Das größte Muppet Weihnachtsspektakel aller Zeiten

I first saw this movie last year on NBC and was very pleasantly surprised. I'm not really a big Muppet fan. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I've never watched them that much. So why was I interested in this movie in the first place? I'm not really sure. Maybe because Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was in it! Nevertheless, I had some good laughs watching this last year.

Fast forward to the present time and I saw this on sale, so I had to get it. Watching it a second time, I'm a little more conscious about concerns that some scenes were too "adult" for this movie. For example, the whole rave scene might get people upset where lovable Scooter is grinding in a cage!! Another example is the character Pepe who swoons over Joan Cusack's character and uses the terms, "sexy" and "topless."

So I could kind of see how people can get upset with this movie, but I definitely don't think it tarnishes what the Muppets are all about, unlike what's being done in 'The Cat in the Hat' movie. The Muppets still provide family-friendly laughter and moments to people of all ages. Fozzie's Grinch scene was pretty funny, Pepe steals the show, the spoof on 'It's a Wonderful Life' is great, and I like the jabs at NBC's corporate synergy (I'm a business major and a former Disney employee, so I know this stuff well!) I also found the song between Gonzo and Kermit, "Everyone Matters," to be very nice and sweet.

Overall, this is a very nice and funny Christmas movie. I wouldn't necessarily label this as a classic or really all that memorable though, because honestly, are we going to remember some of their references (Scrubs, Ricky Martin, and Moulin Rouge) ten years from now? By the way, I've never seen Moulin Rouge, so that spoof went way over my head!

This movie is good for the current time period, but I'm afraid it won't live on much longer unlike other Christmas classics (Rudolph, A Christmas Story, Mickey's Christmas Carol). Now is a good time to see it though.

My IMDb Rating: 7/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B (Good)

Sorry, but the script for this was a good first draft, but a poor final draft. Certainly there are moments of brilliance (the snowman, bringing back Doc Hopper), but they are mixed in with a lame effort to make God into a comedic character, sexual innuendo, and over the top homosexual characters that will discourage both conservative and liberal parents from showing this to their kids.

Ah how I do love the muppets. They are always so fun and joyus and there are about five different films set at christmas, each of which is great. In this movie the gangs beloved thetre is thretened with closure from a horrible tyccoon played by joan cusack. David arquette sees kermit down in the dumps and talks to god, an apperance by whoopie goldburg. They dont help but are more there for the cameo part. Matthew lilard also plays a strange french fella. Theres fun and excitement and good songs as always as the gang set about to make the money up. I akways enjoy seeing them and am amazed by the pupperty. Overall a very good christmas film.

I think that the people who made this film had the people who grew up with the Muppets (people in their 20's and 30's) in mind. But that's the problem. We watch the Muppet movies to "escape" from the crap that other movies dish out, not wanting to see a movie that celebrates it. Basically, instead of using a plot, the movie tries too hard to use "pop cultural references" (such as referring to Britney Spears, or Triumph the Insult Comic Dog) and also uses inappropriate characters and situations (such as using seemingly gay characters; a rave scene where they have Scooter dancing as a cage dancer in a club, the Shrimp, Pepe, even using the word "sexy", etc.) It's not that we viewers can't "handle" more mature and modern Muppets, it's just that we don't want to. And I don't think parents want their kids to watch this. I just think this kind of stuff would confuse them. Plus the violence, although mild and cartoonish, is unnecessary. They have characters who say "let's go beat up" Fozzie, and fight scenes between humans and Muppets, and Muppets and Muppets, that are uncalled for, and not humorous at all. Bizarrely enough, the humans in this movie (except for one) all have these bizarrely happy smiles on their faces, and don't talk. It's just weird. It's almost like the Muppets are acting worse off than the innocent-looking humans. This movie just failed with me. I was upset how the people who wrote this tried to "sell out" and break something that don't need to be fixed. I will never watch this again, and I would not want to let kids see it. The Muppets have little personality in this, and any plot is substituted with references to other movies, as if the Muppets don't have any worth of their own. Which they should.

I am a big fan of the Muppets, I love their show and with exception of Muppet Wizard of Oz, I like/love their movies. It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is not brilliant and could have been much better, but it is not bad at all. Some of the innuendo is smutty, Eric Jacobson lacks the vibrancy and charm that Frank Oz brought Fozzie and Miss Piggy to life with(he wasn't awful just bland), the pacing is rather slow and some of the Muppets are underused and out of character for my liking. However, the set design is great, the song EveryOne Matters is very touching, the Moulin Scrooge send-up is very inspired, colourful and amusing and the music is good. Plus the take on It's a Wonderful Life is a nice touch, Joan Cusack seems to be having fun as the Scrooge who threatens to close the Muppet theatre and the cameos from Matthew Lillard, William H Macy and Whoopi Goldberg are fine. Out of the Muppets, Kermit, Pepe and Fozzie especially acquit themselves well and David Arquette is good as the angel. So overall, could have been better but not bad. For a better seasonal offering though, see Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooge, Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alones 1 and 2 and the granddaddy of them all It's a Wonderful Life. 6/10 Bethany Cox