The Muppet Movies

[Barbossa]

Recently I added 3 Muppet movies to my DVD Collection; The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppet Chrstmas Carol.

Just wondering, did The Muppets Take Manahattan not get a Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition? If so, how come it didn't?

I see Muppet Treasure Island got a 50th release as well.

[disneyboy20022]

Recently I added 3 Muppet movies to my DVD Collection; The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppet Chrstmas Carol.

Just wondering, did The Muppets Take Manahattan not get a Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition? If so, how come it didn't?

I see Muppet Treasure Island got a 50th release as well.

From what I understand.....there are 2 Muppet movies that Disney doesn't have the rights to....one would be The Muppets Take Manahattan and the others Muppets From Space......which I am not sure why Disney doesn't have rights to those......Muppet Treasure Island was the first muppet movie after Jim henson died if I recall correctly so that's when Disney helped the Jim Henson company at least I think.....


Here's some info via Muppet Wiki pedia about what Muppets belong to Disney and such

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company

[DarthPrime]

The Muppets Take Manhattan, and Muppets in Space didn't get a 50th Anniversary Edition. I think these films are still owned by a different studio (Sony), but I'm not 100% sure.

[Barbossa]

Interesting. And from reading the reviews on Amazon, I guess I should stay away from The Muppets Wizard of Oz.

[SpringHeelJack]

"Space" and "Manhattan" are both owned by Columbia / Sony / whatever we call them (as is "Kermit's Swamp Years", I think), but I don't know why they weren't included in Disney's purchase of the Muppets whereas say "The Muppet Movie" was. Both have average DVD releases, and are worth it if you like the films, but don't expect too much. I wish "Manhattan" would get a nicer release, I always liked that movie, more so than "Caper".

And I would say that "Wizard of Oz" is worth a rental at least. I recall not enjoying it, but being mildly entertained a few times. If that makes any sense. I think I was less enamored by "Muppets from Space".

[Escapay]

Even though Columbia distributed The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper on DVD in 2001, it was under a licence from the Jim Henson Company (who own the film and its distribution rights), whereas they (Columbia/Sony) owned the distribution rights for The Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets From Space, thus, those weren't included in Disney's acquisition of the Muppets.

albert

[SpringHeelJack]

Once again, Escapay explains it all.

It seems more likely that the next release of "Muppets Take Manhattan" will be Blu-ray, and probably just as sparse as the last one. It's a bummer.

[WDWLocal]

Muppet Treasure Island was the first muppet movie after Jim henson died if I recall correctly.....

Actually, that would be The Muppet Christmas Carol.

[milojthatch]

Muppet Treasure Island was the first muppet movie after Jim henson died if I recall correctly.....

Actually, that would be The Muppet Christmas Carol.

You'd be right, becuase I remember as a kid watching that film at a theater in Hollywood that was close to his Star on the Walk of Fame, which if I remember right, he got after he died.

[Barbossa]

Today at Walmart I saw a 3-movie set of The Muppets that includes 3 of the non-Disney owned movies: Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets From Space, and Kermit: The Swamp Years. The set is $12.

@ Future Shop, I saw Muppets Take Manhattan for $7, and on the other hand, the Disney owned ones are $20 each.

[milojthatch]

Today at Walmart I saw a 3-movie set of The Muppets that includes 3 of the non-Disney owned movies: Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets From Space, and Kermit: The Swamp Years. The set is $12.

@ Future Shop, I saw Muppets Take Manhattan for $7, and on the other hand, the Disney owned ones are $20 each.

I was thinking the same thing. Leave it to Disney to rake in every last dime we all have!

[Escapay]

Today at Walmart I saw a 3-movie set of The Muppets that includes 3 of the non-Disney owned movies: Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets From Space, and Kermit: The Swamp Years. The set is $12.

Don't get it. It includes the later release of Muppets From Space which is fullscreen-only. The original release was a flipper disc with both widescreen and fullscreen.

albert

[milojthatch]

Today at Walmart I saw a 3-movie set of The Muppets that includes 3 of the non-Disney owned movies: Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets From Space, and Kermit: The Swamp Years. The set is $12.

Don't get it. It includes the later release of Muppets From Space which is fullscreen-only. The original release was a flipper disc with both widescreen and fullscreen.

albert

OH HOW LAME!! I wish they would stop making Fullscreen DVD's or go back to how Monster's Inc is, where it has both versions on the same disc.

[slave2moonlight]

I still need to get all the Disney releases! I think these days I finally decided that, in my opinion, Great Muppet Caper is the best of the non classic book-based Muppet films. I still need to get that one though. Right now, I just have Muppets From Space (thankfully, the version with Widescreen), Muppets Take Manhattan (my fave as a kid), and the original, non-Disney Muppet Movie release. Oh, and I do have some other stuff, like Kermit's Swamp Years, Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and the first two seasons of the Muppet Show, but I'm anxious to get those Disney releases, especially Muppet Caper. Anywho, personally, I really liked Muppets From Space. It was a very funny (in my opinion) return to the old style of Muppet movies where they lived in the real world and not more abstact ones like in Treasure Island and so on. Muppet Wizard of Oz was a real mess though. I would have liked it a lot more if they had shelled out the dough for Duff to play Dorothy though. That would have improved the film greatly on its own, and though I love Pepe, he had no business as Toto. That should have gone to either a muppet dog or to Rizzo. In fact, since Dorothy was a waitress in a diner, Rizzo would have been perfect. I loved the rest of the human casting, by the way, but Hilary Duff would have made a much better Dorothy in my opinion, and not just because she's one of my very top dreamgirls.

[SpringHeelJack]

I would have liked it a lot more if they had shelled out the dough for Duff to play Dorothy though. That would have improved the film greatly on its own, and though I love Rizzo, he had no business as Toto.

...if anything, that would have made me even less likely to see it. I would prefer someone who could maybe act it. Pipe dream!

And Rizzo wasn't Toto, Pepe the prawn was.

[MrIncredible]

Really want a widescreen version of Muppets from Space. Hate those pillarbox bars so much! Hopefully Sony will start revising their fullscreen transfers since starting with "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" they're changing the ratio from the older 4:3/ 1.33:1 to the 16:9/ 1.78:1 ratio for the newer TV sets.

But maybe with Disney's renewed interest into the Muppets, which they own, maybe we might see the remaining films go over to Disney, and then get proper releases. But for now, I still put the Sony Muppets in my Disney collection with the other Muppets.

[Cordy_Biddle]

I do recall "Muppets Take Manhattan" being released by CBS/Fox video in the 1980's.

...still waiting for "Hey Cinderella!" and "The Frog Prince" to show up on DVD...anyone know if Disney carries the rights to these?

[slave2moonlight]

And Rizzo wasn't Toto, Pepe the prawn was.

Yes, I meant to say Pepe, which is why I had said Rizzo would have been a more logical choice (Pepe just having been chosen because he was popular at the time).

[slave2moonlight]

But maybe with Disney's renewed interest into the Muppets, which they own, maybe we might see the remaining films go over to Disney, and then get proper releases. But for now, I still put the Sony Muppets in my Disney collection with the other Muppets.

I just wish they'd get the rights to stuff like The Christmas Toy and similar stories that currently only get edited releases to take Disney's Muppets OUT of the films. And, more than anything, I'd like them to release an uncut Muppet Family Christmas. Would like whoever has Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree to give it a release too, though if it had a Kermit intro (can't remember, but it probably did), then I guess for now that would be pointless...

[jimdotbeep]

"Space" and "Manhattan" are both owned by Columbia / Sony / whatever we call them (as is "Kermit's Swamp Years", I think), but I don't know why they weren't included in Disney's purchase of the Muppets whereas say "The Muppet Movie" was. Both have average DVD releases, and are worth it if you like the films, but don't expect too much. I wish "Manhattan" would get a nicer release, I always liked that movie, more so than "Caper".

And I would say that "Wizard of Oz" is worth a rental at least. I recall not enjoying it, but being mildly entertained a few times. If that makes any sense. I think I was less enamored by "Muppets from Space".

I have to agree the Great Muppet Caper was pretty good, But not their best work either. THE Muppet Movie is still my favorite