Looking up a few details about this film made me aware of a few things. First, I could have sworn that this was the second Muppet film. Lo and behold I am wrong. For someone who likes watching film series in chronological order I was shocked to learn that The Great Muppet Caper was released prior to this film. Secondly, I was further dismayed to discover that, despite owning it and having seen it within the last five years, I never posted an official rating or review for The Muppet Movie. This will be corrected in time but I am lucky in that the Muppet movies aren’t really a chronologically linked saga to begin with.
The film begins with the Muppet gang graduating from college, where they created a hit musical show called Manhattan Melodies. They make their way to New York, eager to find a producer willing to back their show. The closest they get to success is nearly being swindled by a con artist. The gang runs out of cash, morale hits the floor, and they all set off on their own disparate paths.
Kermit stays behind, continuing his search for a producer while working at a diner. Just when Kermit finds a willing producer, he is hit by a car and suffers total amnesia. It’s up to Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet gang (who come flocking to New York with the news that their show is a go) to find Kermit and restore his memory, thereby saving their friend and the show.
I really don’t have a lot to say about this film. Any movie involving the Muppets should tell you that good-natured fun is about to be had. This is the Muppets after all. They stand for wholesome, cheeky humor and zany fantasy-like antics. The fact that they are infiltrating the ‘real world’ only adds to the wonder, beauty and magic that befalls your eyes.
The Muppet Movie was a landmark film, so it’s hard for any follow-up to match the standard it set. Still, I may be short-changing Manhattan because, from a technical standpoint, any Muppet film presents a daunting task for both cinematographers and editors. Setting up shots just right to keep the Muppeteers out of view is one things- rigging up and blocking scenes where the Muppets are actually moving presents a litany of logistical challenges for the whole crew.
Technical wizardry aside, Manhattan doesn’t quite grab you the whole way through. Highlights do include Rizzo the Rat and his friends, as well as a hilarious scene where Kermit tries to pass himself off as a big shot producer in Sardi's restaurant (betrayed only by unknowingly taking down Liza Minnelli’s portrait), but not much else will stick in your mind. Each member of the core gang gets time to shine when Kermit is reading letters about what they’re doing while he’s still trying to sell the show, but the Muppets function best as a team. Human help is nice but nothing can replace the chemistry and on-screen magic of having the gang interact and feed off each other’s energy.
Of the 10 songs listed on the film’s soundtrack, I can remember only one of them and vaguely at that. Perhaps this is why I’m not as fond of Manhattan. The Muppets are every bit as much about music as they are about their antics. To fall short in either is going to reduce the fun. It’s a tall task to ask lightning to strike twice. This being the third Muppet film makes it quite an uphill battle to keep audiences fully enamored by the Muppets' magic still.
It may not be as memorable as other Muppet films but it is by no means a substandard product. The Muppets Take Manhattan continues the technical mastery of Jim Henson and his devoted team; no question there. The creative department may have run out of gas or simply couldn’t come up with enough new ideas after two films and five seasons on TV. Despite this, Manhattan is an adorable underdog tale about Kermit the Frog taking on New York City and winning. As I said before, just about any time you’re watching the Muppets is time well spent.
Who doesn’t love taking a few shots at Hollywood every now and then? The film industry is full of frauds, egomaniacs and naïve fools. Comedic legend Steve Martin manages to wrap all of these industry archetypes into an amusing tale about a bunch of wannabes desperate fulfill their misguided dreams of breaking into the big time.
Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) is trying to launch a career as a film producer. He’s been working at achieving his dream for years but has only managed to save a paltry $2,184 to pay for production. A studio executive gets Bowfinger’s hopes up by saying that he’ll distribute the film if Bowfinger can get Hollywood mega-star Kit Ramsey as the lead. When Ramsey refuses to work on such a low-budget production, Bowfinger is crushed but he doesn’t give up.
Taking the half-baked script, written by an accountant, and a team of overzealous and under-skilled actors, Bowfinger plots to make the film guerilla style- his actors and camera crew will ambush Kit Ramsey in and around Hollywood to get the shots they need while also having him as the unknowing star of their production. Bowfinger has the rest of the cast thinking that Ramsey knows what is going on and is merely ‘method acting’ to portray his confusion. Unfortunately, Ramsey is a seriously paranoid member of the MindHead cult- a connection that seriously jeopardizes the production.
As amusing as Bowfinger is, there is a problem. Viewers who aren’t keen on the intricacies of Hollywood will miss about half of the comedy in this film. That’s not a huge problem but what most people will see is just the zany antics of a bunch of pathetic wannabes. Just under the surface of what appears to be a screwball comedy lays a foundation of satire, black comedy and a slew of Martin’s own observations after years in the business.
It’s a shame that most people will miss out on some of the details. I’m willing to bet that (aside from the guerilla filmmaking) there is an awful lot of truth about Hollywood in this film. Bowfinger tackles a number of ideas: cult of celebrity status, ageism in Hollywood, tired cliché-ridden genre films, the manipulation of young actors, financing and more. The lampooning of celebrity cult-like groups such as Scientology are the most obvious targets but Martin is a sly writer and knows how to avoid the one-trick pony trap.
This film may just mark the last legitimately funny live-action role Eddie Murphy has played (which is sad considering it’s been 11 years since Bowfinger was released) but he rightfully steals the show. First, his manic paranoia as Kit Ramsey is delightful. His other performance as Kit’s awkward brother Jiff, who the crew uses to film some close-ups, is amusing because it’s the first time we get to see Murphy play a nerdy character without the aid of a fat suit. These two polar opposites are fun to watch.
At times it’s hard to cheer for Bowfinger and his band of misfits because they resort to stalker behavior and Bowfinger himself gives in to some of the evils of Hollywood that have frustrated him in the past. Thank goodness no one has attempted to make a real movie by the same tactics on display here. In the end, just about everyone appreciates a good underdog story, which is what this is.
Funny but sadly forgettable, Bowfinger is one of those gems that are worth dusting off every now and again for a few hearty chuckles. Martin may fill his script with winks and nods to those in the know but there’s a little something for everyone here.
Looking up a few details about this film made me aware of a few things. First, I could have sworn that this was the second Muppet film. Lo and behold I am wrong. For someone who likes watching film series in chronological order I was shocked to learn that The Great Muppet Caper was released prior to this film. Secondly, I was further dismayed to discover that, despite owning it and having seen it within the last five years, I never posted an official rating or review for The Muppet Movie. This will be corrected in time but I am lucky in that the Muppet movies aren’t really a chronologically linked saga to begin with.
