Product Description

Celebrate the season will all your favorite Muppets in this heartwarming and hilarious holiday movie. Whoopi Goldberg, Uma Thurman, Nathan Lane and other sensational guest stars join our friends on a fun-filled Christmas adventure full of sidesplitting laughs and memorable music. When Gonzo forgets to mail three letters to Santa, he convinces Kermit and the gang to help him deliver the notes to the North Pole. Along the way, they discover that Christmas is the time to be with those you care about most, as they dash home to make a friend's Christmas wish come true. Bursting with bonus material and never-before-seen footage, A MUPPETS CHRISTMAS: LETTERS TO SANTA is hours of holiday fun for the entire family!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16085 in DVD
• Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
• Released on: 2009-09-29
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 60 minutes

Features

• MUPPETS CHRISTMAS, A: LETTERS TO SANTA (DVD MOVIE)

Amazon.com
Jim Henson created the Muppets in the mid 1950s, and they became hugely popular with young children, thanks to the television series Sesame Street, a show that began production in 1969 and continues today. In The Muppet Show (1976-1981), Henson took the Muppet characters that young children so loved and created a variety show aimed at the whole family. Suddenly Mom, Dad, and kids of all ages fell in love with Henson's adorable creatures, and it seemed like the Muppet movies and TV shows couldn't come fast enough. The Muppets' popularity continued after Jim Henson's death in 1990 with new productions such as the 1999 movie The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland and the television series Bear in the Big Blue House (1997-2006).

A 2008 TV special, A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa features favorite Muppet characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear as they prepare for a busy holiday season in the modern world. Kermit and Ms. Piggy are headed to the Caribbean, Gonzo is off to Hawaii, Fozzie is embarking on a comedy road tour, and it seems like everybody is in a hurry to get somewhere. Stuck in line at the post office, Kermit tells his friends to relax and enjoy the best time of year, so they all take a moment to "help" their local postal workers. When Gonzo returns from the post office, he realizes that he's forgotten to mail three important letters to Santa--one of which is from his good friend Claire (Madison Pettis), who's already feeling a bit blue because all of her friends are going out of town for the holiday. Selflessly putting their own plans on hold, Gonzo, Kermit, and Fozzie embark on a long journey to the North Pole to deliver the letters. Along the way, they catch a cab driven by Whoopi Goldberg; meet a new friend, Joy (Uma Thurman), who speeds them on their way; and discover a way to help the curmudgeonly Officer Meany (Nathan Lane), who's been on Santa's naughty list for years. What they learn during their journey is that Christmas is really about family, friends, and togetherness. This television special is full of adorable characters and fun songs that appeal to kids of all ages, and it provides the perfect opportunity for a whole new generation of kids to fall in love with the Muppets. Bonus features include deleted scenes and a "Stocking Stuffer Smorgasbord" in which viewers gaze at the fire while listening in on the Muppets' holiday meal. --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT!
ok, so i'm happy most any time the Muppets do anything at all. it's true.

the only thing that i have NOT liked was the Wizard of Oz disaster.

this is the Muppets back home in New York being themselves, again. it is classicly told in the proper muppet universe.

the music is good and the jokes are fresh.

this ISN'T the MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS, (nothing ever will be that great again!)
but it is the best thing in years!

Boy, you can tell that there's no Jim Henson
Everything done by the Muppets since the death of Jim Henson has been sorely lacking in heart. This production had promise but it never got beyond that. Even Paul Williams' music seems to be lacking without the collaborative genius of Henson.

There are a few chuckles here and there--brought about mostly by the newish character of PePe the Prawn--but I'd have to guess that Henson wouldn't be proud of this effort.

And what's weirdest to me is that ALL of the Muppet's voices seem to have changed--not just Kermit's, who obviously sounds different these days since he isn't being performed by Henson. Fozzie sounds different, Miss Piggy sounds different, Gonzo sounds different, Scooter sounds different...and longtime Muppet fans will know it.

Just a disappointment overall and the last post-Henson Muppet production that I'll spend my money on.

A Less Than Magical Effort
Synopsis: Kermit, Pepe, Miss. Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy, and the rest of the Muppet crew go to the post office to deliver letters to Santa. While there, some mishaps occur and Gonzo forgets to deliver 3 letters. The gang has to find a way to get the letters to Santa and help him fulfill the Christmas wishes.

Review: I am a big fan of the Muppets, but this film was more boring than magical. The sad thing is that the concept has potential: letters to Santa are accidentally left out of the mail and the Muppet gang has to first deliver them to Santa and then help Santa fulfill the wishes.

The problem is this: the film wastes time in the letter delivery process. At the 30 minute mark of the 44 minute feature, Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzy, and Pepe are just arriving at the North Pole. The film spends less than a minute there-- with a beautiful exterior that goes to waste. We meet 1 elf, and never venture inside. Then, it's back to delivering the letters again, and the viewers finally see Santa 10 minutes before the film ends-- rushing the meat of the story: giving Santa the letters and making wishes come true.

If the writers had been more intelligent, they would have spent only 10 minutes on delivery and the journey to the North Pole. The other 34 minutes then could have been spent in hijinks at Santa's Workshop (instead of the Post Office) and going from house to house making 3 or 4 special children's wishes come true.

You might be better off re-watching The Muppet Christmas Carol - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition, A Muppet Family Christmas, or even It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (which parodies It's a Wonderful Life). All 3 are gems.

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