The Muppet Movie (1979) Review

Yeah, this one's a classic by any standard. If you haven't seen it yet, you are definitely missing out. I remember seeing it when I was a kid; it might have been in the theaters, but maybe not; I was in northern Quebec at the time, so we didn't go to the movies very often. I didn't even see The Empire Strikes Back in theaters; I was a deprived child.

So, this movie gives us Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rolf, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, and the rest of the cast of characters that gave us so much entertainment for decades. The Muppet Show was must-see television for kids and adults; we loved the puppets, the adults loved the sly humor that went right over our young heads. Watching old episodes now, I get a lot of the stuff I missed, while still enjoying the stuff from my youth.

But what's it about? Well, Kermit's a swamp-dwelling frog who happens to play the guitar and sing (no, seriously, he plays the guitar in this movie. He also rides a bicycle. Not bad for a green felt Muppet). He's discovered by a talent scout lost in the swamp and is persuaded to take his act to Hollywood. On the way, he meets Fozzie, Piggy, and the rest of the band, and they eventually make it to Los Angeles despite the efforts of the nefarious Doc Hopper, who sees in Kermit the perfect spokesman for his French-fried frog legs' restaurants. And he doesn't care if Kermit's legs are still attached to his body or not. He's not a nice dude.

There are cameos galore, as there are in every Muppet movie. Except A Muppet Christmas Carol, which didn't have many cameos, at least not from humans. But this one started them all, with appearances from Dom DeLuise, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Milton Berle, Mel Brooks, James Coburn, Elliot Gould, Bob Hope, Madeline Kahn, Carol Kane, Cloris Leachman, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Orson Welles, and Paul Williams. Seriously, that's a Who's Who of comedians and entertainers from the 1940s to the 1970s. The Muppets were BIG back then, folks. Way more than they are now. The recent iterations of the Muppets have proven to be quite lackluster compared to the originals, and this movie makes that crystal clear.

This movie even got nominated for two Oscars, back when the Oscars meant something. They were both for music; the score and the hit song, The Rainbow Connection. Yes, it was a hit song, reaching number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November, 1979. I told you, the Muppets were a big deal.

So, needless to say, you have to watch this movie. Seriously. Go find a copy and watch it. Even if you've seen it before, watch it again. I don't care if you watched it last night, watch it again; you probably missed something, because the movie is chock-full of subtle humor that can fly right by you. You won't regret it.