Movies-TV

Do not be mislead!!!!

I am and have been a serious collector of Christmas related movies, TV shows, holidays specials, etc., for over twenty-five years. Please heed my warning and do not be mislead by sterling reviews & media hype about this movie. This is not a Muppett movie as we have come to know them, and is certainly NOT for children. The fact that this was produced for a major TV network is/was no surprise considering their level of operation at this time. What is hard for me to believe, is that The Jim Henson organization stooped so low to become involved in this travesty of Christmas.I wish there had been reviews for me to read that would warned me before I wasted my hard earned money on this piece of trash.

Disappointing

Our family loves all the Muppet movies. However, this one was kind of disappointing. Whoopi Goldberg plays God and agrees to send an angel to help Kermit. Concepts went over the kids heads, movie was sometimes questionable for our family values, and kids got bored. We recommend The Muppets Christmas Carol instead. That is a family favorite!!

an inappropriate disappointment

As an elementary school teacher, mother of a five year old and Muppet fan, I was very disappointed in this movie. "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas" is not appropriate for children. The references to sex, alcohol abuse and strip clubs may be amusing to some adults, but those topics, (even when explored by the well-loved Henson creations), are not appropriate for kids. Jim Henson didn't have to sink to tawdry jokes to delight his audiences. His creativity and silliness were what made his characters funny and loveable for all ages. Do your child a favor and skip this movie.

True delight to Liberals and Satan Worshippers

If this had been entitled "The Muppets Satanic Christmas" would have been more proper. Whoopi Goldberg has no business pretending to be God. Then again, He will have her pay some day for it. Stick to those Christmas items that were done by Jim Henson. He didn't not seem to have the big love of Liberal Hollywood that is so evident with the current Muppet Management.

A return to form for the Muppets

After a run of disappointing movies that seemed to prove that the Muppets were just empty felt without the guiding hands of Jim Henson, "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie" has finally brought back the Muppets' trademark wit and irreverence.The plot of "Merry Muppet Christmas" is one that will be familiar to anyone who's seen "It's a Wonderful Life" (and who hasn't?). After losing the Muppet Theater to a greedy banker (played by a scenery-chewing Joan Cusack), Kermit the Frog decides the Muppets would have been better off if he'd never been born. It takes a bumbling angel (an atypically restrained David Arquette) to show Kermit just how wrong he is."IAVMMCM" takes a back-to-basics approach that will thrill nostalgic fans. We see the old Muppet Theater (from the original Muppet Show) for the first time in decades, and the surviving Muppeteers have finally shed their reluctance to re-cast the many Muppets originally played by Henson and the late Richard Hunt. As a result, classic characters like Scooter, Sam the Eagle, and Janice have a greater presence in this film than they've had in any of the post-Henson theatrical releases. Though the vocal change in the recast characters is jarring at first, it takes only a moment to get used to the characterizations. On the other hand, the near silence of Rowlf the Dog is bittersweet, and serves as a reminder of the Muppets' loss. The Muppeteers clearly realize that Rowlf just isn't Rowlf without Henson's gruff growl.The Muppets' performances in this film were uniformly excellent- the characters show they can be used in a modern context, but they still retain their essential personalities. Steve Whitmire's performance as Kermit has definitely improved over the years, and he brings a touching sincerity to the role. Eric Jacobson's performances as Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear do not quite match the level of Frank Oz's classic performances, but he is a good enough vocal match that one hardly notices: Despite the slight vocal difference, Fozzie's expanded role in the story is also extremely welcome after years of the character being misused and mis-characterized. Dave Goelz, as usual, brings humor and pathos to the role of misunderstood Gonzo, and there are tons of other Muppets to be seen here, in roles both large and small. Classic characters like Lew Zealand, Dr. Teeth, Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, Animal, Robin, Statler and Waldorf, Rizzo the Rat, and the Swedish Chef, as well as newer ones like Johnny Fiama and Bean Bunny, all have their moments to shine.The movie manages to recapture the old-fashioned Muppet magic by playing to adults as much as it does to the kids- references to "Moulin Rouge," "Cirque De Soleil," "The Empire Strikes Back," hair-restoration drugs and 21st century-style corporate synergy all provoke laugh-out-loud moments, as does the sight of cage-dancing Muppets and a pumped-up Beaker during the lengthy alternate-reality scenes.Only two things keep "IAVMMCM" from being a total success: the overly large role played by B-list celebs in the film, and the expanded role given to Bill Barretta's Pepe the Prawn (a recent character introduced in the mediocre "Muppets Tonight" series). Goldberg and Arquette as God and angel are enjoyable enough, but take up valuable screen time that could have gone to the Muppets. Even worse, despite the aforementioned "corporate synergy" jabs, the appearances by NBC stars like Carson Daly and the cast of "Scrubs" bring the movie to a screeching halt. The backstabbing (and mildly politically incorrect) character of Pepe also plays too large a role in the film, though that could simply be a matter of personal taste- I admit that I just don't find the character very amusing.Despite those flaws, "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie" is funny and heartwarming, and manages to bring the Muppets up-to-date without sacrificing any of their inherent charm and goodness. Hopefully the film will become a Christmas tradition along the lines of the "Wonderful" film it pays homage to- at the very least, it could be the shot in the arm the franchise needs.

Great for those who grew up on the Muppets

I was a child when the muppet show was still new every week. My family watched every episode together. Now, over 20 years later, I understand why my parents enjoyed the show as much as I did. There were many adult and topical jokes / skits in the orignal Muppet Show (and the first Muppet Movie). I find this christmas special in many ways an excellent tribute to those (hilarious yet occasionally bawdy) days. Of course, with Jim Henson's son taking over for him, some elements will never be the same. Modern references to pop culture (like Mission Impossible and Kelly Ripa) may eventually make this movie too dated after another decade or so - but that was true with the orignal muppet show as well - and perhaps these modern references will allow your children to view the muppets as the "cool" icons my generation saw.

Okay, I guess.

I saw this movie for the first time on NBC Friday 11-29-02. It was a pretty good movie, but I don't think it would be the kind of Muppet movie Jim Henson would make. I mean first of all, Pepe' using the word "sexy" every now and then, and Pepe saying "it would suck?" And I defenitly know Jim Henson wouldn't allow Kermit yelling "I WISH I'D NEVER BEEN BORN!" thirteen time a minute. This movie just isn't like a classic Muppet movie. Sure I can understand Nicky Holiday stealing the baseball diamond from "The Great Muppet Caper," but a business lady cheating the Muppets in a contract for their theater to turn it into a smoker's nightclub. If Jim Henson was here today, he would HATE this movie!

A Very Merry Treat For All Ages!

Perhaps the most delightful romp since the first three Muppet films, It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is certain to become a holiday tradition for families everywhere. A big hit on NBC, this film has many great moments of both ironic humor and warmth. It follows Kermit through his efforts to save the Muppet Theater from the angry Rachel Bitterman. Along the way, he and his fuzzy pals engage in the usual Muppet antics and discover the importance of their frienship.

In the tradition of Muppet films, special treats come in the form of guest stars. This movie includes Whoopie Goldberg, William H. Macy, Carson Daly, Kelly Ripa, David Arquette and the scene-stealing Joan Cusack who has more than her share of delightful comic turns.

You won't be disappointed with this very merry DVD. Two flippers up!

The Muppets were there but their soul seemed elsewhere.

I'm a big fan of the Muppets who used to watch The Muppet Show on TV regularly, and I consider the "Muppet Christmas Carol" to be a genuine masterpiece.

I was very dissapointed when I watched this on TV last night. The humor seemed forced. The "I traded in my prize possession to buy you a gift.." exchange was somewhat funny the first time, but pretty unfunny the second time around. That tipped me off that something was going wrong.

A few moments later, I clearly saw Beaker's hands on a window sill, so I could see the "window closing on fingers" gag coming a mile away, and so it wasn't very funny when it happened.

My wife, another big Muppets fan, remarked "this is dry" about 20 minutes into the movie, regarding the human actors. (Then it looked like Pepe the Prawn had taken over as the leading character. I'd like to see him get stir-fried.)

About ten minutes later, she said "this is sick" so we turned it off. I never thought that would happen.

So, forced, repeated jokes by the Muppets and dry acting by the humans did us in after 30 minutes.

There were some great one-liners, but the spontaneity, charm and magic seemed to be missing. Quite the dissapointment.

Parody, Pastiche and Muppet Mayhem

In usual Muppet style (self-reflexiveness), the film aims at both pastiche and parody. While the moments in the original Muppet theatre are fun, I feel that the film dabbles too much with the hommage and to "It's a wonderful life." However, highlites include the many references to other films like: A Christmas Story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Muppet Movie, and Moulin Rouge.If you are a Muppet/Henson fan check this out for sure. If you enjoy Christmas films with heart lovable characters you'll like it as well. but don't expect anything drastically original.

Muppet sleaze

I used to love the Muppets. The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan were good family movies, cleverly written and fun to watch. I never thought I would see the day when they would jump on the Hollywood sleaze bandwagon, but here it is: Scooter as a caged rave dancer, Pepe making lewd and suggestive comments every five minutes -- this is not your father's Muppets. It's not Jim Henson's Muppets anymore, either.This "It's A Wonderful Life" themed movie has its moments, but not enough to save it. I cringed while watching this with my children. I still have hope for their next movie, but this one was certainly a disappointment.

It's a Wonderful Muppet Life

I haven't watched the Muppets in years and was looking for The Muppet Christmas Carol when I came across this version of It's a Wonderful Life. Now, I'm not saying that Kermitcan capture the magic of Jimmy Stewart, and Fozzie certainly is not Uncle Billy, but this was an enjoyable trip down memory lane with some outstanding music, a great song (Everyone Matters), and some really funny bits that referenced other shows.Joan Cusack was marvelous as the mean financier who wanted to drive Kermit and the Muppets out of town. Whoopie Goldberg was a great god figure and she had the ultimate accessory - a coffee shrub that produced hot coffee.The funniest bit for me was the old men Statler and Waldorf. i had forgotten how funny they were.An enjoyable Christmas tale.

A Modern Muppet X-Mas

I first saw this movie last year on NBC and was very pleasantly surprised.
I'm not really a big Muppet fan. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I've never watched them that much. So why was I interested in this movie in the first place? I'm not really sure. Maybe because Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was in it! Nevertheless, I had some good laughs watching this last year.Fast forward to the present time and I saw this on sale, so I had to get it.
Watching it a second time, I'm a little more conscious about concerns that some scenes were too "adult" for this movie. For example, the whole rave scene might get people upset where lovable Scooter is grinding in a cage!!
Another example is the character Pepe who swoons over Joan Cusack's character and uses the terms, "sexy" and "topless."So I could kind of see how people can get upset with this movie, but I definitely don't think it tarnishes what the Muppets are all about, unlike what's being done in 'The Cat in the Hat' movie. The Muppets still provide family-friendly laughter and moments to people of all ages. Fozzie's Grinch scene was pretty funny, Pepe steals the show, the spoof on 'It's a Wonderful Life' is great, and I like the jabs at NBC's corporate synergy (I'm a business major and a former Disney employee, so I know this stuff well!) I also found the song between Gonzo and Kermit, "Everyone Matters," to be very nice and sweet.Overall, this is a very nice and funny Christmas movie. I wouldn't necessarily label this as a classic or really all that memorable though, because honestly, are we going to remember some of their references (Scrubs, Ricky Martin, and Moulin Rouge) ten years from now? By the way, I've never seen Moulin Rouge, so that spoof went way over my head!This movie is good for the current time period, but I'm afraid it won't live on much longer unlike other Christmas classics (Rudolph, A Christmas Story, Mickey's Christmas Carol). Now is a good time to see it though.My IMDb Rating: 7/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B (Good)

Stupidest movie ever

I think the Muppets are stupid, and this movie is really stupid. Finding Nemo is so much better than this stupid movie. I think my mom liked this better than I did, although she did fall asleep in one part of it. The only part I almost liked was when Piggy got into a fight with the woman villian. The rest was BORING. Veggie Tales is better than this! and I'm too old for even those! Don't buy this for your kids, they will hate it, maybe old people like muppets and little little kids not older kids.

Sadly Offensive

I too would give this movie a "zero" if I could. I was so saddened to see that even the Muppets are no longer sacred. There was nothing charming about this movie. The sexual innuendo was so offensive I almost turned it off, but I kept hoping it would get better. Clearly whoever wrote this doesn't know who the Muppets really are. I would NEVER let my children watch this movie. My gosh, have we really sunk this far when we can't even let our kids watch the Muppets?

A "Must Have" Modern Muppets Christmas treat!

I saw this movie on television and really thought it was a hoot. I taped a re-run of it on cable but am very glad that they are releasing it on DVD!! The Muppets have found a contemporary voice that makes them seem fresh and vital again instead of a troop of characters from the 70's clinging to nostalgia. The new character, Peppy the Prawn steals all his scenes and Joan Cusack is brilliantly funny as the villainous Ms. Bitterman. Some of the jokes were a little racier than in previous Muppet movies, but nothing you don't see on prime time television these days.

I think the reviewer who thought Kermit wasn't acting like himself didn't get the point that "that was the point". Kermit wasn't himself...He was severely depressed...that's why he wished he'd never been born! Anyway, the parodies of other Christmas movies and specials ( like "Rudolph" and "The Grinch") scattered throughout the film really kept the pace up and the laughs rolling!! All in all it was a very funny and also sweet take on "It's a wonderful life" and Christmas specials in general. A must have for any Muppet fan and Christmas special afficiando!

One of the best Muppet movies ever!

The Muppet Christmas Carol is a Holiday masterpiece, always to be one of my favorite christmas movies. Even though this one was not as serious, and lacked on acting somewhat the comedy was node crude like some "family" or "childrens" movies out today. I esspecialy liked Rizzo being a rat on Fear Factor. This is a must see Muppet movie!!

It's a very merry muppet christmas movie

This movie came highly reccommended to me and I would pass that sentiment on to the next person. This is a very cute family Christmas movie. I would highly reccommend it. Enjoy!

Horrible

I saw this on television the other night and it was just abysmal. I can't imagine what the "critics" are thinking who give this thing more than two stars. David Arquette should go back to doing 1-800-COLLECT commercials with Carrot Top. It's really depressing that the once-proud Muppet franchise has sunk to such depths. Don't waste your time.

A Modern Muppet Twist on a Christmas Classic

I'm not really going to go too much into the plot; I will just say it is a modern muppet version of "It's a Wonderful Life" with some other movies thrown in the mix :) This movie has a lot of big names and guest appearances such as Whoppi Goldberg, Joan Cusack, and David Arquette just to name a few, plus all of the muppets! The DVD version also has muppet bios, bloopers, and deleted scenes - although not as entertaining as I had hoped, but still nice little extras. If you love the muppets, I would highly recommend adding this movie to your collection.