I'm a fan of the Muppets from way back - the Muppet Show was campy and entertaining, and the Muppet Movie is a classic. The Muppet "movies" have ranged from the delightful (Muppet Treasure Island) to the bizarre (Muppets From Space). But "The Muppet's Wizard of Oz" is easily the worst of the bunch:
While "The Muppet Movie" had more cameos than my Aunt Tilly's jewelry box, this movie features David Alan Grier, Queen Latifah (in what must have been a contractual necessary role), Jeffrey Tambor, and Quentin Tarentino. It's sad, really.
The humor is, for the most part, forced from the characters, as formulaic as anything I've ever seen. There is just the slightest resemblance to the early work of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. One must wonder why Frank Oz was not a part of the ensemble; the script, perhaps?
The decision to use Pepe the King Prawn as Toto aside (the most redeeming production decision made), the pillars of the Muppet domain - Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, and Gonzo - are relegated to secondary roles that could easily have been any other characters.
The Muppet performers, even the veteran Dave Goelz, seemed to be giving poor imitations of their own creations.
A movie works best when it isn't aware of itself, but this one plays like a tacky road show of a vintage Broadway play. In fact, the whole movie seems to echo Norma Desmond's desperation to be a star again.
If "The Muppet's Wizard of Oz" is any indication, the Muppets are done.
While "The Muppet Movie" had more cameos than my Aunt Tilly's jewelry box, this movie features David Alan Grier, Queen Latifah (in what must have been a contractual necessary role), Jeffrey Tambor, and Quentin Tarentino. It's sad, really.
The humor is, for the most part, forced from the characters, as formulaic as anything I've ever seen. There is just the slightest resemblance to the early work of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. One must wonder why Frank Oz was not a part of the ensemble; the script, perhaps?
The decision to use Pepe the King Prawn as Toto aside (the most redeeming production decision made), the pillars of the Muppet domain - Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, and Gonzo - are relegated to secondary roles that could easily have been any other characters.
The Muppet performers, even the veteran Dave Goelz, seemed to be giving poor imitations of their own creations.
A movie works best when it isn't aware of itself, but this one plays like a tacky road show of a vintage Broadway play. In fact, the whole movie seems to echo Norma Desmond's desperation to be a star again.
If "The Muppet's Wizard of Oz" is any indication, the Muppets are done.