Muppet Classic Theater

This is a good one. Thoroughly entertaining, wholesome, and funny. I vividly remember Rumpelstiltskin, King Midas, and the Elves and the Shoemaker. I remember the songs as well and still find an occasion to sing them. If you can find it don't hesitate to share this gem with the kiddos.

voices of Steve Whittemore, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Bill Baretta and David Goelz.

6 stories from fables made with Muppets. It's very entertaining, not as much as Jim Henson's, but was still very fun. It has 6 songs that are all forgettable, but fun and briefly catchy. Story one is the Three Li'l Pigs with Miss Piggy, which was pretty good. Story 2 is King Midas, with Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo, which was the worst. Story 3 is The Boy Who Cried Wolf with Gonzo and Kermit...which was interesting. Story 4 has Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo and is Rumplestiltskin. Story 5, the Empererors New Clothes, stars Fozzie Bear, Rizzo the Rat and Robin the Frog is the best segment. Story 6 is the Shoemaker and the Elves starring Kermit and Robin. The movie is fun, if not forgettable.

my rating-B. 67 minutes long. rated G.

The concept isn't that great: a quick run-through of old stories like 3 Little Pigs, etc. But then again, the Muppets are there and could spice things up, right? Wrong. This video is one of the very few Muppet projects that may entertain kids, but not adults in the least bit.

Maybe their biggest mistake here was that they didn't feature many Muppets. In fact, it's just Gonzo, Rizzo, Kermit & Piggy - with brief appearances by Fozzie and Robin. No Animal, no Sam the Eagle, no Swedish Chef, Electric Mayhem, Rowlf, Statler & Waldorf, Scooter, Bunsen or Beaker. I don't know why, because most of the performers of these great characters are there, and there is too much repetition with the characters they DO use.

Otherwise, it's just not well-done. These stories have been done better elsewhere, and there is none of the signature Muppet zaniness makes their TV shows and movies so great. They're just puppets here, doing extremely rushed, 5-10 minute renditions of these classic tales with no payoff.

Maybe kids will like it, but I found it extremely dry and generally boring, as an adult and a Muppet fan. They're recent movies have been tackling classic stories and doing it well. This is a waste of talent.

The Muppets are still the Muppets. I agree that since Jim Henson died, it seems to take a lot more effort to put together something worthy of their original off the wall charm, but it can and has be done in Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppets Tonight!. Muppet Classic Theater shows us that the focus has shifted to Gonzo and Rizzo since Dave Goelz and Steve Whitmire are among the few Muppeteers still dedicated exclusively to Muppet projects. Granted, these stories are rushed and simplistic and the songs are mediocre, but the work Goelz and Whitmire put in reminds us that these are still the characters we love. It's much like seeing your favorite actors in a bad movie. The story isn't so hot, but you can tell they've still got it and will go onto do better things.

This is my favorite Muppet collection of stories. The wolf is a riot in both the Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. "Pigs in a blanket? Why, yes, I believe I will!" Hilarious. Miss Piggy is at her best especially in The Midas Touch...and the songs are right on target. My daughter and I still sing them when the situation fits: gotta get that name! And when I hear someone gargle, I have to say "How charming...NEXT!" You have to watch it to understand. Ha..ha...I highly recommend this for those who need to take life a lot less seriously. The only thing I think was a little overboard was Gonzo acting a little weird about his scenes (of course, he IS an alien, after all) but Rizzo the Rat is great and what can I say about The Shoemaker and the Elvises? The costumes, set design, "expressions" on the muppets are all fabulous. Now, if they would just put it on DVD!