`MUPPETS IN SPACE' A DELIGHT FOR KIDS, RELIEF FOR PARENTS.Byline: Chris Hewitt Chris Hewitt is a sound engineer, manager and entrepreneur best known for his contributions to the British music industry, particularly in the North West of England , specifically Rochdale, and in particular his close association with the cult rock band Tractor. Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder (IPA: /ˈrɪdɚ/) was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Newspapers When Noah filled the ark, Gonzo missed the boat. The scraggly scrag·gly adj. scrag·gli·er, scrag·gli·est Ragged; unkempt. Adj. 1. scraggly - lacking neatness or order; "the old man's scraggly beard"; "a scraggly little path to the door" , lovable Muppet is the star of ``Muppets in Space,'' and he has some issues. Specifically, he's jealous of his Muppet cohorts, whose species are clearly defined (the frog, the pig, the bear - you can supply the names). So Gonzo does a little research into his family tree (or is it a family throw rug?) and asks a question most of us can relate to: ``What am I?'' Refreshingly, ``Muppets in Space'' is a kid's movie that is actually aimed at kids. What I mean by that is that there are no knowing pop-culture references, no dirty jokes pitched over kids' heads to the parents that brought them and that - in a scene where we meet some alien characters - when there are subtitles, they are read aloud to us because ``Muppets in Space'' assumes that some of us are too young to read. The only pandering in the film is an ill-advised nod to ``Dawson's Creek,'' featuring that show's Josh Jackson and Katie Holmes. Otherwise, it's filled with good cheer (Rizzo the rat Rizzo the Rat is a Muppet, performed by Steve Whitmire. Rizzo first appeared in episode 418 of The Muppet Show, as one of a group of rats following Christopher Reeve around backstage. He can be seen mugging and reacting to practically every line of dialogue. brags, ``I never disobeyed my mother and I never carried the plague, not even once''), bad puns (guy talking to Gonzo: ``No nostrils? How do you smell?'' Rizzo: ``Awful. Trust me. I'm his roommate.'' Ba-dum-bum) and a sweet little message about friendship. I could quibble QUIBBLE. A slight difficulty raised without necessity or propriety; a cavil. 2. No justly eminent member of the bar will resort to a quibble in his argument. about the performance of Andie MacDowell, who demonstrates her lack of versatility with each new project, or mention that the title is inaccurate (no one goes to space). But, from the sunny opening song to the clever, kaleidoscope effect in the closing credits, the movie is so warm-hearted that you don't feel like quibbling. Especially when, in a very nice touch, the closing credits give top billing to the people who deserve it most: the gifted Muppet puppeteers. THE FACTS The film: ``Muppets in Space'' (G). The stars: Muppet performers: Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Bill Barretta, Frank Oz. Human actors: Jeffery Tambour tambour /tam·bour/ (tam-boor´) a drum-shaped appliance used in transmitting movements in a recording instrument. , F. Murray Abraham Fahrid Murray Abraham[1] (born October 24 1939) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. He became known during the 1980s, after winning the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Amadeus , David Arquette, Andie MacDowell. Behind the scenes: Directed by Tim Hill. Released by Sony Pictures. Running time: One hour, 22 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Three stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: The search for his family tree takes Gonzo, left, and pal Rizzo to the stars in ``Muppets in Space.'' |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion