The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

For the finale of “The Muppets Month,” I will be looking at the 2005 TV movie, “The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.”

Kevin Carr started his review out by saying, “It’s kind of a shame what’s happened to the Muppet movies. I remember the days when they were the event films of the summer. The first “Muppet Movie” broke new ground and was a rousing success at the box office. However, when Jim Henson died in 1990, some of the magic died with him. “Fraggle Rock” and “The Bear in the Big Blue House” didn”t quite continue the magic of Kermit and friends. (And don’t get me started on that hideous “Muppet Babies” cartoon!)”

After a while, the Muppet movies were downsized to made-for-TV status. Even the Sesame Street movies like “Follow That Bird” and “Elmo in Grouchland” were better done than the Muppets. Maybe the reason was because of the Disney purchase years ago. The Muppets were no longer a property of someone. They are now another part in the corporate kids programming business. Besides, who needs a frog in love with a pig when you’ve got talking mice and ducks?

However, when you look deeper and actually find (and watch) the new Muppet stuff, some of the creativity is still there.

Carr said, ‘The latest Muppet movie is “The Muppets' Wizard of Oz,” which follows in the great steps of Jim Henson by turning a story on its ear. In a strange way, the Muppets have gone full circle, considering their earliest film were TV movies of classic stories like The Frog Prince. (I happen to be a big fan of the old Frog Prince movie that introduced us to little Robin the Frog years before “The Muppet Show” hit the airwaves.)”

In “The Muppets' Wizard of Oz,” the Muppets are now supporting characters in their version of “The Wizard of Oz.” Famous singer Ashanti is the main actress as Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas who is trying to get out of her small town and become famous. She misses an audition with the Muppets and gets stuck in a tornado on her way home. Her trailer is picked up by the twister and sent to Oz.

This is where the Muppets arrive. Dorothy’s prawn shrimp Pepe (Bill Barretta) comes to life as a Muppet (which mimics Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots from “Shrek 2”). Every Muppet stand-ins play characters from the land of Oz. The Munchkins are rats, led by Rizzo (Steve Whitmire), Miss Piggy (Eric Jacobson) plays all four witches, Kermit (Whitmire) is the Scarecrow, Fozzie (Jacobson) is the Cowardly Lion and Gonzo (Dave Goelz) is the Tin Thing.

There’s a nice amount of Muppet humor, which outdoes the type of simple kids shows. For instance, when Scarecrow is introduced, Kermit says to a crow that it reminds him of the film “The Passion.” The crow angrily replies by telling him to not spoil the ending of the movie. That joke will go over the heads of most children, which is fine. It’s those things in the film that make it fun for adults to watch.

The movie is smart enough, and there aren’t too many songs to slow down the pace. Ashanti does a fine job working off of the Muppets. It’s sad that Queen Latifah and David Alan Grier as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry never get to enjoy with the Muppets but Jeffrey Tambor does as the Wizard.

Carr noted, “The DVD is a little weak on special features. However, the little that we’re given is a lot of fun. There’s a hilarious outtake reel, which is always a treat with Muppets. Watching them flub their lines and stay in Muppet character reinforces the feeling that they are real. There’s also a behind-the-scenes tour with Pepe the shrimp. Finally, there’s an extended Quentin Tarantino interview with Pepe that is pretty funny. Of course the kids aren’t going to know who Tarantino is considering he has yet to direct something that isn’t rated R, but it’s fun to watch for the parents.”

When I saw this with my sister, we both agreed that this movie did not look like it was meant for children. However, if children see this film, I don’t think they will be harmed by it. Then again, if parents want to check it out first before showing it to their children, that would be a smart idea. As a TV movie, I don’t think it’s that bad, but I would also say that it wouldn’t hurt to watch it, so definitely see it when you can.

Alright everyone, that concludes “The Muppet Month.” I know that there were a few really famous ones that I left out, but have no fear, I will be looking at those soon enough. Look out for what I have in store for every one next month.