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The Muppets
Among Disney+’s Halloween-season slate is Muppets Haunted Mansion, a comedy special that reminds us how the Mouse House can’t produce a piece of content merely to spread joy. No, it HAS to be a marketing opportunity-slash-crossover event in which beloved characters hang out in a beloved theme park attraction. (I guess only the naive would expect anything less.) But there’s always hope that the laughs are big enough to push through the cynical boardroom maneuvers that were most likely the genesis of the project.
MUPPETS HAUNTED MANSION: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Gonzo and Pepe the Prawn are gonna miss the Muppets’ Halloween party this year. Huge bummer, because Kermit dressed like Miss Piggy and Miss Piggy dressed like Kermit, something that feels like an EVENT but we only experience briefly. No the weirdo and the crustacean’s alternative plan is to visit the Haunted Mansion, which in this reality is a real mansion and not just a theme park thing, and celebrate the anniversary of the disappearance of Gonzo’s favorite magician, the Great MacGuffin, a plot that, for some reason, feels like it’ll be a lot of running around for no good reason. There’s also no good reason why Yvette Nicole Brown is their limo driver, but there she is, because celeb cameos are intrinsic to the Muppet movie/TV-special experience. And that’s exactly Pepe’s intention for the evening — he believes the Mansion has a VIP room where he can meet all kinds of famous people.
Upon their arrival Darren Criss sings a spooky tune in the adjacent graveyard, which is populated by celeb cameos in heavy ghost powder (among the many, I spotted Danny Trejo and Ed Asner (RIP!)). Then, Will Arnett answers the door and welcomes Gonzo and Pepe into the mansion. He’s the Ghost Host, who explains how terrifying the place is and that they’ll probably be dead by dawn, etc. But Gonzo is nonplussed — he’s such a weirdo, he thinks scary things are cool. And he’s absolutely right: Scary things are cool. “Oooh! Nice one!” he says when confronted by something that would make the rest of us faint. He expresses his appreciation for some nifty indoor lightning effects, and one can only reasonably assume he wants to incorporate them into his own act. THIS IS WHY GONZO IS THE BEST MUPPET.
Anyway, Gonzo wanders through the halls and runs into Miss Piggy as Madame Pigota, inspired by Madame Leota from the theme park ride, and watches a big musical number hosted by Kermit the Ghost and a more macabre than usual stand-up act by Fozzie as the Muppet version of the Hatbox Ghost, etc. etc. Meanwhile, Pepe meets Taraji P. Henson, who wants to seduce him so she can kill him; he’s so clueless and desperate, he doesn’t seem to care that the ghosts of her exes are trying to warn him of his impending doom. No spoilers, but I was wholly convinced that Gonzo and Pepe were going to die and never be in another Muppet production again.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Gonzo was also the main character in The Muppet Christmas Carol, but I’m pretty sure Muppets Haunted Mansion isn’t going to be quite so beloved.
Performance Worth Watching: I’m not going to reveal too much, but near the end of the special, Gonzo finds himself in a moment of self-reflection that pushes him into thespian realms the likes of which we’ve never before seen him explore. Cue the Emmy nomination.
Memorable Dialogue: “How’d you die? On stage?” — Pepe mercilessly roasts Fozzie’s ghost
Sex and Skin: None.
Our Take: Well, no one’s likely to mistake this for a classic Muppets outing. Why a cute-but-meh character like Pepe gets so much screen time while felt heroes like Kermit, Piggy and Fozzie are relegated to bit and supporting parts is a decision about which I have no logical insight, but at least we get to spend quality time with Gonzo, The Greatest Muppet. The dynamic here is amusing — Gonzo, a flat-out, unapologetic, no-holds-barred full-bore weirdo, is the least-weird thing in the Haunted Mansion. He doesn’t attempt to out-weird everything either, lest the special erode into obnoxiousness. He often plays it straight, and it’s novel. Curious. Peculiar. He goes inward a bit. Introspection fits him like a well-tailored sock for his schnozz. Someone should cast him as the lead in a famous-person biopic, or a Henry James adaptation.
Beyond that, Muppets Haunted Mansion is trifling silliness. It inspires some smiles, if not out-loud laughter. Call it a slight amusement then. Please don’t take that as a deterrent — Disney’s recent Muppets fare has kind of lowered our expectations, and this is perfectly acceptable fodder for an evening of family togetherness. I can’t help but think they totally blew it by not bringing Alice Cooper back for a reprise of “Welcome to My Nightmare.” So it goes.
Our Call: STREAM IT. The Muppets are like pizza — and you know the rest of this hackneyed analogy. Only fumbarts and doodlesnurps don’t like the Muppets, even when they’re not reaching full potential, e.g., Muppets Haunted Mansion.
John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.
