"Muppets Most Wanted" 10 Years Later!

Hard to believe, but The Muppets latest theatrical feature film, Muppets Most Wanted, premiered 10 years ago today.

Below is our review from a decade ago and our thoughts 10 years later. 

 

Having seen it twice, the first a week before officially opening, and the second on a Thursday preview night, with two VERY different audiences.

The first was obvious filled with Muppet fans, and families familiar with the Muppets, the second, was a small group of your average movie goers who seem to have a passing interest with the Muppets, but not a LOVE for them. Both groups seem to enjoy the film and a heard different people laughing a different parts, which is why Muppets Most Wanted works so well, it's got something for everyone.

At first I wasn't a fan of the songs as a whole. I loved "We're Doing a Sequel" from the moment Disney released a preview and the "Interrogation Song" and "I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)" were standout in the film, but the others were just OK. Then I listened to the soundtrack a few times before seeing the film again and they all just come alive so much more with repeat viewings.

The movie is very funny too and I had a huge smile on my face throughout it , however, I have a few issues with the film that I think may be contributing to it's current hiccup at the box office. First off, it 's definitely a musical, and more "Broadway" then the last film, the jokes seem to more in the beginning of the movie, there's too much time spent with the gulag prisoners, Jermaine Clement, Ray Liota and Danny Trejo, and Hornswoggle may as well have gotten above then title billing they're featured so much, but my second biggest problem is the ending.

Spoiler Alert: The finale is set in the gulag while the Muppets are stuck (badly) to the wall and then pop off (badly) to sing an updated version of "Together Again." First, the produced already referenced this song twice in the previous film, and the "again" joke really only works if the movie kept it's original title "The Muppets Again." Disney marketing realized early on that it was a bad idea to market the film as a blatant attempt of doing the same things over again again. So why didn't someone at Disney stop them from doing this? Even if they sang it as a joke, and got heckled, much like Chris Copper does in the "Life's a Happy Song" encore, it could have worked, but they play it straight and it suffers accordingly. Again on the soundtrack it's fine, but in the movie it just feels very forced, and doesn't fit. They also decided to make a joke about Nadya having a solo in the song before it cut to "The End." The joke would have been funny if it were a running gag through the film. but as it stands Nadya has her own number in the pun filled "The Big House," so it doesn't really make sense, and ends the movie on a "huh?" note.

My problems with the ending don't end there, though. They producers thought it would be a good idea to showcase all the cameo performers again (BADLY) on the wall. They don't add anything and take a lot away. The awful CGI compositing overshadows all the good work done throughout the rest of the film. It may be over used during "I'm Number One", but it's used seamlessly in the roof top climax. Then after "The End" the credits appear over the London skyline (reminiscent of The Muppets take Manhattan), with CGI fireworks (like The Muppets), that turn into many of the most popular characters faces, similar to kaleidoscope ending from Muppets from Space. It's cute, but again the CGI is terrible and is very derivative. Too much "Again" not enough "Most Wanted," The end credit gags are thankfully a step in the right direction and there should have been more of that. Be sure to stay to the very end to see a tribute to Jane Henson and Jerry Nelson and a short Fozzie shout out similar to Animal's from The Muppet Movie.

If the ending is my second biggest problem, what's my first? Well, the first time I saw the film it was proceeded by The Muppets in a audience participation sing-a-long style screening. Even though I've seen The Muppets numerous times, it was during this screening that, thank to Bret McKenzie's cue cards, you could literally see how many "awww" moments there were. In Muppets Most Wanted there isn't a whole lot of them. In fact for all the funny moments, fantastic songs, and amazing production values (save for the CGI), there's very little heart. The move has a coldness that I kept hoping it would redeem at song point, but by the time "Together Again" happens it's too late and feel cheap.

Now, again most reiterate that I liked this movie. It's fun, funny, exciting, has some legit action sequences, amazing puppetry, great songs, and the Muppet performers are once at the top of their game.

If you haven't yet, go see Muppets Most Wanted if you have, go see it again. There's something for everyone, next time, more heart, less bad CGI.

Now our review - 10 years later.

Ten years later, "We're Doing a Sequel", the "Interrogation Song" and "I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)" are all still standouts. 

And I still abhor the finale. The "together again, again" song, the characters on the gulag wall, and the truly terrible CGI fireworks were bad then and have not aged well.

There's still something missing (yes, that's a nod to The Muppets Take Manhattan) but the good news is it seemed like the producers/director agreed. So much so that when the film was released on home video, "The Unnecessarily Extended Edition" was included. 

While  "The Unnecessarily Extended Edition" doesn't fix the ending or terrible CGI, it does add more short moments from characters that otherwise get a little to no other screen time in the theatrical release, and scenes that add context and background to jokes. 

I much prefer the "The Unnecessarily Extended Edition" to the theatrical release. You can read about all the differences here and watch them below. 

Unfortunately, it's not available on Disney+ but you can order it from Amazon.
Note: we are an Amazon partner and funds help support the blog. 

So, if you plan to revisit the film for the anniversary, I highly recommend going the "Unnecessarily Extended" route.

Happy 10th Anniversary, Muppets Most Wanted. Hard to believe it's been 10 years already, but hopefully we won't have to wait another decade for another theatrically released Muppet film. 

The Muppet Show Comes (Somewhat) to Disney+!

After long-delayed DVD's and much hype about the "Complete series" of The Muppet Show coming to Disney+ it seems we still have to wait a bit more.

Let's take a looks at The Muppet Show's first day on Disney+.

Ominous Warning.

Update:

18 episodes start with the warning below:

"This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now," the disclaimer reads. "Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.

Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. 

To learn more about how stories have impacted society visit: www.Disney.com/StoriesMatter."

Those episodes are:

Jim Nabors, Joel Grey, Steve Martin, Peter Sellers, Cleo Laine, James Coco, Spike Milligan, Crystal Gayle, Kenny Rogers, Beverly Sills, Jonathan Winters, Alan Arkin, James Coburn, Joan Baez, Debbie Harry, Wally Boag, Marty Feldman, and Johnny Cash.

The Confederacy is no laughing matter

Random Order:

The episodes don't appear to be air date or production order. 

Useless Mini-Descriptions:

Each episode states "The Muppets Welcome..." under each thumbnail that already list the gest star. 

However, once you click into each episode a more descriptive synopsis appears.

No Extras:

We though maybe Disney would include the Muppet Show Valentine Show and Sex & Violence pilots like they did on the DVD sets or possibly Of Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show but they, as yet, have not been added. 

Other previously released extras like the episode promos, "The Muppets on Muppets""Keep Fishin'": Weezer music video, "The Muppets on Puppets" - documentary, A Company of Players" - featurette on the Muppeteers, "Muppet Commercials" - four Purina Dog Chow commercials, are also not included. 

Incomplete Episodes:

Us staring down the execs who edited/
omitted episodes of The Muppet Show

Bernadette Peters:
(Episode complete on Season 2 DVD set)

A scene where Robin tells Kermit all about his idea to sing "They Call the Wind Maria," but Kermit wants him to sing a "cute little song" instead.

He then sing "I'm Five" which has also been cut:

Don Knotts:
(Episode complete on Season 2 DVD set)

The entire closing number where Don Knotts & Electric Mayhem perform "Lullaby of Birdland."

Cheryl Ladd:
(Episode complete on Season 3 DVD set)

The UK Spot with Scooter singing "There's A New Sound"

Danny Kaye:
(Episode complete on Season 3 DVD set)

The UK Spot with a Jogger sings "Jogging,"

Roger Miller:
(Episode complete on Season 3 DVD set)

The UK Spot where a bar full of Muppets sing "Down at the Old Bull And Bush."

Anne Murray:

Beauregard singing “Dancing on the Ceiling”

Tony Randall:

Tony singing “Ti-Pi-Tin” as well as Kermit's intro.

James Coburn:

A UK Spot in which Kermit compliments Betsy Bird on the dance she did in the last sketch. He asks if she has any other dances. Betsy says she could wing something and signals for the band to play" Bird Walk."

Wally Boag:

Two Whatnots sing "a very special lullaby in gibberish" .... "The Ying Tong Song."

Buddy Rich:

The UK Spot with A group of Muppets sing" A Transport of Delight" while riding a double-decker bus.

Hal Linden:

Hal and Robin sing :If We Ruled the World" before Gonzo interrupts.

Marty Feldman:

During the "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" final Fozzie shouting "Open Sesame" the Sesame Street emerges signing the “Sesame Street Theme."

If edited episodes weren't bad enough there are a few episodes missing entirely! 

Missing Episodes:

The Kaye Ballard*, Brooke Shields, and Chris Langham episodes are missing even though the Kaye Ballard* episode - which is where the band quits - was previously release uncut on the season one DVD. 

Newsflash: The Kay Ballard* episode *was* missing!

Anyone seen the substitute guest for our IRL missing guest star? 

Curiouser and Curiouser.. why is was this not included?

UPDATE: We've been told that in Europe the Kaye Ballard episode is available, but the John Denver and Spike Milligan episodes are missing.

* UPDATE: The Kaye Ballard episode is now available in the US!

Also has anyone else noticed that the Muppets Collection is now gone though?

Before...

Current

Update:

Unexpended Endings!:

Unexpectedly each episode ends with Henson Television AND Muppets Studio title cards. While the footage of Zoot no longer has the Muppets Holding Company copyright over it. 

That's what we've found so far, but we'll update the post if anything else is "found."

The somewhat complete series of The Muppet Show is now streaming on Disney+.

Street Gang: A Review

This past weekend Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street finally made it’s debut via the Sundance film Festival. For those that may not be aware, this film has been in the making since 2016 when it was first announced, then part of a Indiegogo crowd sourcing campaign.

When the filmmakers first announced the film it was going to be a whole story about the entire run of Sesame Street and it  was going to have "original animation, 3D photo conversions, original music and A rebuild that Season One set!“ None of those flourishes are present in the final version and the film is better for it. 

Instead of gimmicks, the film based on Michael Davis' book, uses archival and current interviews interspersed with never before seen footage and behind-the-scenes shenanigans to really capture the spirit and heart of the show of how the show came to be, the first few seasons and it's legacy. 

There are so many heartwarming stories about Jim Henson, Joe Reposo John Stone, and Joan Ganz Cooney that, even if you’ve heard the stories before, they feel new and like you’re part of the family.

The film will make you laugh, cry, and feel loved, often simultaneously. Just like Sesame Workshops mission the film is unapologetic in letting you know the power that progressive social change can bring to the world.

To put it simply from the very beginning it’s two hours you do not want to end. 

The use never released outtakes with the characters were they sometimes use some well colorful language (for the Sesame characters anyway) was a surprise and a delight as you got to see the performers really shine. 

While there are a few brief clips of the show today, they mention or interview any of the current cast, or really anyone that wasn't there before 1981. 

If I had one gripe, it would be the credits. Full disclosure: I was was one of the many initial backers of the film. They thank a ton of people, including the financiers, but not a single mention of the fans that helped support the film from the beginning. 

While the film does not have an official release date it was purchased by HBO and is set to debut sometime on HBO and HBOmax sometime this year.

I hope since Street Gang was at Sundance, that qualifies the film for an Oscar, as I could see it easily being a contender for best documentary. 

This review of Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street was brought to you today by the letter a A, for A+. 

Insight Editions Re-releases The World of Dark Crystal!

This fall Insight Editions is releasing Fraggle Rock: The Ultimate Visual History, but that's not the only Henson book they're releasing in 2020. 

Insight Editions also just re-released The World of Dark Crystal and were kind enough to send us a copy. 

The official description is below:

The World of The Dark Crystal invites fans to delve into the creation and lore of the Jim Henson classic through the evocative illustrations of Brian Froud, concept designer on the original film.

 

Since its original release in 1982, Jim Henson’s brilliant film The Dark Crystal has gone on to become a beloved cult classic. The World of Dark Crystal—the original companion art book to the film—was created by Henson and internationally renowned artist Brian Froud to showcase the gorgeous conceptual artwork created for the film and delve deeper into the lore that underpins Thra, the magical world at the heart of the film.

 

Now, for the first time in over a decade, The World of Dark Crystal is back in print, featuring an abundance of striking art and all of the bonus material from the 2003 Collector’s Edition. Also included in this exclusive volume is a fascinating essay by Froud on the creative process behind the making of the film and a facsimile of a booklet presented to the film’s early backers—a gorgeous overview of the story so rare only a few original copies exist.

Beautiful, imaginative, and powerful, The World of The Dark Crystal celebrates the landmark fantasy film that continues to win new fans more than three decades after its release.

Below you can see a few photos from the book:

As mentioned above, this edition contains all the bonus material from the 2003 Pavilion Books Collector’s Edition, so we thought we'd take a look and see how this addition compares to not only to the last release, but the original 1982 version from Alfred A Knopf, Inc. as well.

While the most notable differences are between the 2003 release and the original 1982 version, there a few minor changes from the 2003 version to Insight Editions' release.

The first difference is the slight coloring change of the cover, which has warmer tones then the 2003 cover.

Insight Editions and Pavilion Books covers

In addition, the front and back cover flaps have also been slightly changed, reflecting the new price and a few other changes: 

Insight Editions front flap

Insight Editions back flap

Pavilion Books back flap

The title page has also been changed to reflect the new publisher:

Insight Editions

A new opening paragraph to the right of the painting has been added from the original release, and has been slightly updated again from the 2003 version. Insight Editions publishing information and their social media links are also new.

Insight Editions 2020

One of the biggest surprises though was seeing The Jim Henson Company logo still had Kermit. While the previous version was released before the sale of The Muppets to Disney in 2004, the 2020 version retains the Kermit head with no mention of Disney. 

Insight Editions 2020

The introduction page changed little between the latest version and the 2003 release, but below you can see it compared to the original:

Insight Editions 2020

Alfred A Knopf, Inc. 1982

It's might be hard to tell from these photos, but this illustration of Aughra seems to have been darkened in both the 20023 and 2020 versions compared to the original release.  

Insight Editions 2020

Alfred A Knopf, Inc 1982

The wording on the back covers was also changed as well as the coloring of Aughra and the placement of the barcode. 

Insight Editions 2020 and Pavilion Books 2003 back covers

Here's how the two modern versions rear covers compare to the original: 

Insight Editions 2020, Pavilion Books 2003, and Alfred A Knopf, Inc 1982 back covers

J.J Llewellyn's The World of Dark Crystal continues to be an amazing must have reference for fans of The Dark Crystal the world over. 

Insight Editions reprint gives fans that may have missed out on the previous edition access to the previously book out of print book. The various changes also give hard core fans a reason to pick it again. 

Insight Editions' The World of Dark Crystal is available now at your local bookstore and through Amazon.