The Case: Ranking the Muppets Movies from Worst to Best
Finally, I can rank a film series which has been a significant part of my life for as many years as any other thing I associate with the best movies.
This was a long-awaited decision for Make the Case. Since 1979’s success of The Muppet Movie, I have wanted to rank these films. The Muppet movies were my favorite as a child and have since been some of my most enjoyable films. Fun characters, chaos, humour, joy and clever music, make this film entertaining. It is incredible how many emotions and sincerity you can get, as well as the inventiveness, from a collection made of felt creatures.
At their best, the Muppets have created many unique cinematic stories. They also appear in various media throughout the years. Even though they are owned by a company that seems to not care about them, there are still enough Muppets enthusiasts to keep these films alive in the public’s consciousness. They all have their merits, and I love them all to a certain extent, but some are better than others.
This month’s Make The Case features the best Muppets movies. I ranked every movie from worst to most significant, and these films are my favourites. This is a long list, but some Muppets movies have flying and weird-as-hell colours.
Let’s start this Muppetational ranking, shall we?
Good news! I swear this will be the last time I use “Muppetational” in a sentence.
The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)
Although director Kirk Thatcher attempts to do his best with The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, it quickly becomes apparent that this TV musical will be challenging to watch. The songs are often lacking lustre, but “Kansas”, “The Witch is in the House”, and “The Witch is in the House” both have good performances. This also puts The Muppets Wizard of Oz at the bottom and makes it and many other lists that The Muppets feel very peripheral to all the happenings here.
The movie does a great job of reinterpreting L. Frank Baum’s 1939 film adaptation. However, the movie doesn’t have much for the Muppets. Although they get a lot of screen time, they rarely influence the tone or pacing of this film. This is especially true because of its messy pace.
Anyone could have done this Ashanti movie, even if they were drowning in outdated pop culture references. Although she is solid as Dorothy, the movie has a few laughs from Queen Latifah, Jeffrey Tambor and Jeffrey Tambor. But it isn’t a Muppet movie. The excellent Muppets Haunted Mansion was directed by Thatcher, who would also direct The Muppets Wizard of Oz.
