The Muppets

[flutterscotch]

I have a confession. I am a bona fide Muppet fanatic. Always have been. To the point that If you show me a picture, I can tell you who that Muppet is, most of the time, and some of the time I can tell you who is voicing it. I don't remember it, but my mother tells me that I used to have a Fozzie bear that I carried around with me, and it was one of the first recognizable words I could say as a toddler. The first show I can actively remember seeing was the Carol Burnett episode, and it remains one of my earliest concrete memories. I BAWLED the day Jim Henson died.

So, when Disney bought the franchise....and made it tamer and a touch lame, i was disillusioned. Now, some folks I am sure have a great and deep nostalgia for Muppet Treasure Island, and Muppet Christmas Carol (Muppets from space was OK, but only because it was Gonzo-centric). I was a teenager when they came out, and they just left me flat, ESPECIALLY Muppets Tonight. i didn't even watch Muppet Wizard of Oz, because by that point I was fairly sure that the franchise was ruined forever by the bowdlerizing. The subversively mischievous fun of pushing the boundaries seemed to be gone, and the Muppets were much more like Sesame Street characters who spoke more articulately and weren't so obsessed with letters and numbers.

And then I heard that Jason Segel (who I have loved ever since Freaks and Geeks), decided to essentially write fan-fiction of the Muppets as they were in the golden days of the late 70's, and then pitch it to Disney as a movie, I was pretty excited. Even through all the name changes.

it was pretty awesome seeing characters that I hadn't seen in ANYTHING since the TV show stopped airing in reruns (THOG? Wayne and Wanda??? FTW!) I didn't cry, which I kind of expected to seeing as though both my friend Shawna and I BAWLED when we saw the traveling Jim Henson exhibition that the Smithsonian put out. All-in-all, though it was an excellent representation of what the Muppets had been. Sure the voices are no longer dead-on (except Gonzo and some of the background characters; for me it was most noticeable with Fozzie), but they are so close and the spirit of the characters were all still there.

The music was silly and hilarious (especially the song EXTREMELY noticeably written by Bret McKenzie, Man or Muppet)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0zpxC6O7nE

The plot is silly and appropriate for Muppets (except when it takes turns to almost heart-bursting sadness), and has many subtle nods to the history of the franchise (especially one hilarious scene with Sweetums, the big tall mean looking monster). But most importantly, there was only one Disney teeny-bopper star shoe-horned in there (Selena Gomez), and she didn't have a big musical number or anything. And only one top 40 pop song in there, and its usage was HILARIOUS instead of grasping.

It was good to see them back, in the way that I remembered them. Even *ugh* that HAM Miss Piggy.

Did anyone else see it? What did you think?

[Angie Cakes]

I love the muppets. not huge-number-one-fan-love though I was either really little or not even born yet when muppets were a big thing. I had a Kermit toy when I was a baby that I called frog-eyes.

I saw the movie the other day. as for opinions about the movie, I can't think of anything to say I'm not very good at giving opinions, especially if it's been a few days. but that song was definitely the best part

and whoopi goldberg was in it! for some reason I knew she was going to be there. I waited the whole movie to see her, even though I had no prior knowledge of her being in it.

[flutterscotch]

[Dessa]

As usual, you and I agree on matters of pop culture nostalgia.

[MyLittlePonyTales]

[Tempest Rime]

[Kirby Krackle]

I've been a Muppet fan for as long as I can remember. The new movie was heaven! And is... kinda sorta... the inspiration for a PMV... that I'm making... *squeek*

[flutterscotch]

I can't believe you pulled this out, it's always been one of my weaknesses. You horrible heartless Tempest. *sob*

I've been a Muppet fan for as long as I can remember. The new movie was heaven! And is... kinda sorta... the inspiration for a PMV... that I'm making... *squeek*

It really was heaven. I rarely want to see a movie in theaters more than once!

Divulge further, por favor... PMV you say? Muppet-inspired you say?

[TheColtofPersonality]

Actually as a Muppets fan I do suggest checking out the Muppets Wizard of Oz as it was a lot of great fun for me.

[Cadabra]

I love the Muppets, and I am jealous about that traveling exhibit you saw. Henson was such an artist.

The new movie was so fun to warch. My favorite part was when they sang Smells Like Teem Spirit in Barbershop Quartette with Jack Black. Cracked me up so hard, especially Beeker.