The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
Promotional poster
Directed by	Kirk Thatcher
Produced by	Bill Barretta
Written by	Debra Frank, Steve L. Hayes, Tom Martin, & Adam F. Goldberg
Starring	The Muppets Ashanti Queen Latifah David Alan Grier Jeffrey Tambor
Music by	Michael Giacchino
Cinematography	Tony Westman
Editing by	Gregg Featherman
Production company	The Jim Henson Co. Touchstone Television The Muppets Studio, LLC Fox Television Studios
Country	United States Canada
Language	English
Original channel	ABC
Release date	April 27, 2005 (2005-04-27) (Tribeca Film Festival) May 5, 2005 (2005-05-05)
Running time	88 minutes

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is a 2005 musical television film directed by Kirk Thatcher and starring Ashanti and The Muppets. The film was produced by Bill Barretta and written by Debra Frank, Steve L. Hayes, Tom Martin, and Adam F. Goldberg.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz follows a young woman named Dorothy Gale who dreams of becoming a singer but is unable to pursue her dreams. After being swept up by a tornado with her pet prawn Toto, she embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz, the person who both she and the citizens of Oz believe can help make her dream come true.

The film was produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with Fox Television Studios, Touchstone Television (instead of Walt Disney Television perhaps), and the Muppets Holding Company. Preproduction on The Muppets' Wizard of Oz took place throughout February 2004, and filming occurred during September 2004. ABC made several changes to the film after the initial script was written, ultimately deciding to base the film on L. Frank Baum's original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz instead of the 1939 film. As with the preceding Muppet films, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz became a musical, and included five new songs written and composed by Michael Giacchino.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz premiered on April 27, 2005 at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film's television premiere was broadcast on ABC on May 20, 2005. Overall, the film ended up receiving negative reviews from critics. Most critics agreed that the film was too mature for young audiences, and that the cameo scenes and popular culture marks were unnecessary.

Plot

Dorothy Gale (Ashanti) is a young woman living in a trailer park in Kansas. She desperately wishes to leave home and become a famous singer, but her dreams of becoming one appear impossible. One day, after completing her shift at the diner run by her Aunt Em (Queen Latifah) and Uncle Henry (David Alan Grier), she overhears that the Muppets are looking for a female singer for a cross-country "Star Hunt." Aunt Em disapproves, but with Uncle Henry's best wishes, she goes to the audition, arriving late and only managing to give the Muppets a demo CD that she created beforehand. In returning home, the tornado sirens sound, and one hits her family's area. When Aunt Em and Uncle Henry run into the county storm shelter for safety, Dorothy hurries back to her family's mobile home to get Toto, her pet prawn. She does not make it out in time, and the two are swept by the tornado across the vast fields of Kansas. When Dorothy climbs out of the wreckage, she finds that Toto (Pepe the King Prawn) can talk and that she is no longer in Kansas.

Dorothy and Pepe discover that they are in Munchkinland, a small town part of the vast Land of Oz. After discussing her situation with the town's people the Munchkins (played by Rizzo the Rat and the other rats), she learns that the land's ruler the Wizard, has the power to grant her wish of becoming a famous singer. She meets the Good Witch of the North (Miss Piggy), and receives a pair of magic silver slippers from the Wicked Witch of the East (Miss Piggy), the Witch of the North's sister who was killed when Dorothy's trailer fell on her. Soon after, she embarks on a journey with Pepe on the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard of Oz, who lives in the Emerald City, the capital of Oz. On her journey, she meets three creatures: a Scarecrow (Kermit), a Tin Thing (Gonzo), and a Cowardly Lion (Fozzie). They are also seeking the Wizard of Oz to give them a brain, heart, and courage, respectively. The group meets various obstacles involving a deep gorge where the Kalidah Critics (Statler and Waldorf) are heckling them and a Poppy Field Club run by Clifford which nearly puts them to sleep. After arriving at the Emerald City and meeting the Wizard, Dorothy and her friends are sent to retrieve the Wicked Witch of the West's magic eye, a tool she uses to see anything she desires in the Land of Oz.

The group assumes that completing this task will result in the granting of their wishes. The Wicked Witch of the West (Miss Piggy) sees them coming and consults with her pet Foo-Foo and her henchman Johnny Fiama. When the Wicked Witch of the West plans to have either her pack of 40 great wolves, a flock of 40 crows, and a swarm of black bees to do away with them, Johnny tells her that the animals that work for her are unavailable. This resorts to Miss Piggy using her Magic Biker Cap to call Sal Minella and the other Flying Monkeys (played by Sweetums, Crazy Harry, Black Dog, Calico, Old Tom, Spotted Dick, and Aretha from Fraggle Rock) to deal with them. Miss Piggy and the Winged Monkeys capture Dorothy and Fozzie while Kermit and Gonzo are dismantled by the Winged Monkeys. After being threatened to be killed by her, Pepe calls the Munchkins, who set Dorothy free and repair Kermit and Gonzo. During the final battle, it cuts away to a scene where Quentin Tarantino is discussing with Kermit on ideas for Dorothy to defeat Piggy. When Quentin's ideas are too violent, they agree for Dorothy to do a powerful kick on Miss Piggy. Cutting back to the action, Dorothy kicks Piggy into her own "bottled water bath" which contains tap water which she is severely allergic to. Angel Marie admitted that he filled the water bottles with tap water to restock them. This action causes her to melt as Johnny averts Foo-Foo's eyes. With the Wicked Witch of the West dead, Dorothy finds the magic eye unharmed and floating in the tub and grabs it.

After gaining control of the Flying Monkeys upon giving Sal Minella back the group's Magic Biker Cap, Dorothy has Kermit and Gonzo rebuilt by the Flying Monkeys. Then she and her friends travel back to the Emerald City to have their wishes granted. When they all storm into the Wizard's room, they discover that the Wizard (Jeffrey Tambor) is just an ordinary man pretending to be someone he isn't. He asked for the witch's eye so that she could not see him for who he really was. Even so, he still proceeds to grant their wishes. Dorothy finally becomes a singer in the Land of Oz, but realizes that all she ever really wanted was to go back home and be with her family. After traveling back to Munchkinland, she meets Glinda the Good Witch of the South (Miss Piggy), who tells her that if she clicks her heels together three times, she will be able to go anywhere she desires. She does so, saying "take me home to Aunt Em".

She is then spun by the slippers' charm into Kansas, and, much to her surprise, she finds out that Kermit was looking for her, saying that she had the best voice they heard on the whole search, and that she has been chosen to go on the Star Hunt. Dorothy, having been reunited with her aunt and uncle, and feeling that she is not ready to leave Kansas to become a real star, rejects, but Aunt Em says that she wants her to go with the Muppets on their Star Hunt, much to her even bigger surprise. She then sings "Good Life" on television with them as the film ends.

Cast

• Ashanti as Dorothy Gale: A Kansas teenager dreaming of leaving her home and becoming a singer.
• Queen Latifah as Aunt Em: Dorothy's aunt and co-owner of the family diner in Kansas.
• David Alan Grier as Uncle Henry: Dorothy's uncle and co-owner of the family diner.
• Jeffrey Tambor as The Wizard of Oz: The legendary Wizard of Oz.
• Kelly Osbourne as Dorothy Gale (Extended version): Appears in a short cameo as Dorothy when she first comes out of the Magic Makeover Machine in Emerald City.
• Quentin Tarantino as Himself (Extended version): In a short appearance with Kermit the Frog, Tarantino discusses ideas on how to stop the Wicked Witch of the West despite the fact that his role is small his name is still mentioned in the movie trailer and listed on the cover of both the Video and DVD.

Muppet Performers

Main article: List of Muppets

• Steve Whitmire as:
  • Kermit the Frog as Himself/Scarecrow: A scarecrow in search of a brain. Scarecrow is constantly mocked by the crows in Oz, as he is defenseless and cannot do anything to stop them. Prior to Dorothy's journey, Kermit organizes a talent scout for a star for a new show. After Dorothy's return, he hires her.
  • Beaker: He appears as an Emerald City Technician. Beaker also appears at the end in the Muppets' show.
  • Rizzo the Rat as Mayor of Munchkinland/Himself. He occasionally aids Dorothy when she is in danger. Prior to Dorothy's journey, Rizzo is seen assisting Bean Bunny in loading equipment into the Muppets' bus. He returns for the Muppets' show at the end of the film.
  • Statler as Kalidah Critic #1. He heckles Dorothy and her friends as they try to cross a log.

• Dave Goelz as:
  • The Great Gonzo as The Tin Thing/Himself: A robot in search of a heart. Originally human, the Tin Thing was turned into a robot by the Wicked Witch of the West who was angry at him for asking to leave her palace and marry his fiancée, Camilla the Chicken. He also appears at the end of the film in the Muppets' show.
  • Dr. Bunsen Honeydew: He appears as an Emerald City Technician. He also appears at the end of the film in the Muppets' show.
  • Waldorf as Kalidah Critic #2. He and the other Kalidah Critic heckls Dorothy and her friends as they try to cross a log.
  • Zoot: He performs backup for the songs "Naptime", and for the "The Witch is in the House", and appears at the end of the film in the Muppets' new show.

• Bill Barretta as:
  • Pepe the King Prawn as Toto: Dorothy's pet prawn and first companion on her journey. In Kansas, Toto was a prawn that lived in a fish bowl in Dorothy's room. Strangely, Pepe doesn't appear in the finale with the other Muppets.
  • Dr. Teeth: He performs "Naptime", and also performs in "The Witch is in the House". He appears again at the end of the film in the Muppets' show.
  • Johnny Fiama: He appears as one of the henchmen of the Wicked Witch of the West, and is supposedly her love interest.
  • Lew Zealand: He briefly appears in Emerald City at the red carpet event, asking Dorothy to sign his boomerang fish.
  • The Swedish Chef: He provides the Bran Flakes for the Wizard.
  • Bubba the Rat: He assists the Mayor of Munchkin Land in getting Dorothy and the Lion out of Poppyfields.

• Eric Jacobson as:
  • Miss Piggy as Herself: She appears early on with Kermit, and tries to get rid of Dorothy. She returns at the end of the film for the Muppets' show.
  • Miss Piggy as The Wicked Witch of the West: The Wicked Witch that terrifies all that meet her.
  • Miss Piggy as The Tattypoo the Good Witch of the North: The Good Witch that gives Dorothy the silver slippers.
  • Miss Piggy as The Glinda the Good Witch of the South: The other Good Witch that shows Dorothy how to get home.
  • Miss Piggy as The Wicked Witch of the East: The original owner of the magic slippers who was killed by Dorothy's falling mobile home.
  • Fozzie Bear as The Cowardly Lion/Himself: A nervous and frightened lion stand-up comic that accompanies Dorothy and the others on their journey. Fozzie shows up at the end of the film in the Muppets' show.
  • Animal: He performs in the songs "Naptime" and "The Witch is in the House".
  • Sam the Eagle: He appears as the Guardian of the Gates. Sam doesn't appear in the Muppets' show at the end of the film.

• Brian Henson as:
  • Sal Manilla as Sal, a Flying Monkey (voice): He accompanies Johnny for much of the film.

• Kevin Clash as:
  • Clifford (voice): He appears as the manager of the Poppy Field Club.
  • Mulch (voice): He appears briefly in Poppyfields.

• John Kennedy as:
  • Angel Marie as a Flying Monkey: He causes the witch to melt.
  • Floyd Pepper: He performs in "Naptime" and "The Witch is in the House".

• Rickey Boyd as:
  • Scooter: He appears as the Wizard's Assistant.
  • Crazy Harry as a Flying Monkey

• Tyler Bunch as:
  • Janice: She performs in "Naptime" and "The Witch is in the House".
  • Old Tom as a Flying Monkey

• Julianne Buescher as
  • Wizard's Green Lady and Chicken Forms

• John Henson as
  • Sweetums as a Flying Monkey: He provides the keys for the Cowardly Lion's escape from his cage.

• Mike Quinn as
  • Spotted Dick as a Flying Monkey

• Allan Trautman as
  • Crow: He bothers the Scarecrow.
  • Old Tom as a Flying Monkey

• Alice Dinnean as:
  • Camilla the Chicken: The Tin Thing's girlfriend. The two are reunited later on in the film.
  • Foo-Foo: Foo-Foo appears as the pet of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Additional Muppet performed by Adam Behr, Jeny Cassidy, Drew Massey, Gord Robertson, Geoff Redknap, and James Rowley.

Steve Whitmire and Dave Goelz appear as audience members at Aunt Em's Diner during the finale.

Muppet cameos

• Aretha from Fraggle Rock as a Flying Monkey
• Bean Bunny appears early on in the film, helping Rizzo the Rat load equipment into the Muppets' bus.
• Big Mean Carl from Muppets Tonight can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Black dog Blind Pew and Calico from ­Muppet Treasure Island as a Flying Monkeys
• Rowlf the Dog appears in background the Muppets' show at the end of the film.
• Begoony from Fraggle Rock as a Flying Monkey
• Brool the Minstrel, from Fraggle Rock as a Flying Monkey
• Murray the Minstrel, from Fraggle Rock as a Flying Monkey
• Wander McMooch from Fraggle Rock as a Flying Monkey
• Purple Frackle Gray Frackle Green-Furred Frackle and Pink Frackle as a Flying Monkeys
• Zippety Zap from Muppets Tonight can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Jowls from Muppets Tonight can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Zondra from The Jim Henson Hour can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Chip from The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Luncheon Counter Monster from The Muppet Show can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Pokey can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields. This character got its name when it appeared on the "Muppet Takeover" episode of The Today Show where the puppet was performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo.
• Flower-Eating Monster as a Flying Monkeys
• Green Frackle can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Droop and Shakey Sanchez can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Tosh Fraggle from Fraggle Rock can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• The Inkspots,from Fraggle Rock can be spotted in the background of Poppyfields.
• Hilary the Owl and other animals from Jim Henson's Animal Show appears in the woods where the Cowardly Lion is introduced.
• The generic rabbits appear in the woods where the Cowardly Lion is introduced.
• The Penguins appear at the red carpet event.
• Ivan the Villager from Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony appears as the KJOZ cameraman.
• Quongo the Gorilla from The Muppet Show appears in the woods where the Cowardly Lion is introduced.
• Butch the Tiger from The Muppet Show appears in the woods where the Cowardly Lion is introduced.

Production

When The Walt Disney Company acquired the Muppets franchise from The Jim Henson Company in February 2004, the Muppets were re-introduced to the public by marketing products and guest appearing on television shows such as Good Morning America and America's Funniest Home Videos. After a new film titled The Muppets' Wizard of Oz was announced by The Jim Henson Company, Fox Television Studios, Touchstone Television, and the Muppets Holding Company signed on to help produce it.

Filming took place throughout September 2004 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Before filming, ABC announced that the film would be based on the original book, not the 1939 film. In many ways, elements from The Muppets' Wizard of Oz follow the elements of the original book more closely than that of the 1939 film. A prominent example is the changing of the color of the magic slippers; from ruby in the 1939 film to silver for the 2005 film. On August 25, 2004, it was announced that Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson, and Ashanti had auditioned for the role of Dorothy Gale, but Ashanti had won the part. When asked about how she felt about working with the Muppets, Ashanti replied, "I love children, and to me, the Muppets are just like little kids." She also stated, "The director had to give me a few pointers and tips for acting with them, but the most important thing that I learned was to keep eye contact." Also in August 2004, BBC News reported that Quentin Tarantino would appear in the film.

Music

Michael Giacchino, who had previously worked on a Muppet-related project which is video game Muppet Monster Adventure and would become an Academy Award-winning composer, worked with Jeannie Lurie, Adam Cohen, Debra Frank, and Steve Hayes to write five original songs for the film. The five songs created were "Kansas", "When I'm With You", "It's a Good Life", "The Witch is in the House", and "Nap Time". "When I'm With You" was later nominated for a Primetime Emmy in the Outstanding Music and Lyrics category, but lost to "Mary Jane/Mary Lane" from Reefer Madness. Ashanti and the Muppet cast, mainly Bill Barretta and Eric Jacobson, contributed the vocals for each of the songs. Ted Kryczko produced the album, Booker T. Washington White prepared the songs for recording, and Paul Silveira and Brandon Christy mixed the film's songs.

Soundtrack

Best of the Muppets featuring The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
Soundtrack album
Released	May 17, 2005
Recorded	Walt Disney Studios
Genre	Pop/Rock Enhanced
Length	29:52
Label	Walt Disney
The Muppets chronology
The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More (2002) Best of Muppets featuring The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) The Muppets: A Green and Red Christmas (2006)

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz official soundtrack was released on May 17, 2005. The album was an enhanced soundtrack titled Best of Muppets featuring The Muppets' Wizard of Oz as it was not a film-specific soundtrack, but an album featuring the Muppets' best songs from The Muppet Show as well as songs from the film.

Track listing

1. "(Gotta Get Outta) Kansas" - Ashanti
2. "When I'm With You" – Ashanti, Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie & Pepe
3. "The Witch Is in the House" – Miss Piggy with Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
4. "Calling All Munchkins" – The Munchkin Tap-Your-Knuckles Choir
5. "Good Life" – Ashanti
6. "Nap Time" – Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
7. "The Muppet Show Theme" – The Muppets
8. "Mah Nà Mah Nà"– Mahna Mahna & The Two Snowths
9. "Bein' Green"– Kermit the Frog
10. "The Rainbow Connection" – Kermit
11. "Lady of Spain" – Marvin Suggs & his Muppaphone
12. "Halfway Down the Stairs"– Kermit & Robin
13. "What Now My Love?" – Miss Piggy
14. "Tenderly" – Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem
15. "Happy Feet" – Kermit and the Frog Chorus

Release

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz premiered on April 27, 2005 at the Tribeca Film Festival. The television premiere was on May 20, 2005 at 8:00pm on ABC in the US, where it was rated TV-PG. It aired in Canada on CBC Television, and in the UK on December 18, 2005. In the US, the film's official soundtrack was released on May 17, 2005. Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the DVD and VHS in both the US and in international territories. The film was released to Region 1 DVD and VHS on August 9, 2005. The Canadian Home Video Classification System rated the film G for all home video releases within Canadian territories. The Region 2 DVD was released on April 3, 2006. The film was rated U by the British Board of Film Classification, K-3 in Finland, and G in Australia. The DVD and VHS were released under the title Extended Version in the US and Anniversary Edition outside the US. The extended version contains 20 minutes of footage cut from the feature film, including the footage of the Kelly Osbourne and Quentin Tarantino cameos. The DVD and VHS included an extended interview with Quentin Tarantino, a blooper reel, and a behind-the-scenes look at the film guided by Pepe the Prawn. In the US, the DVD and VHS release of the film was in a 1.33:1 (fullscreen) aspect ratio, whereas the international versions are in the original 1.78:1 (widescreen) aspect ratio. During Macy's annual Flower Show promotion, the store's windows along Broadway displayed flower arrangements illustrating six scenes from the movie, while the store sold The Muppets' Wizard of Oz-related merchandise, such as plush dolls.

Critical reception

7.75 million viewers watched The Muppets' Wizard of Oz on its television premiere night in the United States; it ranked as the forty-second most-watched television program of the week. Michael Schneider of Variety wrote that it "performed solidly ... particularly with adults 18–34, teens and kids." The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. At Rotten Tomatoes, the movie currently holds a 38% "rotten" rating, with an average of three out of eight critics giving the film a positive review.

For the film's positive response, Kevin Carr stated that "When you dig down and actually find (and watch) the new Muppet material, some of the magic is still there." MaryAnn Johanson of Flick Filosopher said that, "It's not on a par with the Muppet movie madness of old, but it's darn close." According to the Bums Corner's review the film was a "treat for all ages, and that it was a colorful, musical, humorous romp." Keith Allen of Movie Rapture gave the film 2.5 stars out of 3, explaining that the film's humor was surprisingly clever, and that the film would frequently make you laugh. Mutant Reviewers commented that although the Muppet deal with Walt Disney was disappointing, the film managed to be funny and witty.

For the film's negative response, David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews warned that the film was "strictly for kids" Nusair stated that although Ashanti can sing, she cannot act. Joshua Tyler of Cinema Blend explained that Dorothy visiting the Wizard of Oz to become a star instead of going back home was a big mistake, and that it showed how shallow society has become. R.J. Carter of The Trades gave the film a B-, also stating that Dorothy's wish to become a star was a selfish one. Ultimate Disney's review found that the extended version of the film did more harm than good; Andy Dursin of The Aisle Seat said that the original film was "dull" and that the extended version was actually an improvement over the original. Cold Fusion Video felt that although the film was entertaining, it lacked the heart and wit of Jim Henson's Muppet films. Bryan Pope of DVD Verdict said that the film drained the Muppets of their spirit and was slightly gratuitous. Techtite TV reviews felt that the film was done poorly on all levels, and that the film was on the higher end of TV-PG.

Other reviewers felt that the film's attempt to appeal to an older, more mature audience was ultimately a bad idea. Kerry Bennett of Parent Previews warned that it sometimes steered "dangerously off course" due to an excess of sexual content and violence. Referential humor to the marriage of Jennifer Lopez, Manolo Blahnik style silver shoes, and films such as Girls Gone Wild, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypse Now, and Kill Bill: Volume 1 were seen as too mature. Cold Fusion Video judged the Kelly Osbourne cameo as "pointless". Dursin contrasted the two guest appearances and found that the Tarantino cameo dragged the film down. Critics were split on whether ABC's decision to base the film's plot on the original novel and not the 1939 film was ultimately a good one.

See also

List of television films produced for American Broadcasting Company

External links

• The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
• The Muppets' Wizard of Oz at the Internet Movie Database
• The Muppets' Wizard of Oz at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Muppets' Wizard of Oz at AllRovi