‘The Muppet Movie’ will dazzle all ages on Blu-ray

New to Blu-ray, for the ‘Nearly 35^th Anniversary Edition’, from Disney is the timeless classic that cemented the legacy of the Jim Henson universe for most children of a generation, and the generations that they have influenced in the following decades, “The Muppet Movie”. The film remains just as vital and hilarious today as it did back then, and for most adults in their 30’s and 40’s, it is an instant time capsule back to their childhood heroes in action again.

The Muppet Movie Blu-ray Review

Starring: The Muppets

Written by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns

Directed by James Frawley

After a fateful meeting with a big-time talent agent, Kermit the Frog heads for Hollywood dreaming of show biz. Along the way, Fozzie Bear, the Great Gonzo and the dazzling Miss Piggy join him in hopes of becoming film stars too. But all bets are off when Kermit falls into the clutches of Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), a fast-food mogul seeking to promote his French-fried frog-leg franchise.

There isn’t much else to say about the film as most people who love the Muppets will already know it by heart. The cameos abound and are fast and plentiful, and while a lot of them will not connect with younger viewers at all due to their age, they remain funny in their own right enough that it will not matter. Some of the cameos that do stand out though include an obnoxious Steve Martin, conman Richard Pryor, goofy Elliot Gould and a stoic Orson Welles. One of the greatest successes of the film is the brilliant soundtrack with original songs written by another cameo guest Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher. The now timeless classic ‘Rainbow Connection’ was an Oscar nominee that year which sadly lost to a song from the Sally Field union drama “Norma Rae” that has since fallen completely off the pop culture radar while Rainbow Connection endures.

The film transfer looks fantastic, being a near 35 year old film there is still grain visible, but this adds character and style to the film and makes the viewing of the film even more enjoyable. Do we see the strings on screen as Kermit rides his bike through the town? Yes, but it’s still an amazing sight to see anyways. Besides, it’s the Muppets, in many ways you want to see those strings.

The Blu-ray comes with the Disney Intermission feature that will autoplay three rotating sing a-longs from the Frog-E-Oke special feature, or they can be played separately through the special features menu. Also included is a camera test from Director Frawley, the full Doc Hopper commercial and original trailers. Brought over from the DVD release is the ‘Pepe Profiles’ feature about the film and Kermit specifically.

The songs, the corny gags, Animal screaming at his monosyllabic best, these are the reasons why this movie will instantly transport anyone back to the age and time that they saw The Muppet Movie for the first time. The presentation looks fantastic and the songs are still infectious, so make sure to complete your rainbow connection in stores now.

Till Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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