Kermit the Frog meets an agent who suggests he go to Hollywood where he could become a star and make millions of people happy. Following this dream, he hits the road, and meets up with other muppets following the same dream. Meanwhile, a sleezy fast food franchise owner wants the personable Kermit to be the spokesperson for his frog's legs ad campaign, and will stop at nothing to get him. Along the way, we get to see many cameo appearances.
I remember this movie when I was a kid. I was very excited at the time because I loved the muppets on Sesame Street, then on The Muppet Show along with famous stars. This film was fun at the time, and still is fun, because it doesn't take itself seriously, because of the memorable songs, and because you get to see all the distinct and familiar muppet characters.
Columbia TriStar Home Video's DVD contains the film's original widescreen version in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio on one side of the disc, as well as a pan & scan transfer on the other. The widescreen presentation is enhanced for 16x9 TV sets. The film is grainy and has a few scratches that are noticeable if you look for them. Color reproduction is somewhat muted--not as vibrant as "Muppets in Space." These flaws don't take away from the film if you're a fan of the movie, but this disc wouldn't make a good demo disc to show off a high-end system.
The disc begins with the Columbia TriStar logo then goes directly into the menus. (No annoying ads to begin with.) All the menus are elegant still images which makes traversing menus quick and easy.
"The Muppet Movie" contains a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital soundtrack as well as a Dolby Surround track in English, and French and Spanish language tracks. There are English, Spanish and French subtitles as well. There are 28 chapter stops on the scene selection menu.
There is a suprisingly fun extra on the DVD. There's "Jim Frawley's Camera Test" of muppets with some improvised interaction that had me rolling in laughter. Though the film is low quality, with imperfections in the print and the sound, it's a gem in the unconventional dialogue they engage. I especially enjoyed the frank discussion in which Fozzie is revelling in being a bear, then Kermit confides that Fozzie is not a real bear but a puppet.
Additional extras are movie trailers: Muppets from Space, Jumanji, Buddy, Muppets Take Manhattan, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Also, there are some funny Muppets TV spots (Muppetisms) featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Pepe and Rizzo.
"The Muppet Movie" is a light-hearted comedy that will appeal to families and the young-at-heart. The movie is a simple story that shows the reward of following one's dreams. The DVD, while doesn't stress a high-end system, is a good quality for enjoying the movie and has entertaining supplements.
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