Columbia Pictures, Rated G
Directed by Tim Hill
Written by Jerry Juhl and Joseph Mazzarino and Ken Kaufman
The Muppet Movie, as pointed out by a recent PREMIERE magazine, is an underrated masterpiece. Eminently rewatchable, the movie works like the best muppets material does, on two different levels. There is humor that children and adults can appreciate equally. We are all well-acquainted with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and the rest (less so with the "new muppets" that have been foisted upon us in recent years). The sequels to the movie were also rather well-done but didn't quite have the same magic. A Muppet Christmas Carol was the first feature following Jim Henson's death and it was quite a good effort, if only Mickey Mouse and the rest had not gotten there first. Muppet Treasure Island, however, wasn't nearly as good.
Now the muppets are starting yet another comeback, no longer under the Disney moniker and they have set out, with Muppets from Space to recapture the old magic, the tried-and-true formula being putting the muppets in the present with many guest cameos (unfortunately, the closest they come to Orson Welles this time is two cast members from "Dawson's Creek;" their scene, however, is still rather amusing). The result is mixed but the muppets themselves can never completely fail. Gonzo is still a great comic creation and he takes center stage here, but there are plenty of the others to go around (at least the most-featured "new muppet" is a little shrimp and not the one with the dreadlocks which just comes across as a pathetic attempt at hipness, the main problem with this film). And the last great Henson creation, Rizzo the Rat is here too.
It seems Gonzo is having a big identity crisis (wouldn't you if you looked like him and had no idea what you were?). The question of his origins are solved here all too soon as we learn he is an alien. They could have a little more suspense on that but then again, look at the title. I love the muppets and they will never be what they once were when Henson was still alive. But you have to hand it to Brian Henson for giving it the old college try. I believe the muppets would truly be gone forever if the ingenious Frank Oz ever passed on. But he's still around, giving terrific performances as Gonzo, Fozzie and many others. The cameos here vary in effectiveness, stars must feel rather strange reacting to a piece of cloth with a hand inside, and it's a wonder anyone agrees to it, other than to make a movie their kids can see. I have heard stories of just how in-character the "muppeteers" are, letting their character completely take over. I have a lot of admiration for performers such as those, and even if Muppets in Space is an average muppet movie, that's more than enough for me. ***
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