SnoopyStyle Kermit the Frog is happily living in the swamps. Bernie the Agent (Dom DeLuise) is lost and suggests World Wide Studios' open audition for frogs. Kermit decides to go to Hollywood and finds various friends along the way. Doc Hopper (Charles Durning) tries to get him to be the new spokesfrog for his chain of frog legs restaurants. It's a string of cameos and light-hearted fun.It's the first theatrical film for Jim Henson's Muppets. Other than the awkward frog legs restaurants, this is simple childhood joy. It's nice to see each group of Muppets get introduced. There's a lovely feeling for everybody. There are a few catchy songs. There is something joyous about watching these Muppets walking around. I don't really like the villain. Maybe they should have used another Muppet.

Python Hyena The Muppet Movie (1979): Dir: James Frawley / Featuring: Charles Durning, Mel Brooks, Austin Pendleton, Scott Walker, Dom DeLuise: Imaginative family film about the magic of filmmaking and in particular the wonderment of the Muppets. Kermit the frog sits on a log playing his ukelele until Dom DeLuise rows by and offers him a copy of Variety, which has an ad for singing frogs. He decides to go to Hollywood to become a star and along the way he encounters fellow Muppet pals Fozzie Bear, the Great Gonzo, and Miss Piggy. Fine opening with detailed road movie plotting thanks to director James Frawley. Charles Durning plays the villain who wants Kermit as a trademark for French Fried Fog's Legs restaurants. Among his henchmen are Mel Brooks as a brilliant scientist who attempts to render Kermit a real frog through a machine but this will backfire. Others have rather standard roles. Austin Pendleton plays Durning's closest henchman who will have a change of heart. Scott Walker plays the nasty Snake Walker set to exterminate Kermit. Other celebrities appear briefly but memorably. It is a wonderful combination of movie stars interacting with these fictional creations and with great payoff. Imaginative family film that will appeal to children as well as adults. It succeeds in the wondrous magic of Muppet creator Jim Henson and the world he creates. Score: 9 / 10

mark.waltz Replacing moose and squirrel as the top non-human super couple of television, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy moved onto the movies in the late 1970's and never looked back. Miss Piggy, already a T.V. diva, even went as far as to protest on the Oscars as to why she was not nominated to which host Johnny Carson told her the only Oscar she was worthy of was Oscar Mayer. Kermit, of course, was much more humble, and coming from the swamp as opposed to a luxurious sty, that makes perfect sense to me. In fact, if it wasn't for Dom De Luise paddling through that swamp on a boat and finding Kermit strumming a banjo singing "The Rainbow Connection", he might still be there today! It is De Luise's suggestion that he get himself to Hollywood and present himself as their newest romantic star. After all, the last time frogs made an impression in Hollywood was those nasty ones who along with some snakes and other swamp creatures invaded Ray Milland's plantation in the horror epic "Frogs". The musical adventure follows Kermit's journey, his romance with beauty contestant winner Miss Piggy, and most nefariously, Charles Durning's desire to use Kermit for commercials for his chain of frog's legs restaurants which of course makes Kermit hopping mad. All of the muppet regulars join Kermit and Piggy for their journey to Hollywood and dreams of movie stardom. Even Big Bird makes an appearance, turning down Kermit's offer to join them, trying to find his way to public television rather than that dangerous world known as Hollywood.There's a dozen cameos by various celebrities of the era (and a few of the past) including Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy as judges in Miss Piggy's beauty contest, Bob Hope who makes jokes while selling Kermit ice cream, Richard Pryor as a sarcastic balloon salesman, Milton Berle as a shyster car salesman, Steve Martin as a sarcastic waiter who almost spoils Miss Piggy and Kermit's date, Cloris Leachman as an officious movie studio secretary (sneezing as she is surrounded by the furry creatures invading her office), and finally, Orson Welles as a very imperious seeming movie mogul who hides a huge heart of gold underneath his enormous girth."The Rainbow Connection", Kermit's theme song here, has almost surpassed "It's not easy being green" as his theme song. After many years of making the rounds on every variety show and of course "Sessame Street", the muppets moved onto a very popular syndicated show which lead to their transition into the movies. This was one of the biggest hits of the 1979 summer season and has stood the test of time, even if some of the cameos by the various older stars may not ring any bells of familiarity with today's younger audiences. As for the other songs in the film, they are vibrant and peppy, if shortened for the movie with lyric changes that were heard on the original soundtrack album. Miss Piggy really hams it up with her big solo, "Never Before, Never Again", but even that is really worth a Golden Apple. Seldom after has Hollywood given us entertainment that continues to appeal to practically everybody to this day.

johnstonjames why are there so many songs about rainbows? as a relatively committed cynic, i find that man cannot live by purely edgy and cynical entertainment alone. too much cynicism and negativity can get shoved down your throat as much as optimism gets pushed at people. in a day and age when so much in entertainment is like 'South Park' or 'Family Guy' and 'The Simpsons', sometimes you need a change of pace. sometimes even things that seem trendy or novel and new, get tiresome and old news.don't get me wrong. i really like 'South Park' and 'The Simpsons', but i've watched so much of that kind of thing for a couple of decades and occasionally i like a change from all the nihilism and cynicism and find myself watching a old Disney film or something by Jim Henson with the Muppet puppets. i've grown a lot since my early days. even in my twenties i was unrealistically optimistic about things and life and people. well, eventually people and events in life changed all that. more than likely it was somewhat for the best. you can't always try to see the good in everything. that outlook has no balance. sometimes you need to address the negative in your environment, other people, and yes, in your self. there's a old saying that you can go to the other extreme of something, you meet your other self coming back around. but i don't think anything ever gets solved by being too negative or too optimistic.if you have seen Jim Henson's wonderful puppet Muppet fantasy 'Labyrinth', you might remember the characters at the end who tell the teen ager "if you ever need us time and again...", well that's the essence of the Muppets and Disney for all adults, if ever you need those things from childhood that were fun, friendly, and made you feel safe, you should feel free enough to call on them. as long as you bring yourself back into reality to address serious matters. like other people.as far as the Muppets and the "rainbow connection" go, it's all good. i don't even think Disney has the track record of flawless perfection the Jim Henson "experiance" has. the Muppets and Henson never offend, but they also entertain effortlessly without violence and grotesque crudity and imagery.i'm always surprised how well the original film holds up decade after decade. i hadn't seen it in a while, and i was reminded again what a timeless classic it is. partly due to the memorable genius of Paul Williams as well as Henson.i also think that younger generations should be reminded that Jim Henson and the Muppets did not start with Disney. Disney simple acquired the Jim Henson genius decades later through monopoly purchase. i love Disney, but i hate the Disney trend for engulfing the works and talents of others. it would be a sad day if the genius of the Muppets becomes synonymous with Disney and Jim Henson was forgotten. give credit where credit is due, and all this is due to the incredible whimsical genius of Jim Henson.