“Muppets from Space” (1999) was released nine years after Jim Henson’s tragic death at age 53, 20 years after his first Muppet movie and 22 years after “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” a Spielberg extravaganza from which it draws much of its imagery and tropes.
But for the big closing number, this – unlike the five preceding Muppet films – is not a musical. It is, however, highly musical, studded with soul classics by James Brown, the Commodores, the O’Jays, the Dust Brothers and George Clinton. Indeed, funk forms a core element of the film.
A closer encounter
“Close Encounters” is a beloved yet flawed film that takes itself a bit too seriously. Its slices of humor cut down its over-the-top-ness. One famous humorous bit finds Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfus) playing with his mashed potatoes, his obsession with the shape of Devil’s Tower (where the mothership will ultimately land) increasing as his wife’s concern elevates and the shape of the tower sharpens.
“Muppets from Space” (1999)
Director: Tim Hill
Writers: Jerry Juhl, Joey Mazzarino, Ken Kaufman
Stars: Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jeffrey Tambor
“Muppets from Space” is a homage to “CE3K.” Gonzo channels Dreyfus in a scene in which the bird-like Muppet talks to his sandwich, which itself is a cleverly constructed Muppet. The sandwich is temporarily inhabited by an alien presence making contact with Gonzo, instructing him where to meet the mothership. Gonzo confirms the presence has exited the sandwich before gobbling it up.
As with Roy Neary, Gonzo’s friends fear for his sanity. Talking to sandwiches tends to cause these sorts of concerns. Also like Roy, Gonzo is in contact with genuine extraterrestrials. But unlike Roy, Gonzo is on a greater quest than to make contact with aliens; he is on a quest of personal identity. (The riddle of his origin was hinted at with the song “I’m Going Back There Someday” in “The Muppet Movie.”) Gonzo is figuring out what he is and where he comes from. “Muppets from Space” has deeper and more resonate themes than “CE3K.”
And it features another element missing from “CE3K”: precisely choreographed Miss Piggy karate fights. It’s also got a better soundtrack.
Music as the universal solvent for overcoming differences
One of the most successful notions from “CE3K” is the medium by which the aliens and the humans communicate. Rather than bringing out a linguist to initiate an interchange (as the government does in “Arrival”), they roll out a keyboardist. Tentatively at first, just five notes are offered. But soon, the landing field is an eruption of point, counterpoint, arpeggios and wicked bass notes.
“Muppets from Space” further enhances music as the perfect medium for communication between divergent life forms. Rather than a Moog, the aliens (who resemble Gonzo) play funk. Really fine funk. These aliens are American funk connoisseurs.
These are, after all, good and noble aliens, given that they resemble Gonzo, himself a fine and virtuous Muppet. Were they nefarious, they would not go to funky town. Corrupt aliens might even be defeated by music (as in, for example, “Help, Help, the Globolinks!”).
The films that weren’t
Regrettably cut in the final edits, “Muppets from Space” originally featured a song by Ween, sung by Gonzo. We can only hope that someday a director’s cut restores it.
In an early version of the script, Gonzo is not an alien. Aliens are receiving television transmissions of “The Muppet Show” and, identifying Gonzo as “the ultimate being,” mimic his appearance. The similarly plotted “Galaxy Quest” was released the same year. Coincidence?