The Muppet Movie

Rating:
Summary: Never give up your dreams.
Review: A simple story with simple themes: Don't give up on your dreams; sharing your dreams brings you more friends to help you find your dreams. As early as 5th grade I would rewatch this movie, and each time reminds me to keep going an not give up. Yes, its got great songs, great lines, great cameos; but to me its message to not give up is what makes it such a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: Why is this movie not available?
Review: I can only imagine what it must have been like to sit in the 'pitch' meeting with Jim Henson re garding his 'muppet's' idea. "OK, there are these puppets, controlled by grown men, and there's a frog and a woman pig (that by the way knows karate) and they are in love..." I realize now what a genius Jim Henson was. Well anyway, 'Muppet Movie' is hilarious at times, very well-written, and Paul Williams' musical score ranks up there with 'The Sting' and 'Saturday Night Fever'. (How the HELL is this not available on CD?!!!!). The celeb cameos are spectacular (Rich Pryor, Dom DeLuise, Steve Martin, Milt Berle, Orson Welles, Mel Brooks, et al). And, in true Jim Henson form, the jokes are funny for kids and adults. Watch it and enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Creme de la Kermie.
Review: Mini review of one of my alltime 10 favorite films.

Many people question why this is on my top 10. I think the question is why is it not on theirs? This is pure entertainment for the whole family. It is a movie that works on all levels. The story is enchanting. The music is charming and whimsical. The muppetry is fantastic. It is hard to imagine a better opening to a movie than the rainbow connection sequence.

The movie is a cornucopia of awesome quotes. I think my favorite still remains: If frog's couldn't hop, I'd be gone with the Schwinn.

The cameo roles are excellent as well. Steve Martin excels as a put upon waiter. Dom Delouise is impressive as a hollywood agent adrift in a swamp and Mel Brooks steals the show as a german mad scientist.

Rating:
Summary: Better than a Bucket of Doc Hooper Frog Legs!
Review: I had the pleasure of introducing my two and half year old son to the magic of the muppets through DVDs of the original "The Muppet Show", the syndicated TV program, that I had watched and enjoyed, while growing up in the 1970s. He loved Kermit & company's surealistic, yet hilarious comedy and music, so the next logical step was to move on to the Muppet's various adventures on film. Luckily, the first DVD I bought was the original 1979 film, "The Muppet Movie". The plot is quite simple.In his hometown swamp, Kermit meets up with a lost and nervous agent (played by the ever hammy, Dom DeLuise) who informs him that a major Hollywood studio is looking for frogs with talent.Armed with a dream of making people happy through his dancing and singing, Kermit goes on a road trip to the West Coast to break into the movie biz. Along the way he picks up new found friends Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Miss Piggy (starting their long running, tumultuous romance), and the rock group, Dr.Teeth & the Electric Mayhem, who all share in dreams of Hollywood fame .Unfortunately, Kermit also gets the attention and ire of Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), a Col. Sanders knock-off, who wants to force our hero to be the spokesfrog for his fast food, frog legs chain, "alive or stuffed". What an adventure! This is a wonderfully entertaining film, which will appeal to both kids and adults alike. Its obvious, that Muppet creator, Jim Henson and his fellow performer, Frank Oz were at their creative peaks.The writing is sharp and never 'dumbed down' ("I think I've lost my way"..."Have you ever tried Hare Krishna?") and the musical numbers are well staged (including Kermit's now classic, "Rainbow Connection"). What's more the film is filled with entertaining cameos from 1970's Hollywood including Madeline Kahn, Richard Pryor, James Coburn, Mel Brooks, Elliot Gould, Steve Matin ETC. My son and I have now collected all the DVDs in the Muppet's cannon of films and we pretty much agree, that this movie is by far, the best of the lot! For great family entertainment get "The Muppet Movie"!

Rating:
Summary: Cute and Funny!
Review: This is a very cute movie and I'm so glad that I got to see it in movie theaters though at the time I was a teenager and didn't think I would like it because I thought it was just a movie for little children but I was pleasantly surprised with how funny this move was and this is the movie that made me enjoy watching these family type movies and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome movie but poor DVD quality
Review: I have this movie on vhs. It's an excellent movie if you want to find out how the muppets supposedly started. It's a must buy for true Muppets fans.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie--but what the HEY? Censorship!
Review: Plenty of other reviewers have already commented, correctly, on how low-quality the image is on this DVD. In an age when movies from the 50's are restored to crystal clarity, this treatment of a movie from 1979 is unacceptable. But another problem is that the movie just isn't very good either. Sure, we all love the Muppets. But look objectively at the movie itself. The plot about the villain trying to kill Kermit feels too nasty given the overall light tone of the film. The assassin brought in to shoot Kermit with a speargun is especially creepy. Of course, scary elements in kids' films have a long and respectable history. But here, they feel out of place. Another problem is the utterly moronic level of much of the dialogue and the extreme overacting. Yes, I know, it's a kids' film. But Disney has shown us how kids' movies can entertain adults as well. Although it has its moments, The Muppet Movie nevertheless features scene after scene of really lame dialogue, jokes, and plot points. A key example is Mel Brook's cameo as a German mad scientist. He enters the scene clicking his heels like a member of the Gestapo. Do we really need Nazi references in a Muppet movie, even if they are from Mel Brooks?

Rating:
Summary: Great, Stress-Relieving Entertainment
Review: The Muppet Movie is where the Muppets started! This magical tale can be watched over and over again and never get old. Here are some of the highlights of the film that keep me watching it:
- When Kermit first meets Fozzie Bear in a dingy cafe
- The wonderful songs, my personal favorite being the Electric Mayhem's "Can You Picture That?"
- Animal (reason enough, right?) the crazy drummer for the Electric Mayhem
- The road trip (makes you feel like you're on a trip too)
- MISS PIGGY, being herself (If you don't know who Miss Piggy is or have never watched a Muppet show you have GOT to buy this DVD just to see her!)

Those are just a few things I love about this show. I don't think you'll be dissapointed if you give the Muppets a chance! I also recommend all the other shows in the Muppet Feature Film series.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent movie, awful DVD
Review: THE MUPPET MOVIE is a classic. It is enjoyable by all ages. Sony Columbia's DVD release of THE MUPPET MOVIE does it little justice. On the plus side, a widescreen version of the film is offered, so the entire picture can be seen.

But, the bad things: This DVD has only one extra, a camera test. This is actually very entertaining, and a worthy special feature. Some Muppetisms and trailers are included, but they are not any good.

There is so much that could have been done for this DVD release. The picture quality is awful, scratches, dirt and grain are everywhere.

Where is the original theatrical trailer? Where is the TV special that promoted the film, "THE MUPPETS GO HOLLYWOOD"? Where are the audio commentary and interviews? If Columbia decides to re-release a Special Edition, I will be first in line.