Since The Muppets came out two years ago, most Disney fans have been awaiting a sequel. This week a two-minute trailer was released that shows what we can expect in March from Muppets Most Wanted:
What did you think. We see plently of stars, I do admit I enjoy Ty Burrell and Tina Fey in most of their performances. And even in this two minutes watching Burrell face off with Sam the Eagle made me snicker. Did I see Loki, why yes I did!
But sadly, I do not feel as excited as I was two years ago when the Muppets were huge. So I am hopeful for another great movie. But I am also scared it may be difficult to capture what the Muppets had in 2011 with their return to the big screen.
Argo directed and starring Ben Affleck may be an odd pick for a Mousey Movie, but it is Mousey through and through despite being released by Warner Brothers. Sure, there are no cartoon animals, no plots full of gags, and I would not show it to the Between Tween because I think she would miss the historical contexts. But Argo has numerous ties to the House of Mouse and they cannot be ignored. In fact Sully (John Goodman) and Father in Law Christmas (Alan Arkin) both have significant roles and tie into some of my favorite Disney franchises.
Argo recounts the story of Central Intelligence Agency agent Tony Menedez, played by Affleck, and his efforts to lead six United States Embassy employees out of Tehran, Iran during the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979. The six had fled the embassy and were in hiding at the Canadian Embassy. Menedez works with contacts in Hollywood to stage the production of a fake movie, Argo, so Mendez can spirit them out of the country as Canadian production staff. The movie is full of tension as the audience worries if Mendez and the six passengers will make it out of the country safely.
You know as I think about it, this movie is really in the mold of Disney movies. There is some violence, but Menedez’s strained relationship with his family is highlighted along with his desire to be closer to them. He easily could be the dad in a PG movie fighting the balance of work and family. And the action and escape plot kind of reminds me of Touchstone’s (which means Disney’s) 1988 film The Rescue, a film in which teenagers save their Navy SEAL fathers from North Korean captivity, a film that was introduced to by Uncle Mike on The Wonderful World of Disney (or whatever version existed at the time).
Action Hero: So Ben Affleck really does not have typical “Disney” credentials. But Disney has other labels they release films through. Touchstone Pictures was established by Disney in 1984 for the release of more mature films. Affleck has appeared in two mega-hits for Touchstone. These hits were 1998’s Armageddon and 2001’s Pearl Harbor. When I rode The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney-MGM Studios (yeah, it’s been that long), it was Pearl Harbor that was plastered throughout the attraction. Both of these films were produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who now makes movies with the Disney label and makes buckets and buckets of money for the mouse. Disney actually helped Affleck in his big break. Affleck won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) with Matt Damon for 1997’s Good Will Hunting which was distributed by Miramax Films. Disney owned Miramax from 1993 to 2010, which they purchased as a studio to produce independent minded films with an adult edge. Affleck would later appear in Miramax’s 1998 Shakespeare in Love, which won the Academy Award for best picture, which I am still angry about today since Saving Private Ryan was clearly the better movie.
Plush: Menedez’s fake movie Argo is targeted due to the success of Star Wars. Basically everyone is trying to copy that success, including the CIA. Of course Disney itself tried to grab the coattails of Lucas’ success by offering up the underrated The Black Hole. The fact that Argo is a Star Wars rip off is clear at a table read which includes a character that can only be described as Purple Chewbacca! The impact of Star Wars goes past Purple Chewy, as Menedez’s son has a collection of Star Wars action figures that I am quite jealous of. Even as a grown adult I would really love his X-Wing, Millennium Falcon and the tall Boba Fett we see out of boxes in his bedroom!
Crossroads: When you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios the Imagineers want to put you into Hollywood even though you are in Florida. To set the scene they use a number of Los Angeles’ landmarks to set the scene. One of these is a replica of the Crossroads of the World, which some claim is the world’s first shopping mall. The icon is a tower with a spinning glob on top and is found inside the entrance to the theme park. In Argo the icon can be seen as Mendez and his producing partner Lester Siegel, played by Alan Arkin, attempt to purchase the Argo script.
Crossroads of the World
Old Guys: Of course a plan this crazy requires approval. So Menedez and his boss played by Bryan Cranston report to two senior CIA executives to get approval for them to kickoff their Hollywood plan. Cranston notes, “It’s like talking to the old guys on the Muppets.” The pair clearly are grumpy old men.
Tough Security: Anyone who has flown to Anaheim and Orlando knows that security can be strict. Ironically during the time period that Argo covers, airport security was less strict with friends and family visiting passengers at the gate. If you want to see tough security, you have to check out the multiple checks at the Tehran Airport as Menedez attempts to bring his passengers out of Tehran. Once when a TSA agent at John Wayne grilled my kids I thought it odd, but I appreciated that he was confirming they were who I said they were. But Argo makes it clear that security in today’s America is a lot more convenient than revolutionary Iran.
Argo is a great movie, and I would be more than happy to let Affleck participate in the Marvel or Star Wars universes after this fantastic offering. I look forward to seeing Affleck’s next project, which is not scheduled for Disney but Warner Brothers. But hopefully it will be just as Mousey and as entertaining as Argo.
The Muppets are back and here to stay for awhile. At the March 13, 2012, annual meeting, Walt Disney President Bob Iger stated that a sequel is in the works for The Muppets. Clearly the House of Mouse is happy with the performance of this Mousey Movie.
When I first watched The Muppetsin the theater I immediately declared it a Mousey Movie. It is just so so rich when you are seeking Disney references. With the release of the movie on DVD and Blu-ray I realized that I missed tons of Mousey reverences and that I needed to correct my oversights from my original viewing.
·The Disneyland Band: What is a Muppet production without a big musical number? “Life’s a Happy Song” at the beginning of the movie really sets the story, letting us know how great things are in Smalltown and the positive attitudes our main characters Walter, Gary and Mary have towards life. Of course if you have a big musical number you need a band! A marching band dances and plays behind the citizens of Smalltown as our happy trio lead the community in song. The marching band is made up of members of the Disneyland Band. Okay, I can’t take credit for finding this one, because to me all marching bands pretty much look alike. The credit for this find goes to the official DisneyParks Blog.
·Theme Park Problems: Walter has a problem as he plans his visit to the home of his heroes, The Muppet Studio. What to do first? Which attraction will have the shortest lines and the longest lines? Walter needs to maximize his touring day! Every parks addict knows what Walter needs is a Touring Plan!
·Kermit’s Wall of Stars: At the Muppets Studio one could visit Kermit’s Office, it used to be the highlight of the tour I hear. On Kermit’s wall are several portraits of Kermit with celebrities and former guest hosts for the The Muppet Show. One may find a former English nanny and sometimes Queen of a small European nation on the wall. You can also see pictures of Kermit with Steve Martin, a former Disneyland cast member who credits the late Disney Legend Wally Boag for inspiring much of his early comedy. But for me the picture that jumps out is one of Kermit with his creator Jim Henson. This may be cheating to call a tribute to the creator of the Muppets as Mousey, but in 2011 the late Jim Henson was named a Disney Legend securing his place within the legacy of the House of Mouse.
·Toy Dinosaurs: Music supervisor Bret McKenzie was familiar with actress Kristen Schaal as both worked on the show Flight of the Conchords, but so are Disney fans. Schaal’s anger management instructors share a voice with all Disney fans second favorite dinosaur, first with web surfing skills, Trixie from Toy Story 3.
·Hidden Mickey: As everything great and wonderful should start with a larger than life musical number, we all know from spending time in the parks that the night should end with fireworks. Towards the end of The Muppetswe get those fireworks. For those who want to see it, three firework explosions create a classic hidden Mickey.
·The Lost Scenes: The special features of the Blu-Ray disc contains tons of Mousey Moments. I direct your attention to the Deleted Scenes! One scene includes an alternative arrival for Walter, Gary and Mary in Los Angeles. In this version the Greyhound bus delivers them directly to the front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, a duplicate of which can be found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios containing The Great Movie Ride. Television executive Veronica shows the Muppets a number of popular shows on her network. This includes Credit Card Club which stars Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland and So Random’s Sterling Knight. And another deleted scene shows the Muppets staging a fake Academy Awards presentation to find a host for their telethon. The event is broken up by frequent Academy Awards host Billy Crystal, who notes some of the Oscar statues are made of chocolate. Everyone loves Crystal as the voice of Mike in Monsters, Inc. and the future Monsters University.
The Muppetsis such a rich movie when it comes to gags, puns and pop culture references. I am sure I will see even more in my next viewing, and the one after that. It already has a place of honor in the Between Household as the Between Kids are addicted to “Man or Muppet.” The Muppetsmake everyday in Between Land a day where “Everything is great everything is grand”
This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival. Head over there to see more great Disney-related posts and articles."
I’m one of those adults like actor writer Jason Segel who grew up with the Muppets. One of the earliest reports I remember writing for school was an Elementary music report on a musical. I chose 1979’s The Muppet Movie and with the help of notes on an eight-track cassette, yeah eight-track, I presented my teacher with what I thought musical theater was. But I also admit, over the years the Muppet movies have fallen flat for me. Perhaps it was Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, which my kids love, which lead to me personally writing off the Muppets as must see media. But after seeing The Muppets, all I can say is thank you Jason Segel for helping Disney bring back this franchise to the big screen. Seriously 13 family members representing 3 generations left the theater all singing “Mahna Mahna” together.
I think sometimes we forget, even with Muppet*Vision 3D, that the Muppets are owned by Disney: And like any good Mousey movie, one which pretty much every department of the company promoted, Michael Eisner would be proud of the synergy found in The Muppets:
·Amy Adams: Amy Adams takes her second spin as the female lead in a Disney movie. For me her first turn, Giselle in Enchanted, firmly and personally placed her in the princess pantheon forever. For me her song, “That's How You Know” from Enchantedwill always serve as the best example of what a Disney princess would be like in our world that I have ever seen. It just screams Mouseyness to have a Disney princess in the female lead.
·Neil Patrick Harris: NPH, is there anything you can’t do? The Disney California Adventure California Screamin’ barker and Disney fan boy delivers one of the best lines of the movie. No spoilers here!
·Alan Arkin: Mr. Arkin playing a tour guide is not only a distinguished actor, but for fans of Disney’s Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Arkin is also Father-in-Law Christmas.
·The Stars of the Small Screen: Whoopi Goldberg (ABC daytime), Selena Gomez (Disney Channel), and Rico Rodriquez (ABC primetime) make a cameo together ensuring that Disney’s ABC properties are sufficiently represented (or marketed) in this hit film.
·Zach Galifiankis: Well clearly I’m making leaps now arguing that Zach Galifiankis makes The Muppetsmousey! Nope, he stars as the human lead in Disney’s 2009 G-Force. It may sound corny, but it’s actually a pretty fun movie. His Hobo Joe in The Muppetsseems to fit his other big screen somewhat silly roles more than his very understated Ben from G-Force. But then you probably need to be understated if you lead a special forces team of rodents!
·Product Placement: Let’s face it, films advertise products. And you can spot advertisements for other Disney productions throughout the movie. Conveniently the two most obvious were released on Blu-ray and DVD when The Muppetswas released. So go get your copy of Winnie the Pooh. And you can’t escape Mater and Cars 2, with its poster coming into screen over and over and over again. Finally, I found myself considering an iPad2 after seeing the prominent billboard in the background. Was this a tribute, favor, or paid advertisement by Apple, whose found the later Steve Jobs was Disney’s largest shareholder during production of this movie.
The Muppets are back. Kermit, Missy Piggy and the whole game are relevant again. And I’m hoping this just means more Muppet goodness in the future. And they want us to know, the Muppets live at the House of Mouse.
