The Muppet Movie So Bad Disney+ Won’t Touch It
I’m often tempted to blame the Muppets’ slow descent into mediocrity on Disney. But if I’m being honest with myself, the Muppets were in decline for years before Mickey got his pristine white gloves on them. Muppets from Space is proof of that.
Muppets From Space
Muppets from Space isn’t a bad movie. It’s just not very good. Instead of inspired lunacy, the film shoots for groan-worthy jokes about aliens and dated cameos.
Yes, I know dated cameos are a Muppet movie staple, but Peter Falk guessing why Kermit’s sad in The Great Muppet Caper and getting it wrong has aged much better than the Dawson’s Creek kids showing up in character so Rizzo can flirt with Katie Holmes.
All I’m saying is there’s a reason Muppets from Space is on Hulu and not Disney+.
Muppets from Space was inspired by Gonzo’s hauntingly beautiful song “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday” from The Muppet Movie. The song is a heartfelt examination of the feeling like you belong somewhere you’ve never been. Somehow, that translated to Gonzo being an alien.
Taking The Metaphor Too Seriously
I’m sorry to be so glib, but it would be the same thing as writing a Muppet film where Kermit finds out he’s physically connected to people through rainbows.
There’s no easier way to kill a metaphor than taking it seriously. So yes, if you haven’t put two and two together yet, Gonzo is one of the titular Muppets from Space.
The movie revolves around Gonzo, who finally gets fed up with always being referred to as a “weirdo” or a “whatever.” As a result, the hook-nosed Muppet goes on a quest to find out where he’s from. The answer, apparently, is space.
Alien Movie Tropes
Meanwhile, Muppets from Space‘s b-plot involves a Men in Black-type organization hoping to contact the same aliens Gonzo is looking for. The organization abducts Gonzo and Rizzo, and the other muppets mount a rescue.
In the end, Gonzo meets his alien brothers and sisters but ultimately decides to stay on Earth with his “real” family, The Muppets. Roll credits.
I’d be willing to look past the movie’s cliched alien movie tropes if it had the usual Muppet charm. Sadly, it does not. I went to see Muppets from Space my senior year of high school and briefly wondered if I had outgrown the Muppets.
After re-watching The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan, I realized that no, I didn’t change—the muppets did.
No New Songs
I know I sound like that Simpsons meme: “Am I out of touch? No it’s the children who are wrong,” but in this case, it’s true. Jim Henson took the heart and soul of the Muppets with him when he died.
The Muppets could still produce magic like The Muppet Christmas Carol, but it would be interspersed with insincere crap like Muppets from Space.
Muppets from Space doesn’t even feature any original songs—the backbone of any great Muppet film. Instead, it settles for recycling old funk and R&B songs. That level of effort is on display throughout the movie.
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GFR SCORE
The movie was released on July 14, 1999, and grossed $22.3 million worldwide against a $24 million budget, making it a financial disappointment. Unsurprisingly, critics also didn’t love it.
To add insult to injury, the movie marks the last time Frank Oz would work on a Muppet project. The legendary puppeteer deserved to go out on a higher note than the movie where Fozzie Bear invents “fart shoes.”
Still, if you’re looking for something fairly toothless to watch with your children, there are certainly worse movies than Muppets from Space. Check it out for yourself on Hulu. Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy it more than 18-year-old me did.
