Hey, A Movie!: Muppets From Space

It's too bad Dawson isn't here for this.

When you think of the phrase “Muppet movie,” what comes to mind? I don’t mean to refer here to the 1979 film The Muppet Movie. I mean the concept of a Muppet movie. What does that concept mean, in your head? You can feel free to tell me in the comments, but let me offer my own answer for now. A Muppet movie, to me, is an all-ages adventure/comedy that has more than enough gags that appeal a bit more to the older members of the family but still works for the younger ones. It’s got memorable cameos, big laughs, and, oh yes, songs.

What is a Muppet movie without original songs? The answer is Muppets from Space, which technically hits all of the items I listed in the previous paragraph, because I did not use the word “original” in front of the word “songs”. There are a heaping helping of songs in the 1999 summertime sci-fi comedy Muppets from Space, and not a one of them is original. I could say that a Muppet movie with no original songs isn’t really a Muppet movie at all, but then…I did say that on Letterboxd a few years ago.

Of course, scrolling around on Letterboxd to look at other people’s reactions of Muppets from Space today means that you get a glimpse into people embracing their nostalgia and thus, embracing a film that was initially perceived as a failure. Muppets from Space was not a big hit at the box office, grossing less money overall than its not-terribly-big $24 million budget. It wasn’t just critics who were harsh towards the film; even Frank Oz noted that the film wasn’t up to the studio’s past standards, just a year after its release. But maybe those more passionate and ardent folks on Letterboxd have a point.

…or maybe not.