In Search Of A Rainbow Connection

It's been a very rough week. It's been a rough week at home with stresses seeming to come from all sides at once. It's been a tough week here at work where various problems have had my days limping at less than full speed. I think I'm going to swing by Best Buy on the way home to meet up with some old friends. This past week Disney released the Blu-Ray version of The Muppet Movie - not the Muppet Movie of a few years ago - but the original Muppet movie from 1979, about 35 years ago. These are the Muppets lovingly guided by the hand (and voice) of Jim Henson. These are the Muppets of The Rainbow Connection, a group of characters with more humanity than most people I know.

 

Sometimes you just need a friend even if they are green, speak incoherent Swedish, or happen to be a narcissistic pig. Sometimes you just long for that wonderful rainbow connection in a world that seems pretty hard.

The Swedish Chef Promotes SportsCenter

It was only a matter of time. In what may be the widest stretch of Disney cross promoting its franchises (as they have a tendency to do) the Muppet's Swedish Chef has shown up on an ESPN SportsCenter promotional commercial. And its funny. Also appearing is New York Ranger's goalie Henrik Lundqvist who, as a Swede, may be the only person who can actually understand the ramblings of the temperamental chef. Disney owns the Muppets (and the Swedish Chef). Disney owns ESPN. As far as I know, Disney does not own Lundqvist.

Enjoy!

Muppets Shut Out Of Their Own Theater At Christmas

Now this irks me - which admittedly, isn't hard to do. For the last 6 weeks or so Disney has used the Muppet Theater in Disney California Adventure's Hollywood Land to promote Tim Burton's Frankenweenie movie, a movie few paying customers actually went to see. So here we are, heading towards the Christmas holidays, a time when Muppets shine with holiday spirit, and instead of putting the beloved puppets back in their own theater, Disney is going to use building to promote the Disney Channel's Prep and Landing TV show, which has something to do with Christmas, but I'm not actually sure what because I HAVE NEVER SEEN PREP AND LANDING, nor care to.

Now granted, the Muppets 3D movie shown in DCA, now over 10 years old, doesn't exactly pack in the audience anymore but whose fault is that? The movie is grainy and dated and just looks dull and worn in the age of sparkling digital prints. Guess what? Disney makes movies. They could have easily come with other Muppet adventures to rotate into what is a very nice theater. Instead we get Prep and Landing, cheaply made digital graphic animation over Muppets, endearing characters with hearts and souls and the touch of the human hand of real puppeteers.

Why did Disney even bother purchasing Jim Henson's Muppets? They have done so little with them. Disney made a new Muppet movie last year that was a moderate success. While the movie played in theaters, the Muppets were brought out of their closet and given an actual presence in the theme parks. When the movie passed on into home video land, Disney put the Muppets back into the closet where they are left, neglected. Far too busy with The Avengers and buying Star Wars characters to be concerned about something as trivial as Muppets. Guess what Disney? A lot of people still love the Muppets now decades after their glory days, and neglectfully ignoring their importance only serves to irk those who can still be counted on as loyal fans.

The Muppets: Music, Mayhem, Laughter, and Friendship

I really wanted to see The Muppets when it came out last Thanksgiving but for one reason or another, I just didn't get around to it.  It was released to DVD and Blu-Ray last Tuesday and after watching it here at home last night I now know that not seeing it in a theater was my loss.  It's a nice movie.  It's a kind movie.  It's happy movie.  You just can't say that very much about the movies anymore.  In a sense, The Muppets is an old-fashioned movie kind of like the Muppets themselves and they are the first to admit it.

You can tell The Muppets movie was made by people who care, especially Jason Segel who co-wrote the script with Nicholas Zoller. Segel (of TV's How I Met Your Mother) is also is the main star of the movie who isn't a muppet. What Segel and Zoller give is a wonderful opportunity to bring The Muppets (now owned by Disney) into the present while respecting and paying tribute to The Muppets created by the late Jim Henson more than 40 years ago. The movie serves as a bridge to see more of the Muppets in the future. Along the way, we remember, we laugh, we feel the warmth of getting the old gang back together once again. As for caring, I don't know of any character who cares more about everyone than a little green frog.

The movie isn't perfect. I wish the Chris Cooper (as the bad guy) and Jack Black characters were a little better written (which is a little ironic since Jack Black played himself) and Rashida Jones seemed a little our of place as a TV executive but most of the rest of the movie is a joy to watch complete with singing, dancing, and a lot of people seemingly enjoying what they do. A tip of the hat to Amy Adams (of Enchanted) who once again lights up the screen of a Disney movie reminiscent of the actresses of decades ago who could really sing and dance and put on a show. 

As you can tell, I really liked The Muppets. As you exit Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the Disneyland Opera House there is a wall of paintings and photographs that show people who provided a lasting vision that should always be remembered.  One of the largest pictures is that of Jim Henson and a groups of his friends who happened to be made from scraps of fabric. It's nice to know that Henson's Rainbow Connection continues to live on.

Jim Henson and friends at the Disneyland Opera House

A Merry Muppets Weekend

Disney released its first Muppets movie a few days ago (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving) and so far the response both from critics and audiences have been enthusiastically positive.  The Rottentomoes movie website gave The Muppets a 98% positive response from the critics and 92% positive response from the audiences.  It is projected to do well in the box office over the next few weeks during the Christmas holidays - not blockbuster, jaw-dropping type numbers but a very solid effort.  Compared to the upcoming Disney releases of John Carter on Mars and The Lone Ranger movies where the budgets have tipped over the $200,000,000 mark, the relatively mild $50 million spent on The Muppets seems like a bargain.

And what does 50 million get you?  Well for the majority of people who will go see the movie, its a chance to spend some time with some very old and dear friends born out of the creative imagination of the late Jim Henson and reintroduced to a new audience by longtime Muppet fan Jason Segel who co-wrote and and stars in the film.  I haven't seen the movie, hopefully I will get the chance in a few days but it is really something I look forward to.  In a world of high tech, special effect laden, CGI movies, the Muppets gives a chance to visit with very personable puppets - an art form that is almost forgotten in the modern world.  Whether drawn by hand or computers, the movies put out for children by Disney, Pixar, and other studios are animated whereas Muppet puppets are actual characters living in their own real world.  When it comes down to it, who wouldn't want to sit down have have a nice conversation with a friendly green frog?