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The Muppets (2011)

Utter utter brilliance.

All those parodies have been fun and some quarters getting their knickers in a twist over what the Muppets movie will actually be like and the theme of it has been hilarious as well.

Done well, parodies rock and these certainly did.
 
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That makes me feel better. My concern about the parody trailers was that too much movie "comedy" these days is based only on parody and reference and lacks substance of its own. So when the parodies were all there was in the promotional material, I was afraid that, well, the parodies would be all there was in the film itself. But the full trailer reassured me that The Muppets is telling a real story of its own rather than just referencing things all over the place, and this trailer reassures me that the filmmakers recognize that parody has its limits.
 
Team Broccoli said:
^ I take it you didn't like the parody trailers.
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It's not as simple as that. As I just said, my concern was that too many movies these days think that parody/reference alone constitutes humor, and I was afraid that might be true for this film. In and of themselves, the parody trailers were cute, but they weren't enough by themselves to make me optimistic that this would be a worthy Muppet movie. A number of Muppet productions in recent years have been disappointing, because it's not easy to fill the shoes of Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl. The recent trailers have done much to reassure me.
 
I agree, Christopher. I think my problem with them is that I didn't get many of the references mainly because I wasn't familiar with what they were parodying. I felt the trailers were better when they weren't referencing those but instead were just being original. Their self-parody of the first trailer was good though.
 
This article has me a bit concerned. Apparently some of the old guard in the Muppets troupe object to someone of the decisions made for this movie.
 
Sci said:
This article has me a bit concerned. Apparently some of the old guard in the Muppets troupe object to someone of the decisions made for this movie.
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I read that article about a week ago, and honestly, it really feels like the Old Guard (for lack of a better term) is getting all "these are not my Muppets, so get off my lawn."

One Muppet "insider" is quoted as complaining about the "fart shoes" joke, as though Fozzie has never used whoopee cushions, ever. The entire point of that gag is how terrible Fozzie is at making jokes and that fart jokes are awful and it is an awful joke. And that he's so proud of it is exactly why it is funny. Like Fozzie doesn't have an entire room full of whoopee cushions, joy buzzers, and chattering teeth somewhere within the Muppet Theatre.

Frank Oz is the only one of the "Muppet old guard" quoted in the article itself who is named outright, and he apparently turned down working on the film long before the script was looked over and revised with suggestions from other old Muppet hands, as well as noted genius John Lasseter. (Oz also came up with the Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made concept alongside Henson and Juhl, which is almost certainly the other script referred to in the article, so there's always the possibility that there might also be a bit of resentment there that Segel's idea was chosen over Oz's.)
 
Well, now I'm a bit worried again. Then again, I'm not sure what to make of the source. Is The Hollywood Reporter a trustworthy journal or more of a gossip rag? I note that it didn't actually ascribe names to most of the insiders it quoted, which seems rather noncommittal.
 
The Hollywood Reporter is a reputable media outlet. I wouldn't worry about what others think of the movie going into it. One should care about their own opinion about a film and not allow reviewers or anyone else to cloud that opinion.
 
Timby said:
Sci said:
This article has me a bit concerned. Apparently some of the old guard in the Muppets troupe object to someone of the decisions made for this movie.
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I read that article about a week ago, and honestly, it really feels like the Old Guard (for lack of a better term) is getting all "these are not my Muppets, so get off my lawn."

One Muppet "insider" is quoted as complaining about the "fart shoes" joke, as though Fozzie has never used whoopee cushions, ever. The entire point of that gag is how terrible Fozzie is at making jokes and that fart jokes are awful and it is an awful joke. And that he's so proud of it is exactly why it is funny. Like Fozzie doesn't have an entire room full of whoopee cushions, joy buzzers, and chattering teeth somewhere within the Muppet Theatre.

Frank Oz is the only one of the "Muppet old guard" quoted in the article itself who is named outright, and he apparently turned down working on the film long before the script was looked over and revised with suggestions from other old Muppet hands, as well as noted genius John Lasseter. (Oz also came up with the Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made concept alongside Henson and Juhl, which is almost certainly the other script referred to in the article, so there's always the possibility that there might also be a bit of resentment there that Segel's idea was chosen over Oz's.)
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Those are all very good points. I'm not willing to dismiss Oz's concerns yet -- I'll decide if I think they're valid once I see the film -- because I have entirely too much respect for him, but it's completely fair to point out that some of the "old guard" quoted anonymously may be viewing the past through rose-tinted glasses. And even that article notes that there are members of that dissenting old guard who think the new movie has really wonderful moments that capture the characters perfectly.

Bottom line: We'll see how it all turned out in a few weeks!
 
^ Indeed. I can't wait, haven't been this excited for a Muppet movie ever I don't think. They will also be appearing on an upcoming edition of Monday Night Raw which should be somewhat interesting lol.
 
I wouldn't dismiss Frank Oz's concerns, but from what i've seen and heard about this movie as well as Jason Seagal, I trust that he will be respectful. I love Jim Henson and I wouldn't want the Muppets disrespected at all. I do see the point about Kermit living in a mansion, but Fozzie making fart jokes/using whoopie cushions? Come on, I know Fozzie has made those kind of jokes before. We just have to wait and see. I seriously doubt this will be like I love You Man or Forgetting Sarah Marshal.
 
I have no concerns for this movie. Then again, I don't usually worry myself over a movie. I have better things to worry about.

Timby said:
I read that article about a week ago, and honestly, it really feels like the Old Guard (for lack of a better term) is getting all "these are not my Muppets, so get off my lawn."
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Yep. I particularly like the line how "Muppet veterans" were upset that the screenwriters made up a whole back story for the characters that was never there.

I can only go back and think about every other Muppet movie when they did the exact same thing.
 
^The objection wasn't to the fact that they made up a backstory at all, but to the nature of the particular backstory that was concocted, which the veterans reportedly considered out of character.
 
Team Broccoli said:
I have no concerns for this movie. Then again, I don't usually worry myself over a movie. I have better things to worry about.
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Yep. All of this, "I'm worried. Now I'm not. Now I am again!" ... I'm surprised people haven't given themselves whiplash.
 
Ghost of Toht said:
Yep. All of this, "I'm worried. Now I'm not. Now I am again!" ... I'm surprised people haven't given themselves whiplash.
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First off, let's not read too much into the expressions of worry. It's not like we're having full-blown panic attacks over this; it's just that we notice things that make us uncertain about whether the movie will turn out well.

Second, it's perfectly reasonable to change one's opinions as one gains more information. That's what one should do, rather than jumping to a single assumption and clinging to it rigidly no matter what further information comes along. Naturally none of us should lock ourselves into a firm conclusion about the film until we've actually seen it. But that doesn't mean we can't form tentative hopes, concerns, or questions about a future event based on advance information. There's nothing wrong with doing that as long as we keep our minds open to change as further information comes to light.
 
Of course people worry about how their favorite characters will be treated in a new movie or show. Why wouldn't they?
 
Christopher said:
^The objection wasn't to the fact that they made up a backstory at all, but to the nature of the particular backstory that was concocted, which the veterans reportedly considered out of character.
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My point still remains the same. If you look at any of the back stories for any of the films, they all can look out of character (Kermit is a hillbilly living in the sticks, Kermit and Fozzie are twin brothers, Gonzo's an alien, etc). Then again, the movies never had any sense of continuity between them, and were mainly standalone, so the back stories varied to fit the film. This film seems no different. If anything, I like the idea that these characters have "fallen from grace", as it were, and the thrust of the film is for them to regain what they were. Besides, the idea (if true) of Kermit as some sort media mogul just sounds hilarious.
 
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