Muppets from Space
Starring the voices of Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire and Frank Oz. Directed By Tim Hill Running Time: 1 hour 28 minutes
(Columbia Pictures)
Once again, the Muppets feel the need to invade cinema screens once more. After the mediocre Muppet Christmas Carol (I have yet to see Muppet Treasure Island) the Muppet formula seemed to be getting a little stale. I was therefore hoping that Muppets from Space, their latest outing, would be a refreshed Muppet's for the millennium. Unfortunately, it's the same old Muppet's we've known from the seventies. Granted, the routing is very funny for thirty minute shows, but for the big screen the Muppet's should really broaden their horizons.
The plot centres on the Great Gonzo (voiced by Goelz) who has always wanted to know what species he is. Through a bizarre series of events, Gonzo learns that he is in fact an alien. Unfortunately, an evil government agency led by Edgar Singer (Jeffrey Tambor) also learns of the fact, and wishes to bring in Gonzo for the inevitable painful probing. It's up to Kermit and the gang to save the day.
Despite some bright moments, Muppets in Space is largely a failure. The Muppets are more subdued than usual, and not all the Muppet's are given are chance to light up the screen. Mainly Gonzo, Rizzo the Rat and Pepe the Prawn are given much screen time, and although they are likeable enough, it would be nice to see some more Kermit, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear. Beaker and Bunsen get most of the funny lines, while Kermit and Miss Piggy just exist to push forward the plot.
Alongside the Muppet's are the usual human cameos, looking more embarrassed than ever. Andie MacDowell has some fun with her role as a slimy news reporter (perfectly suited to her) but the other cameos are decidedly useless. Ray Liotta pops us a security guard and barely gets a laugh, 'Hollywood' Hogan has a funny but pointless few seconds on screen, and for no apparent reason two Dawsons Creek cast members pop up for precious seconds. I am sure that this has nothing to do with the fact that Sony (who distributed this movie) produce Dawsons Creek.
There's also some movie parodies, including Independence Day and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but these are so obvious they are largely pointless. Thankfully, the film largely resists Star Trek take-offs until the final minutes of the film.
Despite the gloom, there are some good points. It's always nice to see the Muppets on screen, and occasionally some genuine Muppet humour comes through. There's a rather funky soundtrack featuring some disco hits. The special effects are surprisingly decent. But there's just something missing from this jumbled mess, and the film is never very funny or gels as a whole. Maybe Jim Henson Studios are wandering since the death of Jim himself, but something has to be done with the Muppet formula before it becomes so stale that it dies.
RATING=** OUT OF *****
A David Wilcock Review ©1999
DAVID WILCOCK david.wilcock@btinternet.com Visit the Wilcock Movie Page! http://www.wilcock54.freeserve.co.uk
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