Editing Muppets from Space

{{Short description|1999 film directed by Tim Hill}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Muppets from Space
| image          = Muppets from space.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Tim Hill (filmmaker)|Tim Hill]]
| producer       = {{plainlist|
* [[Brian Henson]]
* Martin G. Baker
}}
| writer         = {{plainlist|
* [[Jerry Juhl]]
* [[Joey Mazzarino|Joseph Mazzarino]]
* Ken Kaufman
}}
| starring             = {{Plainlist|<!--PER FILM POSTER BILLING BLOCK!-->
* [[Dave Goelz]]
* [[Steve Whitmire]]
* [[Bill Barretta]]
* [[Frank Oz]]
* [[Jeffrey Tambor]]
* [[F. Murray Abraham]]
* [[David Arquette]]
* [[Josh Charles]]
* [[Hulk Hogan|Hollywood Hogan]]
* [[Ray Liotta]]
* [[Andie MacDowell]]
}}
| music          = [[Jamshied Sharifi]]
| cinematography = Alan Caso
| editing        = {{plainlist|
* Michael A. Stevenson
* [[Richard Pearson (film editor)|Richard Pearson]]
}}
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
* [[Columbia Pictures]]
* [[Jim Henson Pictures]]<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/61243-MUPPETS-FROMSPACE|title=Muppets from Space|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=September 25, 2017}}</ref>
}}
| distributor    = [[Sony Pictures Releasing]]<ref name="mojo"/>
| released       = {{Film date|1999|7|14}}
| runtime        = 88 minutes<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3479537153/|title=Muppets from Space (1999)|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=November 17, 2012}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $24 million<ref name="mojo"/>
| gross          = $22.3 million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}
'''''Muppets from Space''''', alternatively known as '''''The Muppets from Space''''', is a 1999 American [[Science fiction comedy|science fiction comedy film]] directed by [[Tim Hill (filmmaker)|Tim Hill]] (in his feature film directorial debut), written by [[Jerry Juhl]], [[Joey Mazzarino|Joseph Mazzarino]], and Ken Kaufman, produced by [[Brian Henson]] and Martin G. Baker, and the sixth theatrical film featuring [[the Muppets]]. The film stars Muppet performers [[Dave Goelz]], [[Steve Whitmire]], [[Jerry Nelson]], [[Bill Barretta]], and [[Frank Oz]], as well as [[Jeffrey Tambor]], [[F. Murray Abraham]], [[David Arquette]], [[Josh Charles]], [[Hulk Hogan|Hollywood Hogan]], [[Ray Liotta]], [[Rob Schneider]] and [[Andie MacDowell]]. In the film, [[Gonzo (Muppet)|Gonzo]] attempts to discover his origins. After he and [[Rizzo the Rat]] are captured by government officials during his search, [[Kermit the Frog]] and the rest of the Muppets set out to rescue them.

The film was released on July 14, 1999. It grossed $22.3 million against a budget of $24 million, making it a [[Box-office bomb|box office failure]], and received mixed reviews from critics; many considered it the weakest theatrical Muppet movie. It is the last Muppet film to have the involvement of Oz and Juhl<ref>{{cite news|last=Setoodeh|first=Ramin|title=How Kermit and the Muppets Got Their Mojo Back|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/the-muppets-talk-about-comebacks-and-their-relationship-with-disney-1201128921/|access-date=12 March 2014|newspaper=Variety|date=11 March 2014}}</ref> and the last theatrically released Muppet film to be produced by [[The Jim Henson Company]] before the franchise was acquired by [[The Walt Disney Company]] in 2004.

==Plot==
[[Gonzo (Muppet)|Gonzo]]'s species has always been a mystery, but after having nightmares of being denied entry to [[Noah's Ark]], he begins to realize just how alone he is in the world.

Gonzo tells [[Kermit the Frog|Kermit]] that he is getting tired of being referred to as a "whatever". After an [[Extraterrestrial life|alien species]] appears to be trying to send a message through his bowl of [[alphabet]] cereal, Gonzo realizes that he may not be alone after all and that evening, he climbs to the rooftop of the Muppet boarding house to watch the sky. He is struck by a [[Lightning strike|bolt of lightning]], which allows him to communicate with a pair of cosmic knowledge fish, who reveal his origins as an alien from outer space.

Hoping to contact the aliens, Gonzo makes an impromptu appearance at the television studio for ''UFO Mania'' during a live broadcast, where [[Miss Piggy]] is working. Concerned about Gonzo's behavior, Kermit and [[Rizzo the Rat|Rizzo]] go down to the studio. Unable to convince his friends of the aliens' existence, Gonzo is lured by Agent Barker to K. Edgar Singer of C.O.V.N.E.T., a clandestine national security facility whose mission is to investigate threats of extraterrestrial attacks. Singer is aware of the aliens' attempts to communicate with Earth, and having seen Gonzo on television, believes that he is the key to convincing his superior General Luft that aliens exist.

Gonzo and Rizzo are taken to C.O.V.N.E.T., where Rizzo gets flushed down a tube to the facility's [[rat]] medical research held by Dr. Tucker, alongside other Muppet rats. Unable to get answers from Gonzo about the aliens, Singer decides to have Gonzo's brain surgically removed and has him taken to a holding cell while the surgery is prepared. Meanwhile, after Miss Piggy interrogates Barker, she, Kermit, [[Fozzie Bear|Fozzie]], [[Pepe the King Prawn|Pepe]], and [[Animal (Muppet)|Animal]] go to rescue Gonzo and Rizzo from C.O.V.N.E.T., using various inventions from [[Bunsen Honeydew|Bunsen]] and [[Beaker (Muppet)|Beaker]].

While Gonzo is in his cell, an alien [[Mediumship#Channeling|channeling]] his voice through a sandwich asks him where the alien ship can land, and Gonzo suggests a beach named Cape Doom, unaware that Singer's assistant Agent Rentro (Bobo the Bear) is listening. Gonzo is then taken to the surgery room, and the Muppets arrive to rescue Gonzo and Rizzo.

Meanwhile, Rizzo escapes from medical research and frees Gonzo from the dissection table, while Singer and Luft witness the other rats attack the surgeon Dr. Phil Van Neuter. Luft feels that his time has been wasted and angrily leaves. Upon discovering from Rentro that Gonzo is heading for Cape Doom, Singer prepares a weapon called the Subatomic Neutro-Destabilizer to use on the aliens. Singer and Rentro then head to Cape Doom.

The Muppets rescue Gonzo from the facility, then arrive at Cape Doom where a crowd of alien believers await their arrival. After an hour-long wait, the ship arrives and the aliens, who all resemble Gonzo, explain that many years ago they lost him, but now welcome him back. Singer shows up and tries to kill the aliens, ultimately failing to do so (Rentro having removed the weapon's battery), and is laughed at. Gonzo considers going with his long-lost family to their home planet but chooses to stay on Earth with the Muppets with his family's blessing. Singer is invited by the aliens to go with them and leaves as Earth's ambassador.

Later that night, Gonzo and the other Muppets watch the stars from the boarding house roof.

==Cast==
* [[Jeffrey Tambor]] as K. Edgar "Ed" Singer, the head of C.O.V.N.E.T.
* [[Pat Hingle]] as General Luft, a military official who K. Edgar Singer reports to
* [[Andie MacDowell]] as Shelley Snipes, a ''UFO Mania'' [[News presenter|anchorwoman]]
* [[Rob Schneider]] as the TV producer of ''UFO Mania''
* [[Gary Owens]] as ''UFO Mania'' Announcer (voice)

===Muppet performers===
* [[Dave Goelz]] as [[Gonzo (Muppet)|Gonzo]], [[Bunsen Honeydew]], [[Statler and Waldorf|Waldorf]], The Birdman, [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Zoot|Zoot]], Chip and [[List of Muppets#Beauregard|Beauregard]]
* [[Steve Whitmire]] as [[Kermit the Frog]], [[Rizzo the Rat]], [[Beaker (Muppet)|Beaker]], Cosmic Fish #1, [[List of Muppets#Bean Bunny|Bean Bunny]] and Alien Gonzo
* [[Bill Barretta]] as [[Pepe the King Prawn]], [[List of Muppets#Bobo the Bear|Bobo the Bear as Rentro]], [[List of Muppets#Additional characters, recurring characters and minor characters|Bubba the Rat]], [[List of Muppets#Johnny Fiama and Sal Minella|Johnny Fiama]], Cosmic Fish #2, [[Rowlf the Dog]], Lead-singing Alien Gonzo and [[Swedish Chef|The Swedish Chef]]
* [[Frank Oz]] as [[Miss Piggy]], [[Fozzie Bear]], [[Animal (Muppet)|Animal]] and [[Sam Eagle]]
* [[Jerry Nelson]] as [[List of Muppets#Robin the Frog|Robin]], [[Statler and Waldorf|Statler]], Ubergonzo, [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Floyd Pepper|Floyd Pepper]] and [[List of Muppets#Lew Zealand|Lew Zealand]]
* [[Brian Henson]] as [[List of Muppets#Dr. Phil Van Neuter|Dr. Phil Van Neuter]], [[List of Muppets#Johnny Fiama and Sal Minella|Sal Minella]], Alien Gonzo and Talking Sandwich
* [[Kevin Clash]] as [[Clifford (Muppet)|Clifford]]
* [[Drew Massey]] as Fast Eddie
* Rickey Boyd as Troy
* [[Peter Linz]] as Shakes
* [[John Kennedy (puppeteer)|John Kennedy]] as [[Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem|Dr. Teeth]] and Alien Gonzo
* Adam Hunt as [[Scooter (Muppet)|Scooter]] (voice only)
* [[Alice Dinnean]] as Alien Gonzo
* [[John Henson (puppeteer)|John Henson]] as [[List of Muppets#Sweetums|Sweetums]]

Additionally, Whitmire, Kennedy, Linz, Massey and Boyd make on-screen cameos as [[hippie]]s at Cape Doom.

===Cameos===
* [[F. Murray Abraham]] as [[Noah]].
* [[Josh Charles]] as Agent Barker, an operative of C.O.V.N.E.T. who is interrogated.
* [[Hulk Hogan|Hollywood Hogan]] as Man in Black, working as an operative of C.O.V.N.E.T. wrestling.
* [[David Arquette]] as Dr. Tucker, a sadistic [[scientist]] who works at C.O.V.N.E.T. and is in charge of the medical science.
* [[Ray Liotta]] as the gate guard at C.O.V.N.E.T. who is affected by the mind-control spray bottle created by Bunsen and Beaker.
* [[Kathy Griffin]] as an armed guard of C.O.V.N.E.T. who falls in love with Animal.
* [[Katie Holmes]] as [[Joey Potter]], a character from ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'' (uncredited)
* [[Joshua Jackson]] as [[Pacey Witter]], a character from ''Dawson's Creek'' (uncredited)

==Production==
As with the previous film ''[[Muppet Treasure Island]]'' (1996), veteran Muppet performer [[Frank Oz]] was unavailable for most of the shooting of ''Muppets from Space'' due to scheduling conflicts with his directing career. As a result, his characters [[Miss Piggy]], [[Fozzie Bear]], [[Animal (Muppet)|Animal]], and [[Sam Eagle]] were performed on set by other puppeteers, with Oz later [[Dubbing (filmmaking)|dubbing]] his voice in post-production. For most of the filming, [[Peter Linz]] performed Miss Piggy, [[John Kennedy (puppeteer)|John Kennedy]] performed Fozzie Bear and Sam Eagle, and Rickey Boyd performed [[Animal (Muppet)|Animal]]. Kennedy and Linz's voices can be heard in the film's theatrical trailer. In addition, Muppet performer [[Kevin Clash]] was also unavailable for most of the shooting, due to scheduling conflicts with his work on ''[[Sesame Street]]'' (1969–present).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_Pt6x6zl70|title=Tough Pigs interview: Kevin Clash Part 1 of 2|last=Tough Pigs|website=[[YouTube]]|date=November 1, 2011|format=YouTube|quote=I think I did about a week, uh, on the movie, that was about it}}</ref>

Filming began in November 1998 at Screen Gems Studios in [[Wilmington, North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://muppetcentral.com/news/1998/112598.shtml | title=Muppet Central News - "Muppets from Space" begins filming }}</ref>

The film would mark the first appearance of [[Scooter (Muppet)|Scooter]] since the theme park attraction ''[[Muppet*Vision 3D]]'' (1991). His voice was performed in ''Muppets from Space'' by Adam Hunt, the brother of Scooter's initial performer [[Richard Hunt (puppeteer)|Richard Hunt]].

The film's visual effects were provided by Illusion Arts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kenneth Nakada VFX|url=http://www.nakadavfx.com/work-history/work-history-feature-films/|website=nakadavfx.com|access-date=August 17, 2018}}</ref>

===Writing===
An earlier draft of the story was written by [[Kirk Thatcher]] called ''Muppets in Space''. In the screenplay, aliens abducted [[Kermit the Frog|Kermit]] because they believed him to be their leader, leading the other Muppets to attempt to save him. A set of [[Welch's]] Jelly Glasses was produced based around this theme.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.henson.com/index.html |title=The Jim Henson Company |website=www.henson.com |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980702051611/http://www.henson.com/index.html |archive-date=2 July 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the production notes featured on the DVD, the film was inspired by [[Gonzo (Muppet)|Gonzo]]'s song in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' (1979), "[[I'm Going to Go Back There Someday]]".<ref>(2003) ''Muppets From Space'' [[DVD]] "Production Notes" bonus feature.</ref>

When asked about his experience ten years after the film's release, co-writer [[Joey Mazzarino|Joseph Mazzarino]] revealed that he left the production before shooting started, due to changes made to his draft of the screenplay. He stated that his draft included parodies of ''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]'', ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (both 1997) and ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979), and that [[Randal Kleiser]] had been selected to direct the film. However, shortly before shooting began, [[The Jim Henson Company]] fired Kleiser, as they felt he was not "bringing enough vision", with Mazzarino subsequently hiring [[Tim Hill (filmmaker)|Timothy Hill]] as the new director, and the parodies were removed, as Hill wanted the film to be "more real".<ref name="Hennes">{{cite web|last=Hennes|first=Joe|title=A Chat with Joey Mazzarino, part 2|url=http://www.toughpigs.com/a-chat-with-joey-mazzarino-part-2/|website=toughpigs.com|access-date=March 18, 2017|date=February 25, 2009}}</ref>

In addition, Mazzarino stated that in his draft Gonzo did not turn out to be an alien. Instead, the aliens were getting signals from episodes of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' (1976–1981) and made themselves look like Gonzo because they considered him to be the "ultimate being". In the end, they would reveal their true forms, and Gonzo would remain a "whatever", with his family being the Muppets.<ref name="Hennes" />

===Music===
{{Infobox album
| name       = Muppets from Space: The Ultimate Muppet Trip
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = Various artists
<!-- Commented out: | cover      = Muppets from Space The Ultimate Muppet Trip CD cover.jpg -->
| caption    =
| alt        =
| released   = [[1999 in music|July 13, 1999]]<ref name="BillboardMFS" />
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Soundtrack album|Soundtrack]]
| length     =
| label      = {{ubl|[[Sony Wonder]]|[[Epic Records|Epic]]}}<ref name="BillboardMFS">{{cite magazine |last1=McCormick |first1=Moira |title="Muppets From Space" Soundtrack Ready To Touch Down |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68 |access-date=April 8, 2019 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=July 3, 1999 |pages=68|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
| producer   =
| chronology = [[The Muppets]]
| prev_title = [[Muppet Treasure Island#Music|Muppet Treasure Island: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]
| prev_year  = 1996
| next_title = [[The Muppets' Wizard of Oz#Music|Best of the Muppets featuring The Muppets' Wizard of Oz]]
| next_year  = 2005
}}
''Muppets from Space'' was the first Muppet film not to feature original music, opting instead for a soundtrack consisting primarily of classic soul and funk tracks.

Some tracks were remade by contemporary artists, such as "[[Shining Star (Earth, Wind & Fire song)|Shining Star]]" by the [[Dust Brothers]] featuring Jeymes, and "Dazz" by [[G. Love and Special Sauce]], recorded at [[Muscle Shoals Sound Studio]] in [[Sheffield, Alabama]]. The band was in the studio recording with Little Milton on the "Welcome to Little Milton" record. The band got a call from Jason Brown, their manager, while in the studio, to record a song for the movie. Will McFarlane, who was a Shoals/Malaco studio regular, and former Bonnie Raitt guitarist, played with the band on the song. [[Parliament (band)|Parliament's]] "[[Flash Light (song)|Flash Light]]" was updated by [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] as a duet with [[Pepe the King Prawn]] named "Flash Light (Spaceflight)".

Two soundtracks were released featuring music from the film. The first album, '''''Muppets from Space: The Ultimate Muppet Trip''''', consisted of the classic soul and funk tracks featured in the film and was jointly released by [[Sony Wonder]], [[Epic Records]], and [[Epic Soundtrax|Sony Music Soundtrax]] a day before the film's premiere,<ref name="BillboardMFS" /> while the other was an album containing the film's score, which was composed by [[Jamshied Sharifi]] with additional work by [[Rupert Gregson-Williams]]. This album was released by [[Varèse Sarabande]] on August 13, 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=Muppets From Space [Original Motion Picture Score] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/muppets-from-space-original-motion-picture-score-mw0000249374/releases |website=[[AllMusic]] |publisher=[[All Media Network]] |access-date=June 21, 2018 |ref=allmusicmfsscore}}</ref>

Earlier drafts of the film contained original music, including the song "Eye 2 the Sky", written and recorded by [[Ween]], which was not included on the soundtrack. This song was intended to be sung by Gonzo. Gonzo's performer [[Dave Goelz]] had also recorded a new rendition of "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" for this film, a song which had originally appeared in ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' (1979). This song was also dropped, but was included on the ''Muppets from Space'' soundtrack, also sung by Gonzo.

==Release==
===Marketing===
To promote the film's theatrical release, ''Muppets from Space'' was accompanied with a marketing campaign with promotional tie-ins such as [[Wendy's]] and [[Travelodge]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Hernandez|first=Greg|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-28-fi-41850-story.html|title=Fast-Food Promotional Wars Heading Into a Furious Summer|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 28, 1999|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Travelodge Hotels, Inc. Takes Home Top Awards|url=https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/btn50002556/|work=Breaking Travel News|date=January 26, 2000|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> From May 17 to May 21, 1999, ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' had a theme called "Wheel Goes to the Movies" which featured a prize on the Wheel that included a four-day trip to [[Los Angeles]] for the world premiere of ''Muppets from Space''.<ref>{{cite video|url=https://youtube.com/F1goXMIyd7A|title=Wheel of Fortune: May 17, 1999|publisher=Youtube}}</ref> For the film's home video release, the pizza restaurant chain [[Sbarro]] promoted the film with six figurines in a set, along with Muppet pizza boxes and bags.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chapman|first=Cindy|url=https://muppetcentral.com/news/1999/112199.shtml|title=Sbarro restaurants release Muppet toys|publisher=Muppet Central News|date=November 21, 1999|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref>

===Home media===
On October 26, 1999,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-14-ca-22052-story.html|title=What's Hot|date=October 14, 1999|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> the film was released on VHS and DVD with supplemental features such as a blooper reel and an audio commentary by Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, Rizzo, and director Tim Hill.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hettrick|first=Scott|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1999-11-19-9911170675-story.html|title=Muppets, A Thriller and Oz|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=November 19, 1999|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> It was released alongside ''[[The Muppets Take Manhattan]]'' on a double feature DVD by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]] on June 9, 2008. The film received a [[Blu-ray]] release on August 16, 2011, also alongside ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'', with all of the special features from the DVD included.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Katz |first1=Josh |title=Muppets From Space & The Muppets Take Manhattan Blu-rays (Updated) |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=6564 |access-date=November 24, 2019 |work=Blu-ray.com |date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Muppets from Space'' was released on July 14, 1999, in 2,265 theaters and grossed $7 million during its five-day opening frame.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1999W29/|title=Weekend Box Office Results for July 16–18, 1999|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Natale|first=Richard|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-19-ca-57357-story.html|title='Eyes' Sees Its Way to Top Spot|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 19, 1999|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> At the end of its theatrical run, the film grossed $22.3 million worldwide against its $24 million budget.<ref name="mojo"/><ref>{{cite news|title= On the Family Entertainment Map, Henson Co. Finds Itself at Crossroads|work= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 23, 1999|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-23-fi-58768-story.html|access-date=2010-10-18|first=Claudia|last=Eller}}</ref>

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 63% of 56 critics gave the film a positive review. The site's critical consensus reads: "If ''Muppets from Space'' lacks the magic and wit of its cinematic predecessors, this pleasingly silly space romp is funny and clever enough to make for better-than-average family entertainment."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/muppets_from_space|title=''Muppets from Space'' (1999)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media]]|access-date=May 3, 2025}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] summarized the critical response as "mixed or average", based on a weighted average score of 53 out of 100 from 24 critics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/muppets-from-space|title=''Muppets from Space'' reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=Fandom, Inc.|access-date=April 25, 2023}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average rating of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home—Cinemascore|url=https://www.cinemascore.com|website=CinemaScore|access-date=May 3, 2025}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film a two-star rating (out of four) and wrote "somehow ''Muppets From Space'' seemed a little disconsolate, a little low in energy, as if the ship (or the ark) had sailed."<ref>{{cite news|author=Roger Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/muppets-from-space-1999|title=Muppets from Space|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|via=[[RogerEbert.com]]|date=July 14, 1999|access-date=February 3, 2023}}</ref> Conversely, Robin Rauzi of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' gave the film a positive review, stating that "twenty years after ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'' and 30 after the beginning of ''[[Sesame Street]]'', there is still life in these creations of felt, foam rubber and fake fur. With care, they will easily entertain and educate a third or fourth generation of children. The magic is back."<ref>{{cite news|title=Joy, Plot Restored in 'Muppets From Space'|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 14, 1999|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-14-ca-55989-story.html|access-date=February 3, 2023|first=Robin|last=Rauzi}}</ref> 

Michael Wilmington, reviewing for ''[[The Chicago Tribune]]'', praised the puppeteers' performances, but remarked "[t]his picture isn't goofy or dreamy enough, however engaging it may be to re-encounter the intrigues of Miss Piggy, the wistfulness of Kermit or the weirdness of Gonzo. Or relax into the period funk soundtrack (including the O'Jays' "Survival," Earth, Wind and Fire's "Shining Star" and many others)."<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilmington|first=Michael|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-07-14-9907140124-story.html|title='Muppets from Space' Could Use a Hand|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=July 14, 1999|access-date=August 2, 2019}}</ref> [[Lawrence Van Gelder]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' felt the "[f]renetic movement and loud music overwhelm warmth and compassion, and the balance of character, plot, irreverent humor and innate decency that made some of the earlier Muppet movies so welcome is lost."<ref>{{cite news|last=Van Gelder|first=Lawrence|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/14/movies/film-review-close-encounters-of-a-gonzo-kind.html|title=Close Encounters of a Gonzo Kind|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=July 14, 1999|access-date=February 3, 2023}}</ref>

In 2000, [[Frank Oz]] stated that the film was not "up to what it should have been" and "not the movie that we wanted it to be."<ref>{{cite web|last=Plume|first=Kenneth|title=Interview with Frank Oz (Part 3 of 4)|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/02/10/interview-with-frank-oz-part-3-of-4|website=[[IGN]]|date=February 10, 2000|access-date=February 3, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title|0158811|Muppets from Space}}
* {{TCMDb title|415985|Muppets from Space}}
* {{mojo title|muppetsfromspace|Muppets from Space}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|muppets_from_space|Muppets From Space}}
* {{Muppets}}

{{Tim Hill}}
{{Muppet films}}

[[Category:1999 films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:1990s science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:American adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:American science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:Films about extraterrestrial life]]
[[Category:Films directed by Tim Hill]]
[[Category:Films scored by Jamshied Sharifi]]
[[Category:Films shot in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Jerry Juhl]]
[[Category:The Muppets films]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:The Jim Henson Company films]]
[[Category:1999 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1999 comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:1999 children's films]]
[[Category:Noah's Ark in film]]
[[Category:1999 science fiction films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure comedy films]]