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Muppets from Space

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Muppets from Space
Theatrical release poster
Directed byTim Hill
Written by
Based onThe Muppet Show
byJim Henson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAlan Caso
Edited by
Music byJamshied Sharifi
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Releasing[3]
Release date
  • July 14, 1999(1999-07-14)
Running time
87 minutes[3]
CountryUnited States[1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$24 million[3]
Box office$22.3 million[3]

Muppets from Spaceis a 1999 Americanscience fiction comedy filmdirected byTim Hill(in hisfeature directorial debut), written byJerry Juhl,Joseph Mazzarino,and Ken Kaufman, produced byBrian Hensonand Martin G. Baker, and the sixth theatrical film featuringthe Muppets.The film stars Muppet performersDave Goelz,Steve Whitmire,Jerry Nelson,Bill Barretta,andFrank Oz,as well asJeffrey Tambor,F. Murray Abraham,David Arquette,Josh Charles,Hollywood Hogan,Ray Liotta,andAndie MacDowell.In the film,Gonzoattempts to discover his origins. After he andRizzo the Ratare captured by government officials during his search,Kermit the Frogand the rest of the Muppets set out to rescue them.

It was released on July 14, 1999. It grossed $22.3 million against a budget of $24 million, making it abox office failure,and received mixed reviews from critics; many considered it the weakest theatrical Muppet movie. It is the last Muppet film to have the involvement of Oz and Juhl[4]and the last theatrically-released Muppet film to be produced byThe Jim Henson Companybefore the franchise was acquired byThe Walt Disney Companyin 2004.

Plot

[edit]

Gonzo's species has always been a mystery, but after having nightmares of being denied entry toNoah's Ark,he begins to realize just how alone he is in the world.

Gonzo tellsKermitthat he is getting tired of being referred to as a "whatever". After analien speciesappears to be trying to send a message through his bowl ofalphabetcereal, Gonzo realizes that he may not be alone after all and that evening, he climbs to the rooftop of the Muppet boarding house to watch the sky. Suddenly, he is struck by abolt of lightning,which allows him to communicate with a pair of cosmic knowledge fish, who reveal his origins as an alien from outer space.

Hoping to contact the aliens, Gonzo makes an impromptu appearance at the television studio forUFO Maniaduring a live broadcast, whereMiss Piggyis working. Concerned about Gonzo's behavior, Kermit andRizzogo down to the studio. Unable to convince his friends of the aliens' existence, Gonzo is lured by Agent Barker to K. Edgar Singer of C.O.V.N.E.T., a top secret national security facility disguised as a cement factory, whose mission is to investigate threats of extraterrestrial attacks. Singer is aware of the aliens' attempts to communicate with Earth, and having seen Gonzo on television, believes that he is the key to convincing his superior General Luft that aliens exist.

Gonzo and Rizzo are taken to C.O.V.N.E.T., where Rizzo gets flushed down a tube to the facility'sratmedical research held by Dr. Tucker, alongside other Muppet rats. Unable to get answers from Gonzo about the aliens, Singer decides to have Gonzo's brain surgically removed, and has him taken to a holding cell while the surgery is prepared. Meanwhile, after Miss Piggy interrogates Barker, she, Kermit,Fozzie,Pepe,andAnimalgo to rescue Gonzo and Rizzo from C.O.V.N.E.T., using various inventions fromBunsenandBeaker.

While Gonzo is in his cell, an alienchannelinghis voice through a sandwich asks him where the alien ship can land, and Gonzo suggests a beach named Cape Doom, unaware that Singer's assistant Agent Rentro (Bobo the Bear) is listening. Gonzo is then taken to the surgery room, and the Muppets arrive to rescue Gonzo and Rizzo.

Meanwhile, Rizzo escapes from medical research and frees Gonzo from the dissection table, while Singer and Luft witness the other rats attack the surgeon Dr. Phil Van Neuter. Luft feels that his time has been wasted and angrily leaves. Upon discovering from Rentro that Gonzo is heading for Cape Doom, Singer prepares the Subatomic Neutro-Destabilizer weapon to use on the aliens. Singer and Rentro then head to Cape Doom.

The Muppets rescue Gonzo from the facility, then arrive at Cape Doom where a crowd of alien believers await their arrival. After an hour-long wait, the ship arrives and the aliens, who all resemble Gonzo, explain that many years ago they lost him, but now welcome him back. Singer shows up and tries to kill the aliens, ultimately failing to do so (Rentro having removed the weapon's battery) and is laughed at. Gonzo considers going with his long-lost family to their home planet, but chooses to stay on Earth with the Muppets with his family's blessing. Singer is invited by the aliens to go with them and leaves as Earth's ambassador.

Later that night, Gonzo and the other Muppets watch the stars from the boarding house roof.

Cast

[edit]

Muppets performers

[edit]

Additionally, Whitmire, Kennedy, Linz, Massey, and Rickey Boyd make on-screen cameos ashippiesat Cape Doom.

Cameos

[edit]

Production

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As with the previous filmMuppet Treasure Island(1996), veteran Muppet performerFrank Ozwas unavailable for most of the shooting ofMuppets from Spacedue to scheduling conflicts with his directing obligations. As a result, his charactersMiss Piggy,Fozzie Bear,Animal,andSam Eaglewere performed on set by other puppeteers, with Oz laterloopinghis voice in post-production. For most of the filming,Peter Linzperformed Miss Piggy,John Kennedyperformed Fozzie Bear and Sam Eagle, and Rickey Boyd performedAnimal.Kennedy and Linz's voices can be heard in the film's theatrical trailer. In addition, Muppet performerKevin Clashwas also unavailable for most of the shooting, due to scheduling conflicts with his work onSesame Street(1969–present).[5]

Filming began in November 1998 at Screen Gem Studios inWilmington, North Carolina.[6]

The film would mark the first appearance ofScootersince the theme park attractionMuppet*Vision 3D(1991). His voice was performed inMuppets from Spaceby Adam Hunt, the brother of Scooter's initial performerRichard Hunt.

The film's visual effects were provided by Illusion Arts.[7]

Writing

[edit]

An earlier draft of the story was written byKirk ThatchercalledMuppets in Space.In the screenplay, aliens abductedKermitbecause they believed him to be their leader, leading the other Muppets to attempt to save him. A set ofWelch'sJelly Glasses were produced based around this theme.[8]According to the production notes featured on the DVD, the film was inspired byGonzo's song inThe Muppet Movie(1979), "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday".[9]

In a 2009 interview, co-writerJoseph Mazzarinorevealed that he left the project before shooting started, due to changes made to his draft of the screenplay. Mazzarino stated that his draft included parodies ofMen in Black,Contact(both 1997) andAlien(1979), and thatRandal Kleiserhad been selected to direct the film. However, shortly before shooting began,The Jim Henson Companyfired Kleiser, as they felt he was not "bringing enough vision", with Mazzarino subsequently hiringTimothy Hillas the new director, and the parodies were removed, as Hill wanted the film to be "more real".[10]

In addition, Mazzarino stated that in his draft Gonzo did not turn out to be an alien. Instead, the aliens were getting signals from episodes ofThe Muppet Show(1976–1981) and made themselves look like Gonzo, as they considered him to be the "ultimate being". In the end, they would reveal their true forms, and Gonzo would remain a "whatever", with his family being the Muppets.[10]

Music

[edit]
Muppets from Space: The Ultimate Muppet Trip
Soundtrack albumby
Various artists
ReleasedJuly 13, 1999[11]
GenreSoundtrack
Label
[11]
The Muppetschronology
Muppet Treasure Island: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(1996) 		Muppets from Space: The Ultimate Muppet Trip
(1999) 		Best of the Muppets featuring The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
(2005)

Muppets from Spacewas the first Muppet film to not feature original music, opting instead for a soundtrack consisting primarily of classic soul and funk tracks.

Some tracks were remade by contemporary artists, such as "Shining Star"by theDust Brothersfeaturing Jeymes, and "Dazz" byG. Love and Special Sauce,recorded atMuscle Shoals Sound StudioinSheffield, Alabama.The band was in the studio recording with Little Milton on the "Welcome To Little Milton" record. The band got a call from Jason Brown, their manager, while in the studio, to record a song for the movie. Will McFarlane, who was a Shoals/Malaco studio regular, and former Bonnie Raitt guitarist, played with the band on the song.Parliament's"Flash Light"was updated byGeorge Clintonas a duet withPepe the King Prawnnamed "Flash Light (Spaceflight)".

Two soundtracks were released featuring music from the film. The first album,Muppets from Space: The Ultimate Muppet Trip,consisted of the classic soul and funk tracks featured in the film and was jointly released bySony Wonder,Epic Records,andSony Music Soundtraxa day before the film's premiere,[11]while the other was an album containing the film's score, which was composed byJamshied Sharifiwith additional work byRupert Gregson-Williams.This album was released byVarèse Sarabandeon August 13, 1999.[12]

Earlier drafts of the film contained original music, including the song "Eye 2 the Sky", written and recorded byWeen,which was not included on the soundtrack. This song was intended to be sung by Gonzo. Gonzo's performerDave Goelzhad also recorded a new rendition of "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" for this film, a song which had originally appeared inThe Muppet Movie(1979). This song was also dropped, but was included on theMuppets from Spacesoundtrack, also sung by Gonzo.

Release

[edit]

Marketing

[edit]

To promote the film's theatrical release,Muppets from Spacewas accompanied with a marketing campaign with promotional tie-ins such asWendy'sandTravelodge.[13][14]From May 17 to May 21, 1999,Wheel of Fortunehad a theme called "Wheel Goes to the Movies" which featured a prize on the Wheel that included a four day trip toLos Angelesfor the world premiere ofMuppets from Space.[15]For the film's home video release, the pizza restaurant chainSbarropromoted the film with six figurines in a set, along with Muppet pizza boxes and bags.[16]

Home media

[edit]

On October 26, 1999,[17]the film was released on VHS and DVD with supplemental features such as a blooper reel and an audio commentary by Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Rizzo, and director Tim Hill.[18]It was released alongsideThe Muppets Take Manhattanon a double feature DVD bySony Pictures Home Entertainmenton June 9, 2008. The film received aBlu-rayrelease on August 16, 2011 also alongsideThe Muppets Take Manhattan,with all of the special features from the DVD included.[19]

Reception

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Box office

[edit]

Muppets from Spacewas released on July 14, 1999 in 2,265 theaters and grossed $7 million during its five-day opening frame.[20][21]At the end of its theatrical run, the film grossed $22.3 million worldwide against its $24 million budget.[3][22]

Critical response

[edit]

OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval rating of 63% based on 57 reviews and an average score of 6.17/10. The site's consensus reads: "IfMuppets from Spacelacks the magic and wit of its cinematic predecessors, this pleasingly silly space romp is funny and clever enough to make for better-than-average family entertainment. "[23]OnMetacritic,which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film holds a 53/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[24]

Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film a two-star rating (out of four) and concluded his review by saying that "maybeMuppets from Spaceis just not very good, and they'll make a comeback. I hope so. Because I just don't seem to care much anymore. "[25]Conversely, Robin Rauzi of theLos Angeles Timesgave the film a positive review, stating that "twenty years afterThe Muppet Movieand 30 after the beginning ofSesame Street,there is still life in these creations of felt, foam rubber and fake fur. With care, they will easily entertain and educate a third or fourth generation of children. The magic is back. "[26]

Michael Wilmington, reviewing forThe Chicago Tribune,praised the puppeteers' performances, but remarked "[t]his picture isn't goofy or dreamy enough, however engaging it may be to re-encounter the intrigues of Miss Piggy, the wistfulness of Kermit or the weirdness of Gonzo. Or relax into the period funk soundtrack (including the O'Jays'" Survival, "Earth, Wind and Fire's" Shining Star "and many others)."[27]Lawrence Van GelderofThe New York Timesfelt the "Frenetic movement and loud music overwhelm warmth and compassion, and the balance of character, plot, irreverent humor and innate decency that made some of the earlier Muppet movies so welcome is lost."[28]

In a 2000 interview,Frank Ozstated that the film was not "up to what it should have been" and "not the movie that we wanted it to be."[29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abMuppets from SpaceatAllMovie
  2. ^"Muppets from Space".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.RetrievedSeptember 25,2017.
  3. ^abcde"Muppets from Space (1999)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedNovember 17,2012.
  4. ^Setoodeh, Ramin (11 March 2014)."How Kermit and the Muppets Got Their Mojo Back".Variety.Retrieved12 March2014.
  5. ^Tough Pigs (November 1, 2011)."Tough Pigs interview: Kevin Clash Part 1 of 2"(YouTube).YouTube.I think I did about a week, uh, on the movie, that was about it
  6. ^"Muppet Central News -" Muppets from Space "begins filming".
  7. ^"Kenneth Nakada VFX".nakadavfx.com.RetrievedAugust 17,2018.
  8. ^"The Jim Henson Company".www.henson.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2 July 1998.Retrieved1 August2022.
  9. ^(2003)Muppets From SpaceDVD"Production Notes" bonus feature.
  10. ^abHennes, Joe (February 25, 2009)."A Chat with Joey Mazzarino, part 2".toughpigs.com.RetrievedMarch 18,2017.
  11. ^abcMcCormick, Moira (July 3, 1999).""Muppets From Space" Soundtrack Ready To Touch Down ".Billboard.p. 68.RetrievedApril 8,2019– viaGoogle Books.
  12. ^"Muppets From Space [Original Motion Picture Score]".AllMusic.All Media Network.RetrievedJune 21,2018.
  13. ^Hernandez, Greg (May 28, 1999)."Fast-Food Promotional Wars Heading Into a Furious Summer".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  14. ^"Travelodge Hotels, Inc. Takes Home Top Awards".Breaking Travel News.January 26, 2000.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  15. ^Wheel of Fortune: May 17, 1999.Youtube.
  16. ^Chapman, Cindy (November 21, 1999)."Sbarro restaurants release Muppet toys".Muppet Central News.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  17. ^"What's Hot".Los Angeles Times.October 14, 1999.
  18. ^Hettrick, Scott (November 19, 1999)."Muppets, A Thriller and Oz".Orlando Sentinel.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  19. ^Katz, Josh (June 6, 2011)."Muppets From Space & The Muppets Take Manhattan Blu-rays (Updated)".Blu-ray.com.RetrievedNovember 24,2019.
  20. ^"Weekend Box Office Results for July 16–18, 1999".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  21. ^Natale, Richard (July 19, 1999)."'Eyes' Sees Its Way to Top Spot ".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  22. ^Eller, Claudia (July 23, 1999)."On the Family Entertainment Map, Henson Co. Finds Itself at Crossroads".The Los Angeles Times.Retrieved2010-10-18.
  23. ^"Muppets from Space Movie Reviews".Rotten Tomatoes.Flixster.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  24. ^"Muppets from Spacereviews ".Metacritic.RetrievedApril 25,2023.
  25. ^Roger Ebert(July 14, 1999)."Muppets from Space".Chicago Sun-Times.RogerEbert.com.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  26. ^Rauzi, Robin (July 14, 1999)."Joy, Plot Restored in 'Muppets From Space'".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  27. ^Wilmington, Michael (July 14, 1999)."'Muppets from Space' Could Use a Hand ".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedAugust 2,2019.
  28. ^Van Gelder, Lawrence (July 14, 1999)."FILM REVIEW; Close Encounters of a Gonzo Kind".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
  29. ^Plume, Kenneth (February 10, 2000)."Interview with Frank Oz (Part 3 of 4)".IGN.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
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