The Muppet Movie (1979)

 

Genre: Family/Musical            Time:1h  37mins            Director: James Frawley

Quick summary: Kermit the Frog sets out to pursue a career in Hollywood along with his muppet friends. However, he must evade the owner of a frog-leg restaurant who wishes to kill him.

How could you not adore this film, it's wonderful and full of joy! I couldn't ask for a better film to capture the essence and charm of the Muppets.

It’s got their silly, surreal sense of humor. It showcases Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear’s wholesome friendship, the absolutely great sing-worthy songs, and hectic montages. Even though they are literally Puppets, they show so many emotions and all have their own distinct personalities, you forget that they aren't actually real.

This is one of the best family films, seriously, as Jim Henson includes a lot of jokes for both kids and adults and I honestly really liked that. They're simply so silly too, like one where Fozzie goes, "Oh there's a fork in the road" and Kermit responds casually by saying "oh just turn left"; as the camera pans it shows there is literally a fork in the road. It's effortlessly funny and it's just so purely charming. 

I am in awe of the amount of effort that was put into the practical effects, which is why I will always adore Jim Henson and Frank Oz. You can see how much love they put into the Muppets and the film really reflects this. They manage to bring the characters to life and go to lengths to make this film so visually enjoyable, down to slapstick comedy, silly reactions, and physical gags. 

There is the iconic scene where Kermit plays "Rainbow Connection" and he's sat on a log in a swamp. It turns out Henson was sitting in a watertight compartment and communicating with the rest of the crew via walkie-talkie, and that Kermit's hands on the ukelele were animated by remote control. Now if that doesn't show the passion towards these creatures, then I don't know what will make you watch this film.

Perhaps my favorite part of the movie is its self-awareness. In the beginning, the whole lot of Muppets gather in a small studio screening room to see the movie they've made about themselves. Watching them all interact in that tiny space just goes to show the attention to detail that was paid by Henson and his crew. There must be two dozen Muppets in that one scene. Each of them is doing something uniquely fitting to their character. At times it feels like chaos, but good chaos. It really shows how much they are a group of oddballs. It's supposed to look like that anyway, but in reality the amount of puppeteering cooperation that went into those scenes is astounding.

10/10

"Kermit : Where did you learn to drive?

Fozzie : I took a correspondence course."

"Kermit: Bear left.

Fozzie: Right frog."

"I guess I was wrong when I said I never promised anyone. I promised me."