Your Thoughts: It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas

[Muppetfreak]

Sweet Muppets of my heart I loved this movie!!! I am too busy to post today but stay tuned for my rant on why. . .

I know you are glued to your seats...

I also have to read your thoughts...

i am, however, traumatized by the image of scooter cage dancing....

 

[SNLIM]

if JHC decides to make that Halloween Hotel or Cheapest Muppet Movie crud I think a lot of us would be very saddened and greatly displeased. Yes, it is more than great to see the Muppets back...but they and the vision of JH do not deserve some of the scripts JHC has been optioning. - beaker

i couldn't agree more. i know i may catch some flack for saying this but i would rather enjoy all the wonderful older muppet movies than to see something like kermit swamp years come out. i really believe that ksy may turn off some new muppet viewers who haven't seen some of the older stuff. but really it is rather nice to see some new stuff.

 

[VEND-O-FACE]

You may get your wish

Over at IGN Film Force, in an interview with Frank Oz from February of 2000, he says "At the same time, there's tremendous love for the people there and the characters. You can't do those characters without loving them. I think I've gotten to the point where I still don't allow pictures, but now I'm developing the next Muppet movie which I'll direct, I hope, so I'm with them for life."

And goes on to say:

"It's not that corporate, it's more a spark. That's why I want to do the next Muppet movie, because I'm excited about a particular idea, and the idea is something that Jim and Jerry Juhl and I thought of 15 years ago. So that still excites me. I think the crux of it has been – and I think it's getting much better now – is that the key people don't have the time to do everything."

It's two years later now -- maybe it's still in the works?

 

[SNLIM]

It's two years later now -- maybe it's still in the works?

wow, i sure hope so! that would be great. if it's frank oz, it's probably worth waiting for....

 

[frogboy4]

A lot has changed since then - especially with the state of the company, Brian leaving, Frank's characters being replaced and the infamous Brando incident. I wonder how he'd work with Eric. Does anyone know if he trained him with the voices?

 

[beaker]

Originally posted by frogboy4
A lot has changed since then - especially with the state of the company, Brian leaving, Frank's characters being replaced and the infamous Brando incident. I wonder how he'd work with Eric. Does anyone know if he trained him with the voices?

Youre right, as wishful thinking as itd be to still follow what Frank said...I think its become more evident JHC has really moved on sadly past a lot of classic elements.

Does JHC need Juhl back as scriber and Frank back as director? Oh yeah. Will they be getting Juhl back anytime soon? Maybe by the time Palisades comes out with Sesame and Land Of Gorch figures. Fact is JHC needs a real director for their next outing...thus enter Oz, or Im really pushing for...Spike Jonze!
Oh, and I think part of the next film should have some parts in Manhattan. Think visionary JHC! I know youre always three steps ahead of us fans, but still...an epic film is possible!

 

[tygerbug]

Okay, my thoughts.

FOZZIE AND PIGGY -- AMAZING. I still hate Whitmire's Kermit and everytime a voice is replaced it makes me shudder and ignore the character ... this is the exception. I was certain it was Frank Oz the entire time, and also noted those two characters as the best part of the special. They were amazingly done and perfectly in tune with how they should be portrayed, and very funny. Wow, wow, wow.

Steve Whitmire's Kermit, though. Blah. Still blah, I'm sorry. He attempts in this to imitate the Muppet Show Kermit's constant state of panic, and just comes off all wrong. And although I knew Whitmire is a great singer, he still can't sing as Kermit ... it kills his duet with Gonzo (and Dave Goelz has always had a surprisingly good singing voice as Gonzo).

The special overall I thought was lame, but its heart was in the right direction.

Perhaps the fact that it is so Kermit centric hurt it.

Pepe was wonderful ... I was about to write off the show as unwatchably bad until pepe started doing his thing. He does have a more adult sense of humor, and I think that is completely in keeping with the Pepe character. It helps that as a new Muppet he is still played by his original performer (cough).

Janice was HORRIBLE. Sam the Eagle was awful, but more for his hair than anything else. Statler and Waldorf horrible.

Scooter was wonderful. Sounded nothing like Richard Hunt's original, but perfectly captured the nature of the character. Was good to see.

I'm confused by the Jerry Nelson thing too ... I swear he's in some of it. Wasn't that him as the Christmas Show announcer?

Joan Cusack and Whoopi Goldberg. Blah. Although Whoopi gets some of the best lines in the special at the end. Arquette did a good job, Matthew Lillard was annoying as ever. The appearance of William H. Macy makes me wish he were in a bigger role in some Muppet project.

The people who are complaining about the "adult" humor in the special and saying Henson wouldn't have done that are wrong, I think. Far more "adult" jokes were done on The Jim Henson Hour, which is still my favorite incarnation of the Muppets in some ways.

Which reminds me ..... where the **** was Bean Bunny? Where the **** was Clifford?? Sure, I'd be holding out for a Digit appearance, but that ain't gonna happen ... good lord, these are major Muppets .... has someone at JHC just decided the last 10 years of Jim's life never happened? Bah. I expect they'll be back soon. It was a real shock to see Scooter, so I guess this was more of a classic Muppet show, with some Muppets tonight. But I'd sell Johnny Fiama and Sal in a second for Bean, Clifford and Digit ... sorry. Fiama just seems a little Sesame Street for my taste.

(I won't mention Lindbergh, Irma, Leon, Waldo and Chris Langham. I don't want to seem nuts.)

Overall there seemed like too few characters, yes. They focused on the Muppets they wanted to focus on.

Nor did I think that the alternate future was thought out enough. I enjoyed Bouncer Beaker, sure ... but apart from Gonzo and Piggy none of the scenarios were believable, just rushed to get something bad in there. Fozzie in particular ****** me off. I would have expected something bad comedian related.

Yes, there was far too little plot and the thing dragged like heck. The writing was really loose and uninteresting. Nothing much happened for most of it, squandering opportunities to let certain characters strut their stuff. I was surprised that Rizzo was given nothing to do.

And as much as I love Pepe, seeing him do Fozzie's routine was painful. In the wrong way.

I LOVED the Doc Hopper ref ... this show needed more writing like that. Meaningful. I was surprised to see the Bossmen .... is that what they're called ?.... besides them the only Large Monster involved was Sweetums .... as sort of expected ..... I am hoping for a return of all the large monsters, especially Thog.

The Burl Ives clone was a large monster I guess, a new one, but rather badly made ...

I would say that it's nice to check in and see what the Muppets are doing nowadays, but the inventiveness of Henson is gone and I definitely couldn't get into this special at all.

Better writing is needed, definitely, and a clearer focus on characters who still have their original voices ..... and Fozzie and Piggy and Scooter, since I say they've found the perfect voices now. Okay, Scooter's voice ain't perfect, actually it's not even close, but it sounds so Scootery that I can't not like it.

Also, the songs need not to suck.

A passable effort, I give it a C+, but it does make you want to see more ... there are certain characters who I didn't expect to like who I will follow now. With a few fixes and changes, they could gradually get on the right track.

 

[Natalie]

Bean Bunny was in the movie

 

[beaker]

Hey Tygerbug!

Just wanted to reply to a few things:

SO GLAD you like JHH! I really wish theyd bring back Digit, Leon, Lindburgh, etc. At least we had Zondra and Chip in MFS(Loved Guerrilla television!)

It was sad to see no Clifford...but Bean Bunny for sure was in one scene with Miss Piggy. But no Clifford? strange.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

i know people have complained about clifford and not realy liking him, but it did seem weird not to have him in the movie. either the writers did not want clifford to be in the movie or even perhaps kevin clash himself did not want to perform him.......

ryan