making the rainbow connection

I was finally able to watch The Muppets last night.  You know, the new(ish) movie starring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and the whole Muppet gang.  I'd been waiting to see this ever since the first word of it was published.  Conditions never really came together to make it happen until last night.

It was wonderful seeing new Muppet adventures.  I loved the nostalgia.  I loved seeing the Muppet Show recreated.  I loved how happy it made me feel.



But at the same time, something was missing.  It was like it was too much.  It was more cheesy than heartfelt.  Don't get me wrong - I could completely tell that the people who made this did it out of love.  The happiness was just a little over the top.  Something that you didn't see in the original movies.

Because we look back at the movies and shows that we watched for the first time as kids, we do so with the emotions that we felt back then.  We were young and lived in our perfect(ish) childhood bubbles and they made us smile and laugh and think and it was pure.  We didn't get the hidden meanings of the things that our parents did.  We didn't understand all of the satire and commentary and double entendres that made our parents love the show just as much as we did.  It was fun.  Pure and simple.  We liked the songs they sang, the jokes made us laugh, we knew some of the special guests that would be on the show or in the movies, and that was all we needed.  We were happy and carefree and everything was perfect.  Much like what the world was like in the new movie...singing and dancing and "Life's A Happy Song."  Aha!  That's where it came from.

Finally when I saw the cast come together to sing "Rainbow Connection" it came to me.  The one thing that was missing.  It was the one thing that could never possibly be added...

Jim Henson

The spark, the heart of it all was missing.  It was still fun and entertaining and nostalgic, but without him at the helm...it seemed almost empty.

I doubt I'll ever be able to watch any new Muppet shows/movies without feeling like they're not quite right, but at the same time a new generation of kids will be able to watch them and have that same feeling of bliss and escape that we felt back in the day.  They have a new voice...just like Kermit.  They will be able to laugh and learn and feel like anything is possible too.  And that is all a fan of Jim Henson could ever want.