Muppets from Space (1999)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Tim Hill

Writers (WGA):

Jerry Juhl (written by) and
Joey Mazzarino (written by) ...

Release Date:

14 July 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Adventure

Tagline:

Space. It's not as deep as you think.

Plot:

Gonzo is contacted by his alien family through his breakfast cereal. He is kidnapped and it's up to Kermit and the gang to rescue Gonzo and help reunite him with his long-lost family.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Breakfast | Escape | Rat | UFO

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Dave Goelz	...	Gonzo / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Waldorf / The Bird Man / Swedish Chef / Zoot (uncredited) (voice)
Bill Barretta	...	Pepe the Prawn / Bobo as Rentro / Johnny Fiama / Bubba the Rat / Cosmic Fish #2 / Dr. Teeth / Rowlf (uncredited) (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Robin / Statler / Ubergonzo / Floyd (voice)
Brian Henson	...	Dr. Phil Van Neuter / Sal Minella / Talking Sandwich (voice)
Kevin Clash	...	Clifford (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam the Eagle / Swedish Chef (hands) (voice)
Jeffrey Tambor	...	K. Edgar Singer
F. Murray Abraham	...	Noah
Rob Schneider	...	TV Producer
Josh Charles	...	Agent Barker
Ray Liotta	...	Gate Guard
David Arquette	...	Dr. Tucker
Andie MacDowell	...	Shelley Snipes
Kathy Griffin	...	Female Armed Guard
Pat Hingle	...	General Luft

Also Known As:

Muppets in Space (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

87 min | Argentina:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | France:U | New Zealand:G | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Screen Gems Studios - 1223 North 23rd Street, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Jim Henson Company, The

Trivia:

Randal Kleiser was to direct the film, but was dropped before production began.

Goofs:

Continuity: The yellow spyglass prize from the cereal box is in Gonzo's hand in one instant, then back in the cereal bowl in the next.

Quotes:

General Luft: You're terminated.
Ed Singer: Uhh, when you say 'terminated'...
General Luft: You need help, Singer! *Find* some!

Movie Connections:

References Kenny Rogers as The Gambler (1980) (TV)

Soundtrack:

It's Your Thing

Muppets From Space (Tim Hill, 1999) **1/2

This is not up to previous big-screen adventures of the Muppets (in fact, it was the last) but still quite good – apart from the modernized score (which is barely there to begin with) and dubious star cast (David Arquette, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Kathie Holmes, Ray Liotta, Andie MacDowell, etc). The idea to explore the origins of Gonzo was nice (indeed inevitable, ditto the excursion into sci-fi) – even if the limelight is ultimately stolen by Rizzo The Rat (as ever, Gonzo's closest pal) and Pepe The Prawn (whose tendency to end his dialogue with "Okay?" recalls the teacher from SOUTH PARK, then at its peak). The emphasis on 'new' characters pretty much undermines the contribution of established Muppets like Kermit The Frog and Fozzie Bear…and, while Miss Piggy herself gets a fairly sizeable role, she basically retreads her paces from THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (1981). The script (and look of the film) clearly draws on recent genre blockbusters like INDEPENDENCE DAY and MARS ATTACKS! (both 1996); that said, its funnier moments typically involve throwaway bits of business, such as the resident pop group (which has Animal for a drummer) dressing up for the occasion when they replace Gonzo at a Bar Mitzvah and Pepe subconsciously convincing Gonzo to build a Jacuzzi in the spirit of FIELD OF DREAMS (1989)! Also notable, though, are the interrogation scenes with Gonzo at the secret military/scientific base and Rizzo's simultaneous tenure there as a guinea pig. Unsurprisingly, the climax sees the arrival of a mother ship on Earth – with a human eventually filling in for Gonzo, since the latter cannot bring himself to be separated from the other Muppets after all.