What is your least favorite Muppet Movie?

Drtooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
31,718
Reaction score
6,707
Ladies and gentlemen...

Geewun.

No one lives forever, and no one should be associated with one thing forever. I'd rather they keep the franchise going than bury it under mothballs for the occasional DVD release and T-shirt. Are newer Muppet works as good as the classic ones? Not really. But you can't replicate something that's that personal. It happens to every major franchise and classic character. I recently found this out... the reason why The Looney Tunes show is a sitcom instead is because the show runners knew it was a fool's errand to try to make Looney Tunes shorts in the style of the original ones. Because when they did that, no one liked them either. Even the ones done by actual Looney Tunes creators before they all passed on get unfavorable comparisons (even though that stuff's leaps and bounds over the boring crap they made in the 30's and the terrible ones they made in the late 60's).

And let's not forget that even when they have the same creative forces, it's not a guarantee that future projects will hold up. I need only say George Lucas... though to be fair the original trilogy was a more collaborative effort, and George's original concepts that got shot down were actually as bad as the prequel stuff. The prequels were "bad" because his worst concepts weren't overruled. In fact, he's the exception to the rule. Star Wars is generally better taken out of his hands.

Even with TV shows... even if they have the same returning cast... either the show gets picked up after years of cancellation OR the show is a long runner, there's always something missing (or something that generally changes with show evolution) that they can't recapture.

Basically, what I'm saying is of course it's going to be different. The best they can do is make it as not different as possible. You'll get a Xerox of a Xerox at best. If they basically throw out everything that made the original a classic (unless they hit a 21 Jump Street like fluke) it's far worse than trying to copy it.
 

AquaGGR

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2013
Messages
635
Reaction score
231
While the editing of TM is poor and KSY was meh. MWoZ was the only one that's near unwatchable. I don't really have any problems with MFS, though. Except Kermit doing nothing and having no character.
 

Mr Sweetums

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
145
Reaction score
134
I like the Muppet, I like what they do now, I'm glad they've continued, I rather have more Muppets than no Muppets yet... i'm a big fan of Henson, Oz and Juhl and my Muppet fandom is even bigger for their projects than the newer ones.

I'm a bigger fan of TMM than TM but do I want them to stop? Not at all :fanatic:

In my opinion The Muppets were so eager to find replacements for Jim Henson and Frank Oz (and the did an amazing job finding them) but they forgot to find one for Jerry Juhl and that's why after MTI i'm not such a big fan.
 

Drtooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
31,718
Reaction score
6,707
While the editing of TM is poor and KSY was meh. MWoZ was the only one that's near unwatchable. I don't really have any problems with MFS, though. Except Kermit doing nothing and having no character.
While I give MFS the business quite a bit, I still enjoy the film. Everything wrong with that film was the director. He ruined the original ending (for those who haven't heard it a hundred times, the aliens weren't actually Gonzo's species), and forced in mundane bits (checking mail and painting houses). The problems I have with the movie:

  • Kermit and Piggy both seem emotionally distant and pretty much lobotomized. They seem like extended brief cameos in their own movie.
  • Where the heck did 90% of the Muppets go after the breakfast scene? The concept of the Muppets all living in one big boarding house was a strong one, and then it disappears quickly, to only focus on 5 or 6 characters. Many an opportunity was missed.
  • Trying to show the Muppets on a routine day of chores wasn't exactly the best use of screentime. They didn't even do said chores in a fun, Muppety way.
  • Rob Schneider... just... just Rob Schneider.
  • The rescue sequence seems very clumsy, and it lost more opportunities.
Other than that, when the movie was good, it was really good. If only the rest of the film was like the opening, the Bobo and Jeffery Tambor chemistry, the hot tub party, the lab rat sequence, and Gonzo with VanNeuter, the film could have been great.
 

Mr Sweetums

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
145
Reaction score
134
I totally agree with you Dr Tooth

If i'm honest this film might have not been extremely kind with Muppet fans but it sure did understand its generation. Muppet From Space is the only Muppet movie my friends have ever watched with me in it's entirety and enjoyed it. If their were musical numbers and such I don't they would have kept watching. Pepe, Van Neuter and the lab rats also came at the right time and won over all my friends.

At the same time a Muppet movies main concern should be a Muppet fan :big_grin:
 

Drtooth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
31,718
Reaction score
6,707
The problem with Muppets from Space is that it had potential. Sure, they could have taken a few more risks with certain other Muppet films, but there was such a genuine air of indifference behind the production. Sony and Henson pretty much waved the thing off, not being surprised when it flopped at the box office. Troubled productions rarely produce positive effects, and MFS's production trouble was it's downfall.

But there are some genuinely funny bits and I can't say I didn't enjoy it and still do. I still enjoy it more than MCC, even though MCC is the better put together film.
 

KrazyJoe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Messages
52
Reaction score
43
Treasure Island and Wizard of Oz. (and Christmas Carol, but that's the best of the three)

I don't really care for the Muppets playing roles. I like seeing them as themselves.
 

D'Snowth

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
Messages
40,651
Reaction score
12,811
It works though; Jim has said he never really thought of the characters as actual characters, but rather, actors that just happen to be puppets.
 

Oscarfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 2, 2008
Messages
7,604
Reaction score
3,949
Treasure Island and Wizard of Oz. (and Christmas Carol, but that's the best of the three)

I don't really care for the Muppets playing roles. I like seeing them as themselves.

Technically, all the movies are them playing roles.
 

sesamemuppetfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Messages
1,476
Reaction score
1,155
I will admit that although I don't completely hate it, I've never been a fan of Muppet Treasure Island. There are multiple aspects from the movie that I like, but otherwise, I find the rest of it pretty boring.
 
Top