Plot: What’s it about?
He might be an unknown face in a small swamp, but Kermit the Frog has big plans and soon decides to make them happen. The reason for his sudden ambition is at the hands of a Hollywood agent (Dom Deluise), who prompts Kermit to pursue a career in show business, movies in specific. So Kermit resolves to take on the odds and make his way to Hollywood, though the trek will be long and quite difficult. As he travels across the land, he runs into some new friends, including Fozzie and Miss Piggy, who decide to join him on his quest. But Kermit will have to work hard to achieve his dreams, especially when the nefarious Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) wants to get his hands on him. Doc Hopper doesn’t have good intentions either, as he wants to make Kermit the spokesperson for his eatery, which happens to serve frog legs. Of course, Kermit wants nothing to do with that kind of job, so he and his friends do whatever they need to avoid that, including wild adventures and meeting all sorts of new & often unusual friends.
If you’re a fan of the muppets, then you’re in luck these days, as Columbia/Tristar has issued some of the flicks on this format, including this one, which is the original. The Muppet Movie is a fun movie to be sure and though some of the cameos don’t pan out, I think the good more than outweighs the bad here. The cameos sometimes work well, but it seems overdone at times, due to the overabundance of them. Orson Welles, Bob Hope, Steve Martin, Cloris Leachman, Carol Kane, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, and many others all surface, which is a good concept, but not all that well executed. I do think the right storyline was chosen and it makes for an interesting picture, which is what counts in this case. All the muppet regulars show up also, like Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and the rest of the crew. I do wish Columbia/Tristar had put a little more effort into this disc, but the basics are well presented, so I won’t complain too much. If you’re a fan of the muppets or want a terrific family release, this disc is a wise choice and in the end, the movie is loads of fun and deserves to be seen.
Video: How does it look?
The Muppet Movie is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. I think this is the best this film has looked on home video, but it looks as though some restoration would be welcome. The print shows flecks, debris, and dust and though not extreme in nature, it can be a little distracting at times. The colors are a tad faded, but look solid enough, while contrast is solid, if unremarkable most of the time. As I said, this is a decent enough image in the end, but I do wish the print was cleaner, to enhance the experience a little more, as the film deserves.
Audio: How does it sound?
I was unsure of what to expect from the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track, but in the end, all seems to be well enough. This movie has some terrific musical pieces and they sound very good here, much richer than ever before, I think. I wouldn’t stack it up against more recent surround options, but it sounds better than expected, though still limited due to the source materials. The surrounds aren’t used to extensive ends, but the elements come across well and I doubt anyone will be let down. The dialogue is crisp and never falters, thanks to a high level of clarity and even handed volume status. This disc also includes 2.0 surround track & subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, in case you’ll need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes three brief “Muppetism” shorts, as well as an interesting camera test from director James Frawley. I liked the muppet driven commentary track on Muppets from Space, but sadly, no such session was recorded for this release.
