Movie Review: The Muppet Movie (1979) · 3:20am Jun 28th, 2020
Hello everyone! Good God, it's been a long, long time since I last did a movie review, huh?
I apologize for that. I know that it's probably not interesting for everyone, but it's just something I like to do. And I have gotten some interesting responses or conversations out of these reviews I do, so I like to continue with them. Just been kinda busy, or distracted I suppose, over the past few weeks. But I decided to shake the dust off my boots, such as it were, and share my thoughts about another movie that I've seen and wanted to talk about!
And what better way to start than with something classic?
Admittedly, I'm not an uber-fan of The Muppets. I had a VHS collecting some of their songs as a kid, and had seen them in a few movies, either in full or certain scenes. The Muppet Christmas Carol is my personal favorite adaptation of A Christmas Carol, just a really wonderful film in so many ways 
But I'd never seen the *first* theatrical effort made by Jim Henson's colorful troupe of puppet characters: The Muppet Movie. Fortunately I was able to find a DVD on the cheap and popped it in to watch, all the way back in September of 2019...
And I had a great time! 
The movie opens with the Muppets gathering at a private screening to watch a movie telling the story of how they all met. (Well, approximately so, as Kermit admits to his nephew Robin.)
The story itself begins in a Florida swamp, with Kermit the frog playing his banjo as he sits on a log and sings "The Rainbow Connection." I'd often heard about the song, but actually this was my first real time listening to it in full, and I have to say, it is a really wonderful sequence all in all! The lyrics are surprisingly bittersweet, but ultimately the end result is a wonderfully moving experience.
Kermit is met by a talent agent, Bernie (played by Dom DeLuise), who encourages him to pursue a career in show business. Inspired by the idea of making millions of people happy, Kermit sets out on a trip to get to L.A. to try and break into the world of entertainment. However, the little green guy is soon in trouble, as he runs afoul of unscrupulous restauranteur Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), who wants Kermit to be the mascot/spokesman of his frog legs business... and he won't take "no" for an answer.
Kermit finds a friend when he runs into struggling standup comic Fozzie Bear, and the two set out on the road in Fozzie's old Studebaker. After a road trip (set to the delightful song "Movin' Right Along," with plenty of great gags including a cameo from Big Bird!) the two wind up turned around and crash, ending up meeting the rock band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Kermit and Fozzie explain the situation to them (courtesy of literally giving them the movie's script - one of many great meta-jokes in the film) and the band help them by redecorating their car - to Fozzie's delight and Kermit's exasperation. 
Kermit and Fozzie pick up another member of their group on the road, Gonzo, and his chicken girlfriend Camilla. After trading in the failing Studebaker at a used car lot (overseen by a sleazy salesman played by Milton Berle), the Muppet gang are on the road again; a quick stop at a county fair has them meet Miss Piggy, who quickly falls hard for Kermit, and vice-versa.
The group continues to face trials, both in the form of Doc Hopper's efforts to get Kermit, and in just plain old bad luck. Other Muppets who show up along the way range from Rowlf the Dog (playing the piano at a restaurant), to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his luckless assistant Beaker (trying to create great inventions in an old ghost town). Cameos abound throughout the story; be it Bob Hope, Richard Pryor and Ed Bergen as various characters throughout the county fair scene, to Steve Martin as a delightfully snarky waiter, Mel Brooks as a mad scientist, or even Orson Welles himself as studio executive Lew Lord, this movie is packed with a variety of clever and entertaining character bits to go with the Muppet performers.
The story finally comes to a head when Kermit, pushed to the edge of his patience with Doc Hopper, finally confronts the greedy entrepreneur to try and settle matters once and for all. For anyone who hasn't yet seen the movie, I won't spoil how the conflict with Hopper is wrapped up, but I will say that it involves quite a BIG surprise in some ways... XD
The Muppet Movie is, in my opinion, a delightfully charming picture. From the very opening with the characters arriving to watch their own movie, to seeing Kermit perform "The Rainbow Connection," I was in short order hooked by a lot of the film's use of witty humor and also, a special kind of heart too. There's a plethora of silly puns and some good slapstick humor, plenty of fourth-wall breaking too (one of my favorite moments being Kermit's aside to the audience, "I hope you appreciate that I'm doing my own stunts" after he narrowly avoids being squashed), but it is also just a very enjoyable and engaging story about chasing one's dreams and has plenty of softer moments to go with the zany puppet antics. As I've said before, Kermit's song at the start of the movie is quite touching, but Gonzo also gets a rather introspective musical number of his own, "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" wherein the bizarre-looking Muppet wonders if there'll be a place where he belongs.
If I had to pick a real dramatic high point of the film, I'd probably name this scene in the movie where Kermit - despairing of ever getting to L.A. in time for the audition - has a sort of conversation with his conscience, where he goes from down in the dumps to finally getting his spirits back up. It's just a very nice scene, and a great performance from Jim Henson.
The puppet work in this film is top-notch. I legitimately gasped out loud in delight, at one of the movie's signature moments, seeing Kermit ride a bicycle in full view. It's a delightful sequence to watch and still holds up incredibly well today, all these decades later, and was just one of many moments that made watching the movie so much fun.
All in all, if you're looking for a nice family movie with some sophisticated humor, and legit heart, to pass an afternoon with, you really can't go wrong with The Muppet Movie.
I'm curious to know what you'll think of Muppets Most Wanted.
This movie was a big part of my childhood. I'm shocked every time I meet someone who hasn't seen it.
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Oh yeah, that one. To be honest I haven't seen it or the Muppet movie before that. I don't have an objection to it, mind, but I just never saw it.
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I can understand why. I'd seen the trailer many times growing up, but within the first five minutes of the movie itself had me bitterly regretting that I'd never looked it up before then. XD
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Fair. I think you'd like it. Much as I've enjoyed Muppets Treasure Island, Most Wanted and Christmas Carol, if I was ever bothered to watch this movie, I have little doubt that I'd enjoy it quite a bit.