A personal exploration of Disney media along with the chronicling of my many trips to Disneyland through the years. And while this is primarily a Disney and Disneyland blog, along the way I occasionally contribute writings on some other pop culture and media topics just for the fun of it. There are almost 800 posts to this blog. Click through the Archives and I hope you have a good time. Enjoy The Disneyland Traveler Blog (completely without ads or annoying attempts to sell you anything).
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 Oz promotional hot air balloon at Disney Studios A Disney Photo
Over the weekend, the promotional bandwagon blitz for Disney's upcoming movie Oz The Great and Powerful got ramped up on several fronts. An Oz playground opened in WDW. An Oz promotional hot air ballon made publicity appearances at both Disney Studios in Burbank and at the Disneyland Resort. An finally, once again, the Muppets have been kicked out of their own namesake theater in Disney California Adventure to make way for yet another "4D" preview of the new Oz movie as was done for TRON: Legacy and Frankenweenie. The DCA preview gives about 8 minutes worth of clips from the movie while fans blow wind in your face along with a few lighting effects. The preview will show in the Muppet Theater until the end of March. Oz The Great and Powerful officially opens March 8 though the red carpet premiere at Disney's El Capitan Theater in Hollywood has already taken place.
Interestingly enough MousePlanet's Bryan Pugh in a weekly Disneyland Resort Update (link) felt that the preview might be a little too intense for younger children. You can usually tell this when you are watching one of these shows and children begin to scream and cry and beg parents to get them out (happens often in It's Tough To Be A Bug). I can't blame the kids for wanting to get out. The original Wizard of Oz creeped me out as a kid, gave me nightmares, and I never could enjoy what is considered a film classic. I have zero desire to see Oz The Great and Powerful and Disney only hopes they do not have another potential John Carter bomb on their hands. The other side is nothing about Oz screams Disney and its hard for me at least to pair up the two logically.
MiceChat's Dateline Disneyland Andy Castro in his weekly park update (link) shows off some great photos of the balloon's appearance at the Disneyland Resort. Be sure to check it out even if you are someone like me who hates the movie idea but loves great memorable Disneyland images.
Oz The Great and Powerful Balloon as seen from DCA's Buena Vista Street A MiceChat Dateline Disneyland Photo (Andy Castro)
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.
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
I guess there are two kinds of people in this world. Those that like the Muppets and those that don't. Count me as a fan. The Muppets 3D attraction in Disney California Adventure presents a bit of a challenge. I like it. I like the humor, the whimsy, the understated jokes, the characters. I like the queue area and I even like the Muppets 3D film itself, but there lies the problem. Like a lot of the 3D efforts Disney has put in their parks, after so many viewings, the films get rather tiresome and in the case of the Muppets in DCA, even the exploding theater is now predictable.
On our last trip to Disneyland and DCA in March, Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I had just gotten out of Aladdin or off Monters Inc. when I asked her if she wanted to go in and see the Muppets. This had worked countless times before. The Muppets 3D is a no effort attraction - never a long wait, never very crowded, and they get people in and out quickly. But on this particular visit, Mrs. DLT said she had seen the Muppets enough and didn't really want to go in. I can't blame her I suppose but it probably did break my streak of seeing the Muppets at least once on every single one of our trips. It has gotten a bit long in the tooth but these are THE MUPPETS, personal friends.
There is hope. Rumor has it that a new digital Muppets 3D movie is on the way. Whether they'll update the old one or have a brand new film I don't know, but any update to the attraction would be appreciated by its scores of fans. And coming to save America when America really needs it - on November 23rd, Disney releases a brand new Muppet movie to the theaters. Here are a couple of trailers.
So Disney is resurrecting the Muppet franchise. Disney bought the Muppets (the Kermit Muppets not the Muppets of Sesame Street) back in 2004 from the heirs of Jim Henson after many years of negotiation. Let's hope Disney does these wonderful characters proud and gives them their proper due.
In 2011, Disney gave Muppet creator Jim Henson the honor of Disney Legend even though none of Jim's Muppet work was done under the Disney label. The honor was presented to the family of Jim Henson who Disney well compensated when they sold the rights to the Muppets to the Walt Disney Company. In reality, before he died unexpectedly in 1990 of a bacterial lung infection, Henson was trying to negotiate the Muppets distribution rights to Disney. He wanted Disney to handle the business end while he could concentrate his efforts on the creative side. The condition that caused Jim Henson's death was sadly treatable. He avoided going to the hospital before it got to be too late because, as the story goes, "he didn't want to bother anyone." A family of Muppets lost their creator. A generation of people lost a friend. The picture below is from the "dreamers" collection that graces the Disneyland Opera House.
