The Muppet Movie (1979)

To celebrate the UK release of the new film ‘The Muppets’, I’ve decided to go over all the Muppet films from the past, with the exception of ‘A Muppet Christmas Carol’ and ‘It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie’ for obvious reasons. And what better way to start than with ‘The Muppet Movie’!

Here we find Kermit living peacefully in his swamp, before a Hollywood agent (Dom DeLuise) just happens to pass by and says Hollywood is looking for frogs to audition and become rich and famous. Kermit decides to go, and along his journey he meets up with the likes of Fozzy, Gonzo and Miss Piggy, and also the film’s villain Doc Hopper (Charles Durning).

First of all, yes, I think the basis of the plot is a bit too convenient. I mean, how many Hollywood agents go rowing in a swamp in Florida on the day that they have a plane to catch? But then again, this is a Muppet movie, they don’t take it seriously. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good thing. It makes the film more family friendly and much more comedic. Believe me, if a film after so many years can still make you laugh, it’s God damn funny. The songs are pretty good as well.

This film is essentially a road trip, but that’s the beauty of it. It follows a group of puppets and their dream, it follows the struggle and hardships of Kermit and his friends. You get a real sense of joy when they finally get to Hollywood, walk in to see Lew Lord (A nice little reference to Lord Lew, the man who green lighted the Muppets), and instantly get the standard ‘rich and famous’ contract. Yes, they literally just walk in and get the contract. Convenient.

But, like I said, there are hardships, in the form of Doc Hopper. This man can’t take a hint! Hopper wants Kermit to advertise his frogs-legs restaurant chain, which Kermit says no to because, well, it’s sick, but Hopper follows him across the country trying to change his mind. He even hires a frog killer and kidnaps Miss Piggy to force him to do it. It takes Animal growing larger than a house to finally scare him away. But Charles Durning does a fantastic job as Hopper, and his on-screen chemistry with Max, played by Austin Pendleton was equally as good.

The cameos are pretty decent too, we have the likes of Bob Hope, Elliot Gould, Steve Martin, Orson Welles, Dom DeLuise (Already mentioned), Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor. They do their roles really well, especially Steve Martin as the insolent waiter and Mel Brooks and the mad German scientist who sews people arse-to-mouth. I mean, brainwashes frogs. Have you noticed that most evil scientists appear to be German?

 

Oh, I almost forgot, this is a film in a film. The Muppets have gone to watch how the Muppets were formed. And it’s a pretty cool idea, you can see where ‘Gremlins 2’ got the idea of the movie being disrupted. The fourth wall jokes are pretty good too.

Nowadays you get so many films using CGI all the time, and yet this film has some of the best effects I’ve seen, especially for the time. There’s Animal growing to a great height, there’s explosions, there’s guns and while I’m pretty sure that there’s a green screen somewhere, you can’t tell where it is. There might not have been one for all I know. That’s how good the effects were.

Now, despite this film being so good, there is one little thing that bothers me.

 

Jesus Christ! That is the single most scariest thing I have ever seen! I know it’s suppose to be Miss Piggy being angry, but my God!

But the best thing is, for a film that this June will be thirty-three years old, this film hasn’t dated at all. It is still superb in every little detail. The acting is great, the puppeteering is fantastic, the voicing is brilliant, everything is just perfect.

I don’t really know what else to say. What else can I say? This film is a pure masterpiece, it is a brilliant film for everyone to enjoy. If you haven’t seen the Muppets before now, this is a great film to start off with. So what are you waiting for? Go get it!

But coming up next, the 'Great Muppet Caper'!