The Muppet Movie

Starring: Jim Henson (voice), Frank Oz (voice), Charles Durning, Austin Pendleton, Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, James Coburn, Dom DeLuise, Elliott Gould, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Orson Welles
Directed by: James Frawley
Rating: G
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
1979

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Kermit the Frog sets out for Hollywood to win his fame and fortune. Along the way, he meets a colorful cast of characters, and tries to escape a shady businessman (Charles Durning) determined to make him advertise his frog legs restaurant.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed the basic premise of The Muppet Movie. It took the famous creations of Jim Henson, and showed their origin. As expected, it all started with Kermit and his desire to chase down a dream. From this, we get a road trip adventure with the expected muppet humor. It's genuinely fun to see how Kermit meets the rest of the muppet gang. It's also fun to see the celebrity cameos along the way. While I didn't think this was exactly a great movie, it was a lot of fun and an enjoyable experience.

The movie is fun because we get the chance to watch Kermit slowly compile his friends one-by-one. We see Fozzie doing stand-up comedy, Gonzo as a salesman, Piggy doing beauty pagents, etc. It's entertaining to see how each of the muppets meet and why they decide to drop everything they're doing and follow Kermit. It really makes you impressed with that frog.

The celebrity cameos are pretty fun, too. Steve Martin was enjoyable as an obnoxious waiter. James Coburn was fun to see, but his part is way too small, only lasting a few seconds. Elliott Gould, Bob Hope, and Richard Pryor are wasted in miniscule, forgettable parts. I loved seeing Orson Welles, but was a bit bummed he only had one line. I also really liked Charles Durning as a Colonel Sanders-type character.

The movie also features some impressive musical numbers. The highlight has to be Kermit's opening number, "The Rainbow Connection", which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The movie also scored a nomination for Best Adaptation Score, whatever that was.

I did feel like The Muppet Movie could have been a bit funnier, but overall, it was still an enjoyable experience. The humor is a bit watered down because of the "G" rating, but kids will certainly enjoy the film. There's enough here for adults to enjoy it as well. While the first Muppet movie didn't set the world on fire, it's definitely a good movie, and that's not a bad start at all.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Great Muppet Caper