MUPPETS FROM SPACE have the funk
In the quasi-biblical prologue to the new Muppet film, Muppets From Space, the great Gonzo shows up just in time to be rejected from Noah's ark. He doesn't know what species he is, and he doesn't have a female counterpart, and basically, he's screwed. Now, one of the many important theories that I have introduced to the field of film studies is the Puppet Rule of Comedy, which states that some things are automatically funny as all hell when done by puppets. One example is in Bride of Chucky, when Chucky and Tiffany make out in front of a fireplace. Another example is in Muppets From Space, when the Old Testament Gonzo flings his arms to the heavens and screams "Nooooooo!!!" This sequence sets up a joke I will not give away, which involves Noah being a cold hearted bastard. Watching this unfold I thought, "Good god, this is going to be the subversive Muppet movie." But that initial impression was wrong. The real purpose of this film is indicated quite bluntly by the next scene, in which the entire cast of Muppets gets up in the morning and gets ready for the day to the tune of the funk anthem "Brick House." That's right - Muppets From Space is the funky Muppet movie. In an elaborate series of puppet tricks and sight gags that includes Animal seemingly about to take a piss only to bathe himself in a toilet, the Muppets get all the way live, get their groove on and - shit, god damn - they get off their asses and jam. As the vocals kick in with "She was a brick - house…" Miss Piggy steps onto the screen, sporting a modern do that, if it weren't on a foam rubber pig, might look kinda fly. I don't know. The storyline is set in motion, the characters are introduced and they all stay on beat. You might find yourself nodding your head or maybe shaking your elbows a little bit. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't maintain this kind of energy throughout. On the other hand, it does keep the funk anthems coming, from "Get Up Off Of That Thang" to "It's Your Thang" to "Shining Star" (both the original and a remix by those master architects of Paul's Boutique, the Dust Brothers). The actual storyline does not involve funk, but rather a Close Encounters-like quest for Gonzo to reunite with his newly discovered alien ancestors. They send him messages in his breakfast and strike him with lightning, and he and various human weirdos converge on the agreed upon coordinates for an alien encounter that, of course, involves a popular Kool and the Gang song. The story isn't very strong. The original Muppet Movie is a classic largely because you can tell that Jim Henson and his collaborators passionately believed in their message. They really were thrilled to pieces to be pursuing a dream with their friends, and though the movie is dripping with cornball sentiment it never once feels false. It's the real thing, and it makes my eyes tear up a little every time I see the ceiling inside the soundstage rip open to reveal the real sky - "Life's like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending, we've done just what we set out to doooooo…" Subsequent Muppet movies, including the new one, don't come close to duplicating this kind of enormous and overpowering warmth, so you don't really believe in the stories. You don't care about Gonzo's quest the way you did about Kermit's, and the villains along the way aren't as amusing - Jeffrey Tambor doesn't work as well as a hammy main villain as he does with the dumb sidekick roles he is known for. There are some enjoyably hokey (but weakly executed) cameos and a good share of funny jokes, but the movie sags in the middle. Kermit and Fozzy aren't given a whole lot to do, and Gonzo isn't as funny when he's being sweet and sad as we remember him when he was a crazy stuntman high on his own showmanship. On the other hand, there's a really good balance between old and new Muppets. The filmmakers make good use of characters from the short lived mid '90s Muppet Show revival, Muppets Tonight. The George Clinton-looking Clifford makes an appearance, and there's a very funny cameo by the Italian lounge singer who's name escapes me and his chimpanzee pal Sal. One of the best puppets is another Muppets Tonight character, Bobo the bear, who portrays Jeffrey Tambor's assistant Rentro. Everyone else plays themselves, which is a step in the right direction. Recent Muppet movies, in which the Muppets acted out stories like Treasure Island, didn't seem to work as well as the first three Muppet movies. The character who steals the show is Pepe, a heavily accented fluffy orange thing who Miss Piggy calls a shrimp but who refers to himself as a king prawn. He's another character from Muppets Tonight, and I hope we'll be seeing more of him. In fact, Pepe is crucial because he's the character who gets most deep into the funk. During the end credits, we hear him board the Mothership to team up with George Clinton for a remake of Parliament's "Flashlight." The dense keyboard grooves aren't quite as slippery-slick this time around, and without as much backing, it's clear how much more strained Clinton's voice is now than it was in his youth. But this is still a song that can force you to dance, and it's funny as hell to hear Dr. Funkenstein interacting with this goofy prawn. And that in itself pretty much sums up the movie.
--Bryan Frankenseuss Theiss
"I write rhymes so fresh I try to bite my own verses." --Tash
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