The Muppets

[AEfx]

Disney Channel has been using Gonzo (at least that I have seen, may be using more Muppets) for their generic "You are watching Disney Channel" promos lately. Nice to know they are exposing the Muppets to more general audiences.

As to the new film, I've heard nothing but the best Muppet film since Henson was making them (Jim, that is). I look forward to it greatly.

 

[PaisleyMF]

As part of the movie promo, Disney released a CD with the most known Muppet songs covered by some new rock bands like Ok Go. Well the making of and the music video for The Muppets Theme song is so funny. It is on Vevo.

 

[Victor Kelly]

I know that there was a very large legal battle between Disney and Jim Henson's estate. In the end Disney won out and for a very long time the attraction was kept in proper working order.

When we were there Sept 2010 thing were not 100%. But, we still enjoyed the attraction. The muppets was one of my favorite shows as a child. And the Muppet movie and Great Muppet Caper were the best movies.

My vote is to keep what they have, fix the stuff that needs fixing, and put more muppets theming into the area.

 

[CountryBearFan]

Unfortunately Kermit hasn't sounded right for years. I believe after Jim Henson died, his son took over voicing Kermit for a while and sounded very similar to the voice we were used to. Then someone else took over and he's had this high pitched voice that just sounds odd. He almost sounds like Big Bird.

There are some very talented mimics out there. I say hire one of them to do the 'original' Kermit voice instead of whoever this other person has been.

If you watch an old Muppet Show or one of the first 2 muppet movies (The Muppet Movie, or Great Muppet Caper) , and then something recent (Was Muppet Wizard of Oz the last recent movie?) , you will hear the difference.

In case you haven't read this post...



Leave Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson and all the other current puppeteers alone! They're all great, talented and have done the characters justice since they first took over the roles. After all, there's more to a character than a voice--it's about the performance. This whole "wrong-sounding Muppets" thing is just a bunch of baloney that deserves to be ignored at all costs. Those of you bashing the ever-talented (yes, ever-talented) next-generation puppeteers without thinking are completely wrong about them and really need to think before talking!

If you had a choice, which would you choose? A new voice actor that sounds slightly different from the original but is still very talented and knows how to act or a new voice actor that sounds like a 100% dead-on match to the original but has lousy acting skills? I know I would choose the former.

 

[Magenta Panther]

That "wrong-sounding Muppets" joke in Family Guy has really gotten a lot of traction...because it's unfortunately true. The thing is, a lot of people feel sentimental about the characters because of nostalgia, because of their memories. So if a revival of the characters doesn't jive with their memories, there will be disappointment. That's the danger of reviving dormant franchises.

Of course, the people who revived the Chipmunks didn't have to worry about voices, since their voices have always been sped-up and artificial-sounding anyway... :ROFLOL:

I've mellowed a lot about non-Disney (or non-Disneyfied, if you like) characters being in the parks. My attitude generated a lot of bad feeling here, which is hardly in the Disney spirit, for which I apologize. However, the Muppets have a nice area in DHS already, and I'd really rather they didn't expand beyond it. They have their own courtyard, their own theater and their own gift shop. And surely that's enough. I feel the same about Star Wars; one attraction is fine, two might be overdoing it. If new attractions are to be built, I hope they'll be based on Fantasia or Pinocchio or Lion King or other Disneyfied characters that right now are horribly underused, at least at WDW.

 

[boufa]

The touringplans.com blog is saying that the attraction is getting refubed. Soon. Apparently there are some permits on file and the repairs could begin soon. What all would be fixed and if they would close it, is unknown at this time.

 

[imagineer boy]

I definately wouldn't want them to replace the 3-D show, its a classic.

Would definately love to see the Muppet Movie ride and possibly a Swedish Chef resteraunt replacing Pizza Planet.

 

[PuertoRekinSam]

I agree under utilized properties like the Lion King do need to be used more in the park. Ever since they closed the puppet show for Philarmagic, their presence just hasn't been the same. FoLK, Circle Of Life, a scene on the water screen during Fantasmic, a scene in PhilarMagic, a wing of the All Star Movies 2, I mean Art of Disney Animaition....

 

[Magenta Panther]

I agree under utilized properties like the Lion King do need to be used more in the park. Ever since they closed the puppet show for Philarmagic, their presence just hasn't been the same. FoLK, Circle Of Life, a scene on the water screen during Fantasmic, a scene in PhilarMagic, a wing of the All Star Movies 2, I mean Art of Disney Animaition....

The Lion King is Disney's second-most successful animated movie to date (second only to Finding Nemo). Where is ITS theater, ITS courtyard, ITS special area in DHS? Its RIDE? That's the kind of thing I was referring to. :shrug:

 

[boufa]

The Lion King is Disney's second-most successful animated movie to date (second only to Finding Nemo). Where is ITS theater, ITS courtyard, ITS special area in DHS? Its RIDE? That's the kind of thing I was referring to. :shrug:

Disney is movies. Very little of theirs is based on anythibg other than a movie, it tv. By that defininition, we should move everything into dhs.

I realize this is not the way it is, but wouldn't it be cool if dhs was the park that focused on LIVE ACTION movies.

 

[erasure fan1]

I definately wouldn't want them to replace the 3-D show, its a classic.

Would definitely love to see the Muppet Movie ride and possibly a Swedish Chef restaurant replacing Pizza Planet.

Yes, just fix the show so ALL of the effects work. (including the smoke when Waldo peels out). A Muppet restaurant would be a great addition, as well as fixing the gift shop and adding things that are worth buying. That would be a great start to a Muppet land.

The Lion King is Disney's second-most successful animated movie to date (second only to Finding Nemo.

Actually 3rd most successful, dont forget toy story 3. It does have the chance to take out Nemo for the 2nd spot with the new 3D release though. I will agree that this movie is lacking the attractions it deserves.

 

[TinkerBelle8878]

In case you haven't read this post...

If one were to be going by that awfully-flawed mentality, we would be saying that Mickey, Donald, et al. have been sounding "wrong" since the deaths of their previous voice actors (ie: "Mickey has sounded wrong since Walt stopped voicing him, Donald has sounded wrong since the death of Clarence Nash, etc.).

Leave Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson and all the other current puppeteers alone! They're all great, talented and have done the characters justice since they first took over the roles. After all, there's more to a character than a voice--it's about the performance. This whole "wrong-sounding Muppets" thing is just a bunch of baloney that deserves to be ignored at all costs. Those of you bashing the ever-talented (yes, ever-talented) next-generation puppeteers without thinking are completely wrong about them and really need to think before talking!

If you had a choice, which would you choose? A new voice actor that sounds slightly different from the original but is still very talented and knows how to act or a new voice actor that sounds like a 100% dead-on match to the original but has lousy acting skills? I know I would choose the former.

I believe if they took the time, they'd be able to find someone that sounds the way they're supposed to sound and who can act. They certainly would go that route with Mickey Mouse. Kermit is the Mickey of the Muppets. I don't think he deserves any less.

This wasn't meant to incite an argument but I have a feeling those of us who grew up with the Muppets, who love the Muppets, will go to the side of sounding correct and how they always should sound. Acting can be learned. The voices sounding wrong overshadows any acting anyway since that's all fans can focus on and be thrown off by.

And puppeteers don't always have to be the voices. There's something called Post Production where voices are later added in.

 

[jmv5010]

Unfortunately Kermit hasn't sounded right for years. I believe after Jim Henson died, his son took over voicing Kermit for a while and sounded very similar to the voice we were used to. Then someone else took over and he's had this high pitched voice that just sounds odd. He almost sounds like Big Bird.

There are some very talented mimics out there. I say hire one of them to do the 'original' Kermit voice instead of whoever this other person has been.

If you watch an old Muppet Show or one of the first 2 muppet movies (The Muppet Movie, or Great Muppet Caper) , and then something recent (Was Muppet Wizard of Oz the last recent movie?) , you will hear the difference.

Steve Whitmire took over Kermit after Jim died. He has been doing it since then, except for some rare instances when another puppeteer filled it, but not for any major productions.

This site http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Kermit has just about any detail on every Muppet and the performers.

 

[twinnstar]

They are throwing a lot of promotion into this film, and i think its great to see. Everything I have heard so far is positive. Also, Jason Segal is a crazy Muppet fan and has shown that he has the ability to pull it off from the puppet finally Sarah Marshall (where he worked with Henson.) He is a great writer and as a huge longtime muppet/henson fan myself - I have complete faith in him. Plus anyone who watches How I Met Your Mother knows he's a crazy dorky person - which is the perfect fit for the Muppets!

Everything about this film looks like its going in a PERFECT direction.

Also - I dont mind kermits voice, as much as I miss a lot of the mannerisms Jim used to do. I dont know if the new guy just doesnt do them, or doesnt do them as well - but I can see the difference. Also, in the last film - whoever voiced miss piggy sounded disappointing. Anyone know if Frank Oz is reprising the role for the new film, or has he officially retired it?

 

[jmv5010]

They are throwing a lot of promotion into this film, and i think its great to see. Everything I have heard so far is positive. Also, Jason Segal is a crazy Muppet fan and has shown that he has the ability to pull it off from the puppet finally Sarah Marshall (where he worked with Henson.) He is a great writer and as a huge longtime muppet/henson fan myself - I have complete faith in him. Plus anyone who watches How I Met Your Mother knows he's a crazy dorky person - which is the perfect fit for the Muppets!

Everything about this film looks like its going in a PERFECT direction.

Also - I dont mind kermits voice, as much as I miss a lot of the mannerisms Jim used to do. I dont know if the new guy just doesnt do them, or doesnt do them as well - but I can see the difference. Also, in the last film - whoever voiced miss piggy sounded disappointing. Anyone know if Frank Oz is reprising the role for the new film, or has he officially retired it?

Oz is not reprising the role. He stopped performing Miss Piggy in 2002. Eric Jacobson will do her voice, as well as others that Oz used to do. After "Muppets From Space," Jacobson took on Oz's main Muppet Show characters.

 

[twinnstar]

Oz is not reprising the role. He stopped performing Miss Piggy in 2002. Eric Jacobson will do her voice, as well as others that Oz used to do. After "Muppets From Space," Jacobson took on Oz's main Muppet Show characters.

I thought he did all the other Oz characters well! I just thought his Piggy sounded a bit off. Oh well! I'd rather have a Miss Piggy then no Miss Piggy!

 

[wendysmom]

Anyone remember the muppet show over by the current Pizza planet back in "the day"?

I do! We have a blurry picture of the show. (Taken without a flash, of course!:lookaroun) I've often wondered what happened to it. It left fairly quickly, I think. I remember a Lion King show that was similar to the current Little Mermaid, too. We enjoyed that one as well.

 

[jmv5010]

I thought he did all the other Oz characters well! I just thought his Piggy sounded a bit off. Oh well! I'd rather have a Miss Piggy then no Miss Piggy!

I think his Fozzie is sounding great, and think his Piggy has gotten stronger. And a Miss Piggy is totally better than no Missy Piggy

 

[Magenta Panther]

Also, in the last film - whoever voiced miss piggy sounded disappointing. Anyone know if Frank Oz is reprising the role for the new film, or has he officially retired it?

With me, it's not as much how bad she sounds, it's how bad she looks. I saw a poster for the movie online a couple of weeks ago, and holy moley. She looked bad. Not the way I remember her at all. Well, I doubt I'll see the movie in any case, so whatever.

 

[unkadug]

With me, it's not as much how bad she sounds, it's how bad she looks. I saw a poster for the movie online a couple of weeks ago, and holy moley. She looked bad. Not the way I remember her at all. Well, I doubt I'll see the movie in any case, so whatever.

• Ms. Piggy is getting a lot older than she used to be when The Muppet Show was on Prime Time TV...
  
  
• she also has led a rough life with all the showbiz shenanigans out in California...
  
  
• unrequited love will take it's toll on the complexion of a pig.