The Muppet Movie - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition

The Muppet Movie - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition
Jim Henson vaulted Kermit, the famous floppy-armed frog, and his Muppet pals to the big screen with this charming 1979 musical adventure. Like the TV show that inspired it, Henson and director James Frawley playfully acknowledge movie clichés and conventions and allow the characters to address the camera in asides, like a Hope and Crosby road film for the 1980s. The ambitious singing frog decides to leave his swamp and conquer Hollywood, gathering a group of friends along the way (Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and more) and bumping into oodles of guest stars making tongue-in-cheek cameos (my favorite is the tip-of-the-hat appearance by Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy). Meanwhile, despicable fast-food king Charles Durning pursues Kermit, hoping to make him the spokesfrog for his Frogs-Legs restaurant franchise. Austin Pendleton costars as Durning's sad sack henchman while guest stars include James Coburn, Dom DeLuise, Madeleine Kahn, Steve Martin, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Elliot Gould, Orson Welles, and Big Bird. Paul Williams penned the bouncy, song-filled score. You'll believe a frog can sing! --Sean Axmaker
Customer Review: prepare the standard rich-and-famous contract
The Muppet Movie is full of humor that the whole family can enjoy and the plot moves along at a very good pace. This is a very entertaining film that will charm your kids and the child within you, too! The cinematography is particularly well done and the special effects are quite professional. When the action starts, we see Kermit The Frog singing about life in his swamp. Although he is happy there, he soon meets a Hollywood agent by chance who tells him that Hollywood is looking for talented frogs to audition to become stars--and very wealthy stars at that! Kermit can't resist temptation and so he starts his way to California. Along the way Kermit meets a host of the most popular Muppet characters. He encounters Fozzie The Bear, a stand-up comedian who isn't always all that funny but who has dreams of fame and fortune anyway. Kermit also falls in love at first sight with the glamorous Miss Piggy at a beauty pageant; and it's clear she feels the same for him. He meets musicians in a church who call themselves "The Electric Mayhem" and he also meets up with a dog that plays piano in a bar where the Muppets spend a night on their journey. But all is not smooth for Kermit and his friends. Their car breaks down--and the second one breaks down, too! How will they get to California? All through the movie look for special guest star cameos by the likes of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Orson Welles, Milton Berle, Steve Martin, Dom DeLuise and more. There's also the very menacing and potentially deadly enemy Kermit encounters, Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) with his sidekick and chauffeur Max (Austin Pendleton). It seems that Doc Hopper owns quite a few restaurants that serve frogs legs and if Kermit doesn't become the "spokesfrog" for the advertising campaign Doc Hopper intends to have Kermit killed! Will they all make it in time for the auditions in Hollywood? How will Kermit keep away from Doc Hopper? What about Kermit and Miss Piggy--will they stay in love or is it just a passing fling? No spoilers here, folks--watch the movie and find out! Unfortunately, the transfer from video to DVD is less than perfect. In fact, it's not good at all. The picture is rather grainy and that is such a disappointment. We do get some stock footage of director Jim Frawley's "screen tests" for these Muppets; but the footage is again very poor quality. The "Muppetisms" are also rather superfluous. I'm taking off a star for all this! I also read that other reviewers are upset with some editing out of Kermit ordering a drink in a bar; I agree with these reviewers that they didn't have to cut this small part out of the picture. Overall, The Muppet Movie is something you can enjoy with your family; and it's just the right length for most kids older than five or six to sit through it without getting restless. The songs are excellent and despite the poor transfer to DVD it's worth it to have this DVD in your collection especially if you have kids who would appreciate this type of film.
Customer Review: Still Funny after all these years
I first saw this movie in the theaters as a teenager, I took my little brothers and sister to see it and it was so good we stayed in the theater for a second showing. My friends and I that watched it when it arrived were all laughing and enjoyed the movie immensly. Something this good never goes out of style.