140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
May be no better than 3rd in the trilogy, but considering the quality of the series, that’s not bad. A little cutesy – not a deal-breaker…
Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Muppets Take Manhattan:
The Muppets Take Manhattan was the first of the film series that I didn’t see in theaters. I don’t think there was any particular reason to avoid – I continued to love the Muppets pretty consistently from childhood to whatever I’m in now. I suspect that the reason my family never got to it was due to the extremely prolific output of Summer 1984. There were just so many good movies, and this just wasn’t unique enough to make much of an impression. It wasn’t even the best movie that came out that day. (Bonus points if you know what was! Hint: I’m reviewing it tomorrow…)
If the movie didn’t do as well as its predecessors, the filmmakers could hardly complain. This was the 3rd Muppet film in 5 years, and oversaturation was sure to be a factor. Coupled with the stiff competition that summer, including some huge franchises, an old-timey show tune piece with actors like Art Carney was pretty lucky to do as well as it did.
And that is part of the problem with The Muppets Take Manhattan – it’s just a little tired, a little uninspired. The story features an amnesia plot, for goodness sake. You know you’re scraping the bottom with a bucket when you tread out that old yarn.
The movie is sandwiched between The Dark Crystal & Labyrinth, both more creatively rewarding projects for Henson, et al, and I have to wonder if this was more of an obligation picture. It’s certainly written like one: main characters are big puppets on campus, go to the big city, struggle, disband, get big break, reunite, amnesia, recovery, happy days are here again.
The non-Muppet cast are exclusively from the odd sock drawer of Hollywood, complete unknowns, and the cameos aren’t really any better. I know it was the mid-80’s, but these are some seriously weak walk-ons. (Note: my exhaustive research produced the nugget that Dustin Hoffman was to head up a group of A-listers participating in the film but he bailed out at the last minute – something he is infamous for – and when he split, they all followed. Not for nothing is Michael/Martin Weir character in the book and film Get Shorty based on that prima donna.)
So with all that said, I must really dislike the picture, yes? No, not at all. It’s a good movie. It’s just not as good as the first two. But when I tell you that I LOVED the first two, you can understand that I’m not insulting The Muppets Take Manhattan.
The music is mostly really good, with the opening number “Together Again” the standout. Sesame Street writer Jeff Moss was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the picture. “Saying Goodbye” is also surprisingly moving.
While the movie doesn’t contain any show-stopping scenes of puppetry, such as the bicycle ride in The Great Muppet Caper, it does have a whole sequence with the Muppet Babies. You may choose to view this as a good or bad thing, since they were so popular that it launched a cartoon that lasted for six years…
The Muppets Take Manhattan is a very good kids picture. It really doesn’t excel beyond that unfortunately, but it’s only by comparison to the previous films that it can be viewed negatively. It is notable as the first film solely directed by Frank Oz and the last of a very good trilogy. By the time we’d see the Muppets in theaters again, Jim Henson would no longer be with us. So enjoy this last ride with a visionary…
Poster:
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/CHMXd7MBxT8
Bechdel Test:
Pass, if you count female pigs voiced by men. Actually, never mind – fail.
The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)
(http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)
| Main Cast | Jim Henson Kermit the Frog/Rowlf/Dr. Teeth/Waldorf/Swedish Chef/Ernie/Granny/Horse & Carriage Rider/Link Hogthrob/The Newsman (voice), Frank Oz Miss Piggy/Fozzie/Animal/Bert/Cookie Monster/Ocean Breeze Soap Board Member/Sam the Eagle (voice), Dave Goelz Gonzo/Chester the Rat/Bill the Frog/Zoot/Beauregard/Jim the Dog/Dr. Bunsen Honeydew/Penguin (voice), Steve Whitmire Rizzo the Rat/Gill the Frog/Baby Kermit/Chicken/College Student in Audience/Dog (voice) |
| Rating | G |
| Release Date | Fri 13 Jul 1984 UTC |
| Director | Frank Oz |
| Genres | Comedy, Family, Musical, Romance |
| Plot | Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it’s a more difficult task than they anticipated. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 94 |
| Tagline | |
| Writers | Tom Patchett (story) &, Jay Tarses (story) … |
| Year | 1984 |
