Being the final entry in my Muppet-A-Thon, that is not including my review of The Muppets that will be happening in a couple weeks when I get a chance to see it, I look back only to realize that while this franchise is beloved by not just myself it does come with its inherit flaws. The films are all generally very simple minded and in that they require you to be in on the running joke that these are puppet animals that are being treated just as if they were people, with a pun filled joke from time to time to remind us that it’s a pig and a frog on screen.
With that said though, nostalgia and all comes rushing in as they films start. Oddly enough on this new run of viewings I felt that Muppets from Space is the best of the lot (I’m willing to bet that’s a controversial statement). It’s the only film of the catalog of theatrical Muppet movies that is completely devoid of musical numbers (which I did miss) and also actually has a straightforward narrative of Gonzo trying to find out where he came from and dealing with the idea that he may be an alien.
The concept of the film alone, if it was being handled by a Lars Von Trier or Darren Aronofsky is very unsettling. An outsider is being contacted by alien lifeforms through his food, which puts a lot of mental health questions up front. But under the guise of a Muppet film is all fun. If the film had ended with Gonzo just being crazy no one would’ve said that he may need help or call a doctor, they would’ve just patted him on the back and told him that “it’s ok and we’ll get them another time” with that happy end of the film friends are awesome music.
Where I was completely sold on this film, where I wasn’t on the others, had to be the pop culture. Being a franchise which originates from a variety show The Muppets aren’t shy of pop culture references. Some people may even say they watch the films just from the cameos involved. I, being a film enthusiast, am aware of a lot of pop culture over the years, but finally seeing a Muppet film released during a period in my life when I was fully aware of all the pop culture currently going on just made it a little bit more fun for me. Seeing Hulk Hogan and Katie Holmes (from Dawson’s Creek) in the film, while not a good thing for many other films, just made me smile with a moment of just sighing at what the 90s were filled with.