MFS-disappointment!

[MWoO]

Muppets From Space a disappointment? I should say not! It's one of my favorite muppet movies of all time! Very original, entertaining, and a look at Gonzo's origin for the first time. However, didn't Jim Henson once say Gonzo was intended to be just another monster?

Original? I think not. It was anything but original to find out Gonzo is an alien. Seemed like a rather obvious path to take. Also we NEVER got a look at his origin. In the trailers we were told Gonzo was an alien, and that is all we got from the movie as well. We didn't even find out his planet, how he got here, or even the name of his race! We found out nothing other than he's an alein. It certainly wasn't an origin story.

 

[Drtooth]

If anyone wants to know, Gonzo was originally a Frackle (monster) from (as I recall and believe) The Great Santa Switch.

PErsonally, the more I think about it, the evidence piles up that they were hinting he was an alien. Firstly there was the song in TMM, where he was looking at the stars singing about how he may have came from somewhere else. The hinted at it a few times (In my recallection) in Muppet Babies, and then in the hideous Nintendo game, Gonzo had the Space ride level.

But I do agree making him an alien takes out some mystery, and the magic of the character. But then again, they made Goku and alien and that was bad. (If anyone wonders I like the original Dragon Ball, not Z or GT). It's an easy answer. An easy solution.

 

[Beauregard]

Original? I think not. It was anything but original to find out Gonzo is an alien. Seemed like a rather obvious path to take. Also we NEVER got a look at his origin. In the trailers we were told Gonzo was an alien, and that is all we got from the movie as well. We didn't even find out his planet, how he got here, or even the name of his race! We found out nothing other than he's an alein. It certainly wasn't an origin story.

Worse! This film came out in the same time(ish) as Space Jam, Independence Day, Men in Black...

 

[MWoO]

If anyone wants to know, Gonzo was originally a Frackle (monster) from (as I recall and believe) The Great Santa Switch.

PErsonally, the more I think about it, the evidence piles up that they were hinting he was an alien. Firstly there was the song in TMM, where he was looking at the stars singing about how he may have came from somewhere else. The hinted at it a few times (In my recallection) in Muppet Babies, and then in the hideous Nintendo game, Gonzo had the Space ride level.

But I do agree making him an alien takes out some mystery, and the magic of the character. But then again, they made Goku and alien and that was bad. (If anyone wonders I like the original Dragon Ball, not Z or GT). It's an easy answer. An easy solution.

Just a point about "I'm Going to Go Back There Some Day". I believe he was looking up at the sky because he had been flying up there with the giant pile of baloons and he loved it because it was flying. I don't think he was talking about an alien world.

In Muppet babies there were a couple of alien remarks, but I think that was because he was so weird he must be an alien. He was the weird kid. What weird kid isn't called an alien? I don't think they ever meant for Gonzo is actually be an alien. He was always meant to be a one of a kind freak performance artist whatever. The whole alien thing really takes away from his character and it was a huge mistake in my book.

I would rather have a movie where Gonzo gets it into his head that he is an alien, has Kermit and the gang travel into space, have them meet real aliens who think that Gonzo is a freak, and have the movie end with Kermit saying "It doesn't matter where you come from. It only matters that you are here with friends.". That would be a much better space movie than the MFS junk we got.

 

[Drtooth]

Worse! This film came out in the same time(ish) as Space Jam, Independence Day, Men in Black...

You forgot the most obvious one... Star Wars Episode I.... ever since then, every year a Star Wars movie has been release, there have been Space or Alien movies released at the same time. 2002, there was Lilo and Stitch... 2005, Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy and War of the Worlds.


>>Original? I think not.<<

More original than ripping the plotline from a classic novel. I mean, the book movies were allright, but I'd rather see a movie like MFS than MCC... at least the muppets are in it... not around it.

 

[Beauregard]

HHGTTG is certainly not a spin-off of the space age movies...but, that is beside the point. It was also crubish, but still...

I still think the plot was less original than their new twist on MTI. Which was concocted so cleverly that it certainly did Not rip the plotline from a classic novel...

 

[MWoO]

Yeah, MTI was quite original. Instead of making the characters fit into the parts they made the parts fit the characters. I thought it was done quite well and really felt like a movie. MFS never feltl ike am ovie to me. I don't hate it, but there are lot of things about it that I do hate. He had great potential and was a huge let down. I think a lot of hit might have had to do with budget and the fact that Frank was almost non-existant yet still performed his characters. It also has a lot to do with Jerry Jhul not finishing the project. Writers are really the only thing the Muppets do not have. There are some wonderful performers, but the writing has been lacking ever since Jerry left. Only AVMMC felt right since he left. Even MWoO (which I like) was weak.

 

[Drtooth]

HHGTTG is certainly not a spin-off of the space age movies...but, that is beside the point. It was also crubish, but still...

I meant that they release Sci-Fi type movies during Star Wars summers in a way to cash in of its success.

With MTI, actually, I'll make that an exception. As dull as MCC was and as... uh... Ashanti boot licking Oz was, MTI was the best of the Book movies (though I still didn't like Piggy's roll all that much). Personally, I feel this and MFS are tied as the best of the New era movies. I don't think MFS was original, but I feel the idea of a parody or something is more original than out and out using something that had already been done. But only slightly so.

But if you think about it, were ANY of the Muppet movies "originaL"

I mean, TMM is a road picture, with an underdog becoming a Hollywood star
GMC was the Hollywood Musical from the 40's-50's with the classic "who dunnit" thrown in.
MTM was TMM with an "A Star is Born" style twist.
FTB was basically Lassie Come home with It's a Mad Mad Mad World.
And VMX was a send up of It's a Wonderful life, with elements of Rudolph the reindeer, the Grinch and such thrown in (as parodies).

Essentially, I don't care if it's original, as long as it's entertaining. I find all Muppet movies (even Oz) do the job.

 

[rexcrk]

Personally I thought Muppets From Space was great. Not as good as the stuff from when Jim was alive or Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, but still good. I thought Jeffrey Tambor was excellent in the movie. Bobo had a great role too, and it's that movie that made him one of my favorite characters. The only things I didn't really like in MFS was: no original songs and lack of Scooter, Rowlf, and Elec. Mayhem (although they all had a line or two).