The Plot? Well if you know "It's a Wonderful Life" then you can probably guess the plot. The Muppets need money to save there theater, Despite getting it in time Fozzie proceeds to lose the money which causes Kermit to have an existential crisis. It's only the intervention of a kind angel that reminds him what's really important. So, let's take a closer look at the five reasons I love "A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie".
1.Nostalgia
This is one of the few Muppet movies that remembers that The Muppet Show existed. Why is that? Even "The Muppets" didn't do as good a detailed job recreating that ole studio the way this one recreated it. They got the stage right and auditorium but the backstage felt larger in scale and not quite right, the recreation in "Very Merry" is just beautifully done. It's just like it was on the show! The Moulin Rouge parody is one of the best things in the movie, it does feel like something out of the old show even if the number is a tad dated today. A lot of care was clearly put into those moments.
2.The Tone
Ok some of the touches are a bit much, like the rave and Scooter in a cage doing gyrations. Ugh. But that aside, it is a darker tone but I don't think it's to off putting. Ok maybe for little kids. But if you're going to do "It's a Wonderful Life" you need some dark in there (our hero has to be depressed at some point). And while it's a little dark it isn't as negative as that awful Muppet TV show ABC aired a couple years ago. It still feels like The Muppets and the characters positive vibes manage to shine through.
3.The Cameos
Most of the cameos are pretty good. Ok, a lot fail. Kelly Rippa and Molly Shannon are so fast it's pointless. And Triumph the Insult Comic Dog? Uh huh. And that Scrubs cameo gets more dated every year! But others work including Carson Daily, William H Macy, Whoopi Goldberg as god is perfect casting, and it's one of the few things I've liked David Arquette in. He plays the kind guardian angel who saves the day.
4.The References
All kinds of references to other Muppet and/or Christmas specials abound. Starting with It's a Wonderful Life of course and beyond the setup we get a lot of nice nods of dialogue from that movie mixed into the dialogue here. There's also a talking snowman narrator (pointlessly voiced by Mel Brooks). We get references to Grinch, A Christmas Story, The Karate Kid, and even a Star Wars gag is thrown in there. NBC managed to shill Fear Factor and Scrubs (and an awful fourth wall gag). Muppet continuity is acknowledged, with Scooter reminding us that at the start of The Muppet Show it was his uncle who owned the theater. And in the Kermit-less world we see that the mall has a stand for Doc Hopper's Frog Legs. Beautiful nod to "The Muppet Movie". I think the best is when Kermit reads a plaque on a statue of him that reads "Thank you Kermit from the children of the world. "For the Lovers and Dreamers in You"". Yeah I'll always take a nod to Rainbow Connection. What a brilliant touch!
5.The Heart
The heart is there, especially that heart breaking scene where Kermit finds out what happened to Miss Piggy without him. It's depressing but it works, making the scene later where he leaps onto the stage to give her a kiss all the more meaningful. The song Kermit and Gonzo sings in that faux world is a touching scene also. Especially since Gonzo has little to do before that. And some moments are just great Muppet gags including the opening before Kermit walks in (including a quick Gift of the Magi gag with Gonzo and Rizo), Dr.Honeydew and Beaker are funny as ever, and Miss Piggy's fight with Joan Cusak in the end is classic. And while it can be hard to see Kermit depressed and sad, it feels so good at the end when he is happy again in the end after being reminded what's really important.
Are there stupid things in it ? Oh my yes. The plot isn't the most creative, but I get they needed the money problem for the story to work. Piggy leaves the show only to be pointlessly brought back ten minutes later. Pepe is the hero in the end, but I hate him. Joan Cusack is a bit to over the top, and her reasoning is stupid. She wants to demolish the theater so she can make lots of money off a club, and yet the Muppet's prove very clearly that they can bring in the cash! Does she just like raves? Fozzie losing the money makes sense but that scene with the faux crocodile hunter and Fozzie and the lasers is....a little bit much. And there are to many sexual gags that are out of place in a movie which should be aimed at kids to some degree. Finally, I noted how that rave in the Kermit-less world is a little over the top, and it is, but other choices made are weird to like why Fozzie would become pick pocket? or why The Mayhem Band became river dancers. They were The Mayhem Band before they even met Kermit so why did that change?? And what's Robin doing there?
Yeah "The Muppet's" had the same plot and it has some major similarities including Kermit trying to find a celebrity friend to help them, wanting to save the theater from being destroyed, and it's almost the same ending except they aren't singing Christmas Carols in it. Yes the end is a slight cop out with the historical landmark cliche (not worst than "The Muppet's" cop out!!), but I really like the message. They may have lost the theater but the important thing is that they are together. "The Muppet's" is probably a lot better, the scale is sure bigger, but Very Merry Muppet Christmas will always be a major guilty pleasure for me. Sure it doesn't compare to the awesome specials of the 80's like the Muppet Family Christmas but I think it's better than the inane Muppet Letters to Santa or that god awful TV series that aired om ABC a few years ago.
So what did you guys think? Do you agree or am I the only one who considers this a guilty pleasure? Comment and let me know.
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