The Magic Of Muppets
It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to watch the Muppets again.
Every year I do a movie marathon where I watch all the movies a director or franchise made. Last year, I binged all of Stanley Kubrick's filmography over one weekend. This year, it's time to watch the Muppets again.
I share many memories with the Muppets, and they have been with me through every stage of my life. When visiting my grandparents, I would hide in the basement with Kermit's Swamp Years to keep me company. Despite it being a terrible movie, I saw it countless times. On a family vacation to Banff, I begged my parents to ditch the Rockies and watch Muppets Most Wanted instead. Years later, my Instagram profile picture in middle school was Kermit the Frog playing his banjo. A few more years later, I performed the Award-winning song, "Man or Muppet," for my first-year drama class.
I started my marathon with Muppet Treasure Island, followed by the reboots, then the home stretch, The Muppet Movie.
Muppet Treasure Island (1996)
Muppet Treasure Island (1996) is a swashbuckler fever dream with witty humor and wonderful music. The adventure begins with Jim's discovery of a treasure map that leads to...treasure island. Jim and his best friends, Gonzo and Rizzo, set sail on a ship commanded by Captain Smollet (Kermit the Frog). In my professional opinion, this is a marvelous Muppets movie. Firstly, Long John Silver is portrayed by Tim Curry, a queer icon known for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While no Muppet time warps at sea, they do perform some campy musical numbers like "Cabin Fever." Secondly, it's hilarious. Gonzo's freak flag flies proudly as pirates torture him for the treasure map. Instead of screaming, Gonzo giggles, and Bad Polly exclaims, "This won't work, he likes it!" Lastly, it's soundtracked by Hans Zimmer. I guess the Pirates of the Caribbean first set sail on the shores of treasure island.
The Muppet Movie (1979)
The Muppet Movie (1979) opens in a swamp. A terrible place for an amphibian who aspires to become a movie star. Kermit the Frog softly strums his banjo and performs "Rainbow Connection," one of the most heartwarming songs ever written. A “Rainbow Connection” is the moment you have faith that your dreams can be realized. Kermit dreams of making people happy, so he hops on his bicycle and sets off to Hollywood. But...how on earth do they get these full body shots of the Muppets? Fozzie Bear performs stand-up comedy, but as a Muppet, he cannot technically stand up. Obviously, they're simply marionettes pulled by strings, but movie magic never ceases to amaze me. We see past the magic as we get older, but it's not like it disappears. That's the beauty of The Muppet Movie. It's for the lovers and dreamers, those whose imagination has not died yet.
You'd assume I started this journey to trigger childhood nostalgia. It's comforting to shut your brain off and return to the simplicity of adolescence. These sentimental films offer a semblance of your childhood, but it'd be wrong to believe you gain nothing from re-watching them as an adult. That kick of nostalgia takes no effect without new interpretations about old favourites. When you take on your own Muppets marathon, you'll realize that they're worth watching, no matter how old you get. They invite us to a world full of wonder. For two hours, the weight of the real world hasn't crushed us yet. To put it simply, the Muppets are fun, and we need to have more fun.
