The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

I'm the first person there would be to step up and defend the Muppets. I will not defend this movie. It is disgusting what has been done to this once great franchise. I was not dissapointed when I watched this movie when it first aired, I was angry. Jim Henson would never allow a movie this bad, this unimaginative, this unfunny to ever be made. The Muppets represented the greatest in all imagination. There in no imagination present in this steamer. Shame on you, Frank Oz, for participating in this film. You of all people should've known better. The Muppets mixed with the Wizard of Oz had so much potential but ended up being the worst Muppet project I've ever seen. Don't buy this movie. Don't buy this movie. Don't buy this movie. If you don't believe me, rent it first. When you do rent it rent something good that the Muppets did so you can wash that taste out of your mouth after you watch it.

OK, who do I think I am saying such a thing about a Muppet movie? Hey, I've watched enough Muppets to know what's good and what's funny. This ain't it, and it isn't even close. Hey, you know the saying about not judging a book by the cover. The same applies to flicks, because the cover of this alone invites you to an all new world of the classic we've loved for years. I seriously wonder how "Muppet Treasure Island" was so awesome and THIS was so bad. It sucked, plain and simple! I'm thankful that we were able to borrow this from our local library before dishing out our money for this. By the way, the extra star IS simply for potential alone. How does it manage to screw up? Hey, read on!

You think of the Muppets, you're thinkin' ha ha ha!! You watch this and your like eh heh heh, it isn't that funny, and it isn't that innovative. Freakin' Quentin Tarantino made it all the more horrific! But ok, let's take a look at all the potential that could've made this great. Here we go! The opening song with Dorothy was good. But where did it flop? I personally don't know, but it did indeed FLOP. Kermit the Frog is Scarecrow. And of course he has his moments, but it doesn't hit the bulls eye, and misses the mark completely. Gonzo the Great is Tin-Man. Hey, I said this sucked for a reason. Because when Gonzo can point to knobs on his chest and say, "Those are my nipples" with no humorous effect, I can say THIS SUCKS!! Yeah, that's a direct quote from this, I ACTUALLY WATCHED IT! OK? I'll continue. My daughter loves Gonzo, and she was gone by this point. Gonzo wasn't funny. Fozzy Bear as Cowardly Lion, and it could've been great. I'll spare you any details. It wasn't too pretty. I thought it might be tolerable when Statler and Waldorf finally made their intro with their crack or two. Statler and Waldorf's heckling MADE Muppets better every time. This time they made it worse. The biggest disappointment I thought was Miss Piggy, not just as the Wicked Witch, but as ALL THE WITCHES. Now for a little while, it worked. But after some time, she got crappy too! The monkeys were a disgrace in my opinion.

I always saw "The Wizard of Oz" as a thing of beauty, of wonder and enchantment. Of AWE most of the time! I saw this as sheer stupidity! Like I said, they made "Treasure Island" work, and it happens to be a BIG favorite of my daughter's. This just gave her reason to play with her toys. Hey, if we're going to watch The Muppets, give us what we're used to. And that's entertainment! The Muppets are all about the unexpected, and madness hilarity, but they tried WAY too hard this time. It sucks, and I won't waste my time and money on it. No apologies.

This has got to be the absolute nadir of so-called "family entertainment". Hollywood these days, seems to be under the impression that children today want "hip", they want "edgy". Well I have news for these bozos; They want what they've always wanted; charming, witty and decent entertainment. If I sound a bit angry and annoyed over this P.O.S. I have a very good reason. This is not only unfunny, cheap and badly made, lacking any hint of the wit and charm of the Henson films, but it's vulgar to boot. Nipple pinching gags? There are so many things in this video that are unacceptable for small children that you might even find copies of this thing in the dumpster at a trailer park. Jim Henson and the Pixar people had the sensitivity and intelligence to realise you could entertain the parents of their intended audience with wit and charm. "Hipness" and sewer humor is a pretty pathetic substitute for quality.