yeah, between Kermit's 'Muppet fan site' reference, and that speach at the end...I sat back and just felt overwhelmed. My god, where have we gone?

You know you are d**n right Jamie...we are all passionate Muppet fans, and look...tonight we saw how insanely dysfunctional the Muppets can get. It virtually made me think, and echoed to a t what's been going on the last year or so. Ive gotten so caught up in the politics like so many I almost lost site of why were even on here.

I truly dont think its unfathomable or past th epoint of no return to bring back everyone...and I mean everyone MC past and present...maybe not even on MC. But I just hope one of these days we can all come back together.

And finally, I'll second that...I'd love to see a raver Scooter figure! I really enjoyed that rave scene part(And Sam Eagle raver too)
I think it was the club kid in me, heh

 

[Lynnette]

Hi-ho!

Since it's the day after Thanksgiving, I thought I'd say that I'm quite thankful and pleased that we even have a new Muppet venture to discuss - no matter the opinions presented!

It has been great to see so much activity lately with our beloved Muppets - TV appearances, Hollywood stars, parade balloons, etc.

I was so excited to see the characters that were included in the movie (would that be IAVMCM in Muppet acronym-land?). I would rather see long-loved characters with some voices sounding different than I remember than not seeing them at all.

I just thought the movie was incredibly SLOW overall and the story could have been more interesting without being an homage to "It's a Wonderful Life". Brief references to other works are fun but the JHC has the talent to create original storylines.

I hope things continue to improve and advance in our Muppet "cause". I expect this to be another glimpse into the resurgence of Muppet Mania - by the general population, that is, not we long-time maniacs who are actually excited that Kermit mentioned fan web sites.

Kissy, kissy.

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by Lynnette
I hope things continue to improve and advance in our Muppet "cause". I expect this to be another glimpse into the resurgence of Muppet Mania - by the general population, that is, not we long-time maniacs who are actually excited that Kermit mentioned fan web sites.

Oh tonight, like Ken Lilly mentioned on his site, I think we all were brought back to simply being able to enjoy ourselves and watch as fans. Our Muppet cause is without a doubt just barely in the wheels of motion...and weve already have had an insane Muppet media blitz in the last few weeks. I definately think JHC is on the right track to bringing the Muppets out of their percieved 'nostalgia/kiddy' image and into the limelight. I expect the resurgence to really get rolling early next year.

But back to the movie...I mean I was so blown away by some of the sights and sounds and messages of tonight it prompted me to come back here...something I seriously didnt think would happen.

Finally, I dont care if youre the most staunch anti MC or anti Muppet online person on the planet...you just had to have gotten a big kick out of Kermit referencing the 'Muppet fan sites'. That literally was too much, and if its any indication of the smart 'winks to fans' on the upcoming Fox show Im allready impressed(I for one would fall out of my seat if I saw/heard a straight reference to MC, TP, or Palisades on the upcoming show) As weve seen in recent times...anythings possible.

Btw IAVMMC is a bit long...I think a lot are starting to call it "MCM" for short. But indeed, no better time than now to be a Muppet fan!