Kermit's Swamp Years (2002) (V)

Director:

David Gumpel

Writers (WGA):

Jim Lewis (teleplay) and
Joey Mazzarino (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

3 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

His true story, warts and all.

Plot:

At 12 years old, Kermit the Frog and best friends Goggles and Croaker travel outside their homes in the swamps of the Deep South to do something extraordinary with their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Swamp | Pet Shop | Origin Story | The Muppets | Dissection

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win

Cast

Steve Whitmire	...	Kermit the Frog / Jack Rabbit / Chico (voice)
Bill Barretta	...	Croaker / Horace D' Fly / Roy the Frog / Turtle #2 (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	Waldorf (voice)
Joey Mazzarino	...	Goggles / Turtle #1 (voice) (as Joseph Mazzarino)
John Kennedy	...	Blotch / Arnie the Alligator / Monkey (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Statler (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jarrod W. Amos	...	Student #3
Ryan H. Amos	...	Student #4
William Bookston	...	Wilson
Alice Dinnean
Hampton Dixon	...	Young Hugo Krassman
Carolyn Green	...	Women
Drew Haggard	...	Joey
John Hostetter	...	Dr. Krassman
Christian Kebbel	...	Young Jim Henson
Lauren Leech	...	Student #1
Casey Leslie	...	Student #2
Kelly Collins Lintz	...	Mary
J.W. Moore	...	Student
Humberto Recio	...	Janitor
Cree Summer	...	Pilgrim the Dog
Melissa Whitmire	...	Misc.

Also Known As:

Rainbow Connections (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

Japan:82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:G | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Disney-MGM Studios, Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA

Company:

Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment

Quotes:

Young Hugo Krassman: I'm not a froggy pants.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#29.9)" (2003)

A so-so film that will please young children but not many others

It has been many years since Kermit has been home so he gets on his scooter and heads back to the swamp. Driving down the road to the swamp Kermit reminisces about the first time he saw that road. He was only a small frog when he and his friends ventured out onto it for the first time – only for two of them to get picked up by a driver in a red truck. Kermit and his other friend were forced to set out after the truck to try and rescue their friends from the terrors of the outside world.

Using the hook of the famous Muppet character in his early years, this film delivers a version of Toy Story where Kermit is forced out into the unfamiliar world to rescue his friends (although where this leaves Muppet Babies in the Muppet universe is beyond me). The plot is basic though and lacks any real emotion or intelligence in the way that Toy Story was and the total film is pretty basic. It has a few laughs along the way for adults but mainly this will appeal to younger children who will be amused by the puppets and engaged by the bad guy of Dr Krassman. I doubt very much though that such basic antics will appeal to older viewers – certainly not to adult viewers who have fond memories of the wit and energy of the Muppet Show.

The voice work is all fine, with Whitmire doing a good job as Kermit, while Barretta, Goelz, Mazzarino and others all fill in well enough. The human cast are so-so; Haggard's not great and try as he might, Hostetter isn't that great a bad guy and can't pull of genuine menace and comedy – so he ends up doing neither particularly well. The tone of the film is overly comic and it does prevent it do anything of significance. Overall a so-so film that will please young children but doesn't do anything else well enough to be of greater value.