Jim Henson: Idea Man (2024)

A retrospective on the life of Jim Henson, chronicling his rise as a filmmaker and puppeteer to the creation of his Muppets and Sesame Street all the way to The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. A lot of focus is spent on his wife, Jane, who helped to support him throughout. I found it enjoyable, but as an overview, it merely scratches the surface and doesn't quite capture the full spectrum of Henson's life and career. It focuses a lot on the early years and glosses over the latter period. I would have liked to see it go even deeper, but it functions well as a primer to the man and his legendary career. In particular, all of the behind-the-scenes footage of Jim and Frank Oz ad-libbing is gold. (That was always one of my favorite special features on The Muppet Movie DVD.)

3 ping pong balls out of 5

The Happytime Murders (2018)

In a world where humans and puppets co-exist (but a heavy prejudice still lingers), a hard-nosed P.I. is on the hunt for a puppet killer. He's reluctantly teamed up with a human who also harbors ill feelings towards his ilk. Featuring puppet prostitutes, junkies and other foul-mouthed felt bastards, it seems destined to offend anyone with delicate sensibilities. Brian Henson summons his Puppet Up! days to bring us this dark, perverse murder mystery comedy that feels closer to Meet the Feebles and Avenue Q than anything Jim Henson has put out. The sheer audacity of bringing this film into existence is to be commended. This one isn't for the kiddies or the pearl-clutchers.

3 silly string cumshots out of 5

Muppets from Space (1999)

Gonzo, the lonely, misunderstood, self-described "weirdo," contemplates his place in the world and where he belongs. Continuing off of a seed planted in The Muppet Movie ("I'm Going to Go Back There Someday"), we finally get our Gonzo-centric movie. While logic would dictate that this movie takes place in space, the majority of it is actually set at a top secret government facility, which captures Gonzo, prompting the rest of the Muppets to break him out.

While technically a well-made Muppet movie, the poor reception of this film led to the brand scaling back and being relegated to TV and direct-to-video productions for awhile, and it wasn't until 2011 that the Muppets were given another chance at their next big theatrical outing.

2½ whatevers out of 5

Note: If you get ahold of the DVD, it contains the most fun audio commentary I've ever heard with the Muppets themselves in a special MST3K silhouette style. It actually ends up being more entertaining than the movie itself.

Muppet Treasure Island (1996)

Riding high on the sails of Muppet Christmas Carol, Brian Henson sets out to adapt the next great literary classic. Full of swashbuckling adventure at sea, old treasure maps, chests full of pirate's gold and a legendary over-the-top performance by Tim Curry as Long John Silver, it's fun for all ages. Sadly, the material does not totally mesh well with the Muppets' sense of humor, and while it's full of colorful characters, skillful puppeteering and a memorable seafaring backdrop, it lacks both the humor and heart which made past Henson productions successful. My biggest issue is that it kid-ifies the source material too much. The Muppets shouldn't have their edges sanded off and it shows. 

3 black spots out of 5

LABYRINTH [1986]

Jim Henson, George Lucas and Monty Python's Terry Jones team-up for the bizarre fantasy film Labyrinth.  A complete box office failure that nearly destroyed Henson's drive, the film gained a heavy cult following over the years with it's dazzling visuals, amazing puppetry and of course David Bowie's lump.  Sadly the story is pretty thin, lessened even more with the blandness of Jennifer Connelly's leading character and a narrative that never quite gets on it's own two feet.  Still, Henson's ambition and creativity can't go unnoticed and raises the film above its heavy faults.

3 rooms of Relativity out of 5

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

“…there’s nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone…”

Joyously sentimental. If this movie doesn't make you all blurry-eyed, you're a monster. Michael Caine is delightful as old Ebenezer and the songs on the soundtrack are perfect. This was the first post-Jim Henson Muppet movie made; Brian Henson's Muppets are kinder and cuddly and lack the edge of their previous incarnation, but it suits the subject matter of this movie just fine. Ironically, this is also probably one of the most faithful adaptations of Dickens ever made. I think it's my fate to become an old miser like Scrooge if things don't change for me soon...

4.5 crippled frogs out of 5

Note: The song, "When Love is Gone," cut from the original theatrical version and restored on VHS format, is again missing from the latest edition of the DVD. Make sure you obtain the right version.