Set on Halloween night, Gonzo and Pepe skip out on Kermit and Miss Piggy's big party to accept the challenge of staying overnight in the creepy mansion of famed magician The Great MacGuffin on the 100th anniversary of his disappearance. Since Gonzo has proven over and over again that he has no fear, he figures the night will be a lark. Pepe, not so much.
The mansion itself is modeled on the much-loved theme park ride, The Haunted Mansion, with The Muppets slipping into the iconic characters found inside and outside of the ride. The swaps are pretty inspired, from Fozzie as the Hatbox bear (including teeth!) to Piggy as the disembodied crystal ball head of Madame Pigota. The Muppet wit is particularly funny and ranges from the extremely clever to the familiar, like Waldorf and Statler as heckling ghosts inside the ride carts, down to the incredibly silly; wait for the goat.
There are also three new original songs that lend themselves nicely to the Mansion theme, with some gifted pun usage. They may not be instant classics on par with recent efforts for the last two Muppet films, but they are a lot of fun and utilize the depth and breadth of the Muppet bench to bring them to life. A great Muppet special which includes some deep cut appearances like the ghosts in the mansion (going back to The Muppet Show days) to newbies like Walter and Joe the Weasel.
As for the humans, Will Arnett is great performing with the Muppets. Taraji P. Henson is also having a great time as resident widow ghost, Constance Hatchaway. Her side story goes on a little too long in parts but her storyline will appeal to the hardcore Haunted Mansion fans. The rogue's gallery of other human talent are basically relegated to very small cameos but that means the focus can remain on Gonzo and the other Muppets, as it should.
The Muppets at their best are timeless, and this special captures much of that spirit.
The Muppets have had some bumpy years under their Disney ownership with the company trying to reinvent them for contemporary audiences. What they keep forgetting is that The Muppets at their best are timeless and this special captures much of that spirit because of the performances and writing. The old-timers of the current Muppet crew, they convey the right blend of Henson heart and silliness that makes this offering one worthy of a yearly watch.
Muppets Haunted Mansion gets the right mix of The Muppets with the classic Disney theme parks ride. It works really well because of the ingenious mix of Halloween with two much-loved properties that all blend together perfectly. From the production design to the cameos, all down the way to Gonzo's impactful and wee bit scary lesson about the importance of your family, this whole special lands the trick of being a huge treat.
The mansion itself is modeled on the much-loved theme park ride, The Haunted Mansion, with The Muppets slipping into the iconic characters found inside and outside of the ride. The swaps are pretty inspired, from Fozzie as the Hatbox bear (including teeth!) to Piggy as the disembodied crystal ball head of Madame Pigota. The Muppet wit is particularly funny and ranges from the extremely clever to the familiar, like Waldorf and Statler as heckling ghosts inside the ride carts, down to the incredibly silly; wait for the goat.
There are also three new original songs that lend themselves nicely to the Mansion theme, with some gifted pun usage. They may not be instant classics on par with recent efforts for the last two Muppet films, but they are a lot of fun and utilize the depth and breadth of the Muppet bench to bring them to life. A great Muppet special which includes some deep cut appearances like the ghosts in the mansion (going back to The Muppet Show days) to newbies like Walter and Joe the Weasel.
As for the humans, Will Arnett is great performing with the Muppets. Taraji P. Henson is also having a great time as resident widow ghost, Constance Hatchaway. Her side story goes on a little too long in parts but her storyline will appeal to the hardcore Haunted Mansion fans. The rogue's gallery of other human talent are basically relegated to very small cameos but that means the focus can remain on Gonzo and the other Muppets, as it should.
The Muppets at their best are timeless, and this special captures much of that spirit.
The Muppets have had some bumpy years under their Disney ownership with the company trying to reinvent them for contemporary audiences. What they keep forgetting is that The Muppets at their best are timeless and this special captures much of that spirit because of the performances and writing. The old-timers of the current Muppet crew, they convey the right blend of Henson heart and silliness that makes this offering one worthy of a yearly watch.
Muppets Haunted Mansion gets the right mix of The Muppets with the classic Disney theme parks ride. It works really well because of the ingenious mix of Halloween with two much-loved properties that all blend together perfectly. From the production design to the cameos, all down the way to Gonzo's impactful and wee bit scary lesson about the importance of your family, this whole special lands the trick of being a huge treat.