The Muppet/Sesame Street Movie Ranking/Retrospective
It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…
Intro
Howdy, movieholics! In honor of Jim Henson’s birthday today (Fun Fact: it is a day after mine), I figured I would give my thoughts & ranking of all the Muppet & Sesame Street movies. As somebody who has loved Jim Henson’s work (including these iconic characters) since they were very young, I thought that this would be a way to express the love that I have for him as a creator as well as highlight the legacy that he left on the big screen by bringing his own creations (who all started off on television with Sesame Street & The Muppet Show) to said screen along with the filmmakers brought in to bring said creations to life, even in spite of a couple big misses.
Anyways, without further ado, why don’t we get things started?
13. Kermit’s Swamp Years (2002, dir. David Gumpel)
After a hot streak of theatrically released films from 1979 to 1999, The Muppets took a break from the big screen for a few good years and had a share of straight-to-video/TV movies & specials throughout the 2000s, all starting with Kermit’s Swamp Years, which is often regarded as one of the worst Muppet movies ever and… yeah, I see where people are coming from here. Admittedly I was perfect OK with it throughout the first 15 to 20 minutes as we get introduced to a young Kermit along his swamp buddies. But once the (extremely forgettable) human characters get introduced, that’s where the movie’s cracks start to show and it turns into the most boring, disposable kids movie slop that you can imagine. Other than a couple of good jokes & moments, I found this to be one of the most unfunny Muppets movies as it contains a ton of cringeworthy kiddie humor (all of which does not fit the style of The Muppets at all) mixed with two of some of the most annoying characters in Muppets history in the form of Goggles The Toad & Pilgrim The Dog. Nothing that these two characters said or did was funny in the slightest and I was aggravated by every second they were on-screen. Also, the titular Kermit is at his most bland here and whenever he does get focus, his storyline is either uninteresting or contains scenes that feel like a contradiction of what was established in The Muppet Movie (1979).
Is it on the same level of awfulness for a kid’s movie as say… Son Of The Mask, or… The Garbage Pail Kids Movie? No. Not quite. But regardless, Kermit’s Swamp Years feels like an obvious cash grab that doesn’t really have anything to offer as a piece of the Muppet movie filmography and will be continue to be forgotten about over time other than being labeled as one of the worst Muppet movies ever.
Rating: D+ (3/10)
Where To Watch: Rent/VOD
12. The Muppets’ Wizard Of Oz (2005, dir. Kirk R. Thatcher)
The Muppets Wizard Of Oz is a cinematic disaster in almost regard that it fails at everything that it tries to achieve, but with that said… I was NEVER bored watching it. This movie is such a fascinating enigma in every conceivable way that it made for such a brain-shattering rewatch after having not seen it in nearly two decades. From the abysmal soundtrack that has NO good songs to it at all, to how much it fails as an adaptation of The Wizard Of Oz, to the aggressively adult jokes from It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas being amplified to the maximum here, and to how it takes such a genius concept and does everything wrong with it… I’m genuinely at a loss of words here. It is a massive miscalculation in more ways than you can imagine, but it will also make for one of the most hilariously bad movies you will ever see in your life. If anything, I consider those to be the “Manos: The Hands Of Fate” of the Muppets canon, one that is so entertainingly atrocious that it has to be seen with your own eyes to properly understand why it sucks. I wish I can elaborate further here, but the only thing I have left to say is this: get a group of friends together, watch this movie, and go nuts. You will not regret it whatsoever.
Rating: D+ (3/10)
Where To Watch: Rent/VOD
11. Muppets Most Wanted (2014, dir. James Bobin)
Muppets Most Wanted is one of the most disappointing movies in the entire series and is a massive step down from its predecessor in a lot of ways. But before I get into that, I do want to say that there are some silver linings to be found here and one of them is that I did find some jokes in this to be funny. The humor in this movie is all over the place in terms of quality, but the ones that are funny are REALLY funny (the first musical number and the very last joke of the movie being highlights). There are also some good songs to be found here, with my favorite ones being the aforementioned “We’re Doing A Sequel”, “I’ll Get You What You Want” and a lovely rendition of “Together Again” from The Muppets Take Manhattan. It is also a well made film filled on a technical level with a particular ton of effort put into its musical numbers, which definitely even if there was a song in which said number I didn’t really care for. The settings of the film also look fantastic due to the great production design & costumes on display, making for a visually pleasing movie.
However, this gets me into all of the problems with the film, which are… a lot. I know I just said that there were some jokes & songs that I liked, but the rest of said jokes & songs were very inconsistent. There are times where the humor came off as sharp & clever in the same way as The Great Muppet Caper, but then there were some jokes that came off as dumbed down & childish in a similar fashion that Kermit’s Swamp Years did, resulting in a bunch of whiplash between “laughing quite a bit” & “cringing very hard”. Same goes for the soundtrack, which contained some misses such as “Something So Right” and… pretty much EVERY song that took place in the Gulag. Then there is the writing, which I found to be especially frustrating from a story standpoint. It felt like the characters had to be dumbed down here in order to make the movie feel like it has a substantial runtime, which I never liked in filmmaking. Sure the Muppet gang & everyone in the Gulag eventually find out Kermit & Constantine (who is a fun villain for the most part) are not the same, but it takes them WAY too long for them to notice and it results in the movie feeling needlessly dragged out for no reason. Also, I was not a big fan of most of the human characters and a huge part of it has to do with their acting. Ty Burrell was probably the best of the bunch and he did succeed in playing an enjoyable character, but Tina Fey & Ricky Gervais were not good and felt very out of place in this film.
Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like Muppets Most Wanted, it ended up being an aggressively mediocre movie that frustrates me given how genius the premise of this movie is. It wants to be the next The Great Muppet Caper, but it doesn’t carry the same strong comedic punch & timing that said film had and contains a lot of decisions in the writing department that left me unsatisfied due to how much it makes the movie feel as watered down as it is from a plot & character perspective.
Rating: C (5/10)
Where To Watch: Disney+
10. It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas (2002, dir. Kirk R. Thatcher)
Given how Kermit’s Swamp Years & The Muppets Wizard Of Oz are in terms of quality, I was moderately surprised by It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas. I say “moderately” since it is still not THAT good, but it is definitely the best & most tolerable of all 3 straight-to-video/TV Muppet movies in this ranking. I will admit that there were some legitimately funny bits & moments in this that really caught me off guard. Sure a good chunk of the humor feels like a “NBCUniversal Early 2000s Greatest Hits Compilation”, but it did result in some laughs out of me here & there, even if nothing in this will make you die of said laughter. The Moulin Scrooge segment, in particular, also deserves a shoutout as it contains a ton of delightful chaos that fits perfectly for The Muppets. There are also some good performances (especially from David Arquette & a neat cameo from Whoopi Goldberg) and I was intrigued by where the story was going throughout the third act. Yes it feels like a beta version of It’s A Wonderful Life, but it really drives home the idea from The Muppet Movie (1979) that Kermit truly has made a big, positive difference towards all of his friends in spite of all the challenges they have faced.
However, I still really consider this movie “OK” at best as it does have a lot holding it back. The first two acts are clunky and tell a very similar story that The Muppets (2011) would tell with much more heart & care than this one does. Here, it just feels like a story where everything & everyone is just going through the motions and not really allowing an opportunity for anything to sink in for the viewer. Plus, the movie does have its shortcomings in the humor department, with a lot of adult humor/innuendos that feels excessive & out of place and the addition of Pepe being really annoying here. Given how funny he actually was in Muppets From Space, it’s a shame that this & The Muppets Wizard Of Oz would utilize very poorly. I also didn’t really care for Joan Cusack as the villain, Ms. Bitterman. She came off too much like a needlessly hammy caricature but with barely anything humorous or fun to do in the role other than being a generic, one-dimensional antagonist.
At the end of the day, I really only consider It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas to be… FINE. It is not a complete train wreck of a film (in fact, I don’t consider it a train wreck at all), but it still contains some traces of the same corporate aura that Kermit’s Swamp Years & The Muppets Wizard Of Oz possessed and I would easily pick The Muppets Christmas Carol (which we will get to) if I wanted to watch a Christmas movie with Muppet characters in it. But even then, it is still the best of all three straight-to-video/TV movies and made for a more tolerable watch than I expected.
Rating: C+ (6/10)
Where To Watch: Rent/VOD, Free on YouTube
9. The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984, dir. Frank Oz)
The Muppets Take Manhattan may be a step down in quality from the previous two films, but it is not a bad movie by any means. It still has some funny, charming moments and I do like the idea behind the movie on paper. Kermit & his friends all graduate from college and want to bring a show they all worked on their to Broadway, thus allowing for a huge opportunity to create a new future for themselves. Sure it feels like a retread of the premise of The Muppet Movie, but it does lead to a couple of nicely done musical scenes at the beginning and end, even if I do wish there were more scenes like this throughout the whole thing given how wonderfully they were done & utilized in The Great Muppet Caper. The movie, in general, still has its share of enjoyable moments, particularly the scenes in Pete’s restaurant (the rat scenes, as a whole, are very funny) and Miss Piggy roller skating through the park to get her purse back. These are some of the best scenes of the film and carry that quintessential Muppet idiosyncrasies, even if they could have gone further with it.
With that said, I do consider this to be on of the more “mixed bag” Muppet films when watching all these back to back. Like I mentioned earlier, it is still funny, but I didn’t find myself laughing as much or as hardly as I did with some of the other films in the series. A good chunk of the plot revolves around Kermit trying to get the show to premiere on Broadway, and while there is definitely some value to be found here (plus, Jenny is one of the better human characters in this series due to how likable & determined she is in the same way Kermit is), it did result in the movie feeling much more slow in terms of its pacing. It also doesn’t help that there aren’t a lot of songs/musical numbers in this movie, which is quite a shame given how the movie revolves around Kermit trying to bring a musical to Broadway. I also found myself rather confused during the last 30 minutes when Kermit ends up getting amnesia after being ran over by a taxi. It felt very out of place with the rest of the film and it could have easily been cut out without any problems.
However, despite having some story & pacing issues, The Muppets Take Manhattan is still a pretty decent, cute movie that is still fun to watch and contains great characters and songs (Together Again being the obvious highlight), even if I do find it to be one of the more meandering films in this series.
Rating: B- (6.5/10)
Where To Watch: Rent/VOD
8. Muppet Treasure Island (1996, dir. Brian Henson)
Muppet Treasure Island is the one movie in this ranking where my opinion on it has changed the least in that I thought it was a “good, but not great” movie on my first viewing last year and it still remains that way the second time around. It definitely has a lot to like, though I will say right off the bat that my main issue the movie is that I don’t really get why this story needed to be adapted with the Muppets. The reason why a movie like The Muppet Christmas Carol worked is because it took the idea of combining a classic story with the Muppets formula to create a faithful, emotionally resonant adaptation of said story while also creating its own identity, making said movie feel like a great way to experience the story for fans of the story (or even first-timers) AND Muppet fans alike. Muppet Treasure Island, on the other hand, just feels like a standard, run of the mill adaptation that just so happens to have the Muppets in it. Nothing about it is as an adaptation is offensively bad or anything, but it feels like it’s just going through the motions and not really doing anything to set itself apart from other adaptations of this story. Also, the less we talk about the actor playing Jim Hawkins, the better…
Having said all that though, it still kept me entertained and had just enough for me to call it a solid movie in the grand scheme of things. The Muppets themselves are still very funny (although the NBA joke felt very out of place), there are still some good songs to be found here (Shiver My Timbers, in particular, is a banger opener), the action scenes are well done, the production values are really good, and I very much enjoyed Tim Curry as Long John Silver. His approach to over-the-top acting fits right in with the goofy Muppet characters and he gives a portrayal of John Silver that is extremely memorable and even manages to bring some heart to the character towards the end. Plus, I would never think in a million years that Hans Zimmer would ever compose a score for a Muppet movie before, but it happened and it is a very welcome fact since his musical score for this movie is great, even if it isn’t his best work by any means. With all this in mind, I consider Muppet Treasure Island a fun, swashbuckling adventure that may not be the best that the Muppet movies have to offer, but delivers just enough to get by as a worthy addition to their filmography.
Rating: B (7/10)
Where To Watch: Disney+
7. Follow That Bird (1985, dir. Ken Kwapis)
I was very excited going into Follow That Bird since it was one of the few Muppets movies I hadn’t seen before. And after finally seeing it for the first time, I have to say that I was absolutely delighted by it from start to finish. It’s far from a masterpiece, but much like my experience with A Goofy Movie, I feel like this is one of those films that I see myself liking more with each repeat viewing to the point of loving it. Plus, as somebody who has been loving Sesame Street since their youth, I can just watch these characters all day no matter what scenario you throw them into. In this case, it is a very fun adventure with the Sesame Street gang trying to find Big Bird after he escapes from a new home Miss Finch appoints him to. On top of being a highly entertaining film with some strong moments of humor (the grouch restaurant alone is just hysterical), the titular Big Bird himself serves as the emotional center of the film as he learns about where his real home & family truly lies as he tries to make his way back to Sesame Street. This makes for a great, valuable message for kids about home being where the heart is and recognizing who your true family is.
As mentioned earlier, it isn’t an amazing film by any means since it takes perhaps a bit too many detours in its plot (which messes with the pacing) and the characters that Big Bird meets along the way are not anything to write home about, but my heart was still won over by Follow That Bird, a film that contains every ounce of heart, humor, and beneficial life lessons that Sesame Street is known for in all the right ways.
PS: had no idea going in that this would be a musical, so that was a welcome surprise! I’m So Blue is probably favorite song (a very sad one way though. My god.)
Rating: B (7/10)
Where To Watch: TUBI
6. The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland (1999, dir. Gary Halvorson)
Much like another movie you will see higher on this list, The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland is a movie that holds a special place in my heart for nostalgic reasons. All the times I have watched this movie on VHS as a child are moments I will forever cherish throughout my life, and this most recent rewatch felt like a wonderful trip down to memory lane. Sure it may be more child-friendly fare and not packed with the same amount of heart that Follow That Bird had, but the enjoyable characters, humor, and songs (ones that I forgot how awesome they were honestly) triumph over any problems that I may have with the film. It still contain a ton of the core values that Sesame Street is known for through how it explores Elmo’s journey to get his blanket back and him learning how to be brave & understanding all throughout, leading to a great message that kids can abide by. The main villain, Huxley, is also a delightfully entertaining, over-the-top character brought to life by Mandy Patinkin’s fantastic performance in his portrayal of a narcissist who feels like he is entitled to the entire world.
Sure you can tell that it is more for a kid audience, but The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland is one of those films from my childhood that I feel still holds up even to this day. It will charm anybody of any age and it makes for a lovable trip back to my younger years every time I revisit it.
Rating: B+ (8/10)
Where To Watch: Rent/VOD
5. The Muppet Movie (1979, dir. James Frawley)
While it is far from perfect, The Muppet Movie perfectly sets the stage for all the lovable mayhem & heart that this memorable cast of characters would bless upon us on the big screen moving forward. It is a film brimming with joy in every single frame and it is the type of joy that never stops whatsoever, even if there are some characters that are better than others. On a story level, there is a ton of value here as Kermit The Frog dreams of something more beyond his life in the swamp (which is expressed beautifully in his song Rainbow Connection). Throughout his journey, we start to see how his determination to follow his dreams not only makes him a happier person, but also leaving a huge, positive impact on the friends that he makes along the way who also have a dream in the form of making it big in Hollywood. It’s one of those films that will inspire you to stand up for what you believe in and never give up in pursuing your dreams and aspirations while also containing a ton of great humor, wonderful characters that tag along with Kermit, & (mostly) fantastic songs to back it up.
Like I said, I wouldn’t exactly call this a perfect movie per se. There are a couple of songs in this film that, while not necessarily bad, are nowhere on the same caliber as the rest of the soundtrack. Those songs are “Never Before, Never Again” & “I Hope That Something Better Comes Along”, which I found to be kind of forgettable compared to the likes of incredible songs like “Movin’ Right Along”, “Can You Picture That?”, “I’m Going To Back There Someday”, and especially “Rainbow Connection”, the last of this list being one of the greatest songs in cinematic history. My only other issue with the film is that the human cast was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the cameos (particularly Mel Brooks & Steve Martin), but I wasn’t super thrilled by Charles Durning as Doc Hopper & his assistant Max played by Austin Pendleton. They’re fine in this movie, but not quite as good as some human characters & performances that would come from this series of films later on.
Regardless of these flaws though, The Muppet Movie is an extremely good delight of a film that is hard to resist and captures the spirit of the Muppets from front to back.
Rating: B+ (8/10)
Where To Watch: Disney+
4. The Great Muppet Caper (1981, dir. Jim Henson)
The Great Muppet Caper takes a vastly different approach from the previous film in terms of tone due to drawing more of its focus towards the comedy rather than the emotional core of The Muppet Movie. Even if this film may not contain as much of said heart (though it is definitely still present), it makes up for it by being an absolutely zany, goofy take on the mystery genre that has some genuinely impressive production values to it. You could say that last part about most of the movies here, but the puppetry & musical sequences in this are some of the most superb in the entire series. Special shoutouts go to the “Couldn’t We Ride?” & “Piggy’s Fantasy” scenes, which are completely awe-inspiring achievements in their own ways while also being backed up with the songs themselves being excellent. In fact, the soundtrack as a whole of this movie is filled with tons of iconic songs, with “Hey, A Movie!”, “Happiness Hotel”, and “The First Time It Happens” being my personal favorites in the whole movie.
On top of being a well-crafted film, it’s also a hilarious, fun time (as these movies usually are). There are a ton of jokes from the verbal, to the visual, to even the physical (at times) that had me laughing quite a bit because of how fantastic the writing & comedic timing is along with these characters always getting their moment to set foot in the spotlight. One scene that stands out to me is Peter Falk’s scene where he tells a story to Kermit and asks him if that’s what’s troubling. The story he tells and Kermit’s response to it afterwards is just the type of pure comedy gold that is to be expected in these movies.
While the human characters in this film are still nothing too special and the pacing lags in a couple areas, The Great Muppet Caper is still a hysterical comedic riot that will constantly keep you entertained and is a perfect representation of the Muppets’ lighter, wackier side.
Rating: A- (9/10)
Where To Watch: Disney+
3. The Muppets (2011, dir. James Bobin)
Remember that break from the big screen that The Muppets took back in the 2000s? Well, when November 2011 came along, The Muppets (2011) was released and would become the franchise’s first big screen film since 1999. Right off the bat, this movie feels like a major comeback for everything that the Muppets have been known for: goofy humor that also contains a ton of wit to it, a huge amount of heart, and big musical numbers backed up with spectacular tunes. This time, however, we even get a layer of introspection on the popularity of this memorable group of characters as a huge aspect the plot revolves around them (along with a new character named Walter) putting on one last show together to raise enough money to save their theater. Not only does this movie explore that storyline much better than It’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas does, but it also allows for a beautiful examination of why the Muppets are beloved by many not just through its execution of all the classic Muppets trademarks, but also through its powerful storytelling that lends itself to a heartfelt message tied into the Muppets’ recognition that shows that they still have fans out there that truly love them (something that I feel resonates much more today than it did back then).
My only minor flaw I have with the film is that the human characters in this are a bit of a mixed bag. Tex Richman is a fun villain and Rashida Jones gives an OK performance, but I never really cared for Gary & Mary that much. No disrespect to the performances from Jason Segel & Amy Adams of course, but I do wish that their writing gave them more interesting stuff to work with (although Adams does have a fun musical number in “Me Party”). Other than that though, The Muppets (2011) is a phenomenal return to form for everything that we come to expect from these characters that will please both fans and newcomers of this franchise.
Rating: A (9.5/10)
Where To Watch: Disney+
2. Muppets From Space (1999, dir. Tim Hill)
Look, this may be a case of my nostalgia goggles getting the best of me, but I honest to god think that Muppets From Space got even better for me on this rewatch than all the 50,000 times that I watched this over & over again on VHS. Sure it does have its issues in terms of its story (particularly in how it handles Gonzo storyline about finding his family in a cliche manner), but this movie ultimately wins me over every time for one single reason: the humor. In fact, I am going to go out on a limb and say that this may be the funniest Muppet movie ever. There are so many iconic bits and characters (my favorite characters being Rizzo, Bobo, & Singer) in this movie that are practically burned into my memory. I’m not going to spoil them in case you haven’t seen this movie yet, but please know that it is filled to the brim with pure comedy platinum from top to bottom. Every ounce of this movie’s manic energy & comedic timing are everything that I want out of a comedic Muppet movie and it never fails at making me die of laughter every time I watch it. I also never minded the 70s disco/funk soundtrack replacing the musical numbers that most Muppet movies are known for. Sure it feels like a jarring stylistic choice compared to the other entries, but it actually fits the overall mood/tone of the film extremely well and the songs themselves are absolute bops.
Does this movie have flaws? Sure. Is it the best that the Muppets have to offer? Not exactly. But the amount of unbridled joy & enthusiasm that Muppets From Space brings to me is way too hard to put into words. I have loved it since day one and it will continue to be one of my biggest comfort movies for the rest of my life.
Rating: A+ (10/10)
Where To Watch: Rent/VOD
1. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992, dir. Brian Henson)
Even though I already revisited this film for Christmas back in December 2024 (after having not seen it for 5 years prior to that), I was very excited to rewatch The Muppet Christmas Carol all over again. It has everything that you could possibly want out of a Muppet movie: humor, joy, sadness, zaniness, timeless music, and all the iconic characters that you know & love. Along with this, it serves as a wonderful adaptation of the story of A Christmas Carol, taking all of its best attributes as a story and retooling them along with the Muppet characters to capitalize on its potency in emotional storytelling (something that quite a few Muppet movies are known for). It also helps that Michael Caine makes for a fantastic Ebenezer Scrooge, perfectly capturing his ice cold cruelty during his first few scenes while expertly fleshing out his character arc slowly but surely over the course of the film. Gonzo & Rizzo are also implemented into the film very well by adding the right dosage of comic relief to the film when needed without ever feeling the need of being too distracting whatsoever.
I could go on forever about this film, but I feel like everyone already knows why this movie is masterful in every way. It works equally as both a Muppet movie & a Christmas Carol adaptation, it has one of the best soundtracks in the entire series, it is funny, it is emotional, and is without a doubt the best Muppet movie ever.
PS: If you’re going to watch this film, PLEASE watch the version that includes the song “When Love Is Gone”. That is one of the best Muppets songs and I am so happy that Disney+ decided to keep that version.
Rating: A+ (10/10)
Where To Watch: Disney+
Conclusion
And that concludes my ranking/retrospective of each Muppet/Sesame Street movie ever. To end this all of, I wanna say this: Jim Henson, if you are reading this from the heavens above… thank you. I very much thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a major part of my life and for the legacy that you left on pop culture in its entirety. The amount of laughs, happiness, and love that you brought to the world will always be treasured by many (including myself) and we will never forget you no matter what.
That is it for today’s post, folks. Hope you all enjoyed reading and I will see you guys next time.
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What a great tribute to a lovely man and genius, and a happy birthday to you too, Matthew!