The Muppet Performance Bracket -- Round Five

It’s time for the Final Four of the Muppet performance bracket, friends! And here’s an interesting twist: as much as the Muppets themselves (through things like Muppet*Vision 3-D and the PizzeRizzo restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) have served as spoilers in past brackets, that’s not been the case here.

In short: if you’d asked me at the start of this bracket to guess the Final Four — not my personal Final Four, but the Final Four I expected all of you vote on — well, these actors would be my picks.

Let’s see if the Top Two will be the same.

(1) Michael Caine, The Muppet Christmas Carol vs. (3) Steve Martin, The Muppet Movie: It took me until only a couple days ago to realize that this matchup would be a reunion of a pair of dirty rotten scoundrels, in a film that was directed by Miss Piggy herself. It’s a fun tie-in, and yet…I mean, we all know Caine is winning this one. I love Steve Martin’s cameo, but it can’t quite compare against Caine’s very keenly felt Ebenezer Scrooge. Sorry, Ruprecht.

(1) Charles Grodin, The Great Muppet Caper vs. (1) Tim Curry, Muppet Treasure Island: I know who I want to win this one. I know who I hope wins. But I really am curious to see if it comes true. I’ve just recently written an essay arguing that Tim Curry’s performance as Long John Silver is the best in any Muppet movie. So that’s who I’m voting for. (I am also telling you who I’d vote for in the Top Two if Curry moves on.) But I can see Grodin taking this. We’ll see.