Kermit is stuck dealing with a crumbling house full of Muppets, and can only spare a few comforting words while the rest of the house is wrapped up in their own lives. Miss Piggy is trying to make a splash as a big time investigative journalist for a local UFO show, while the Electric Mayhem is busy covering for all the shows Gonzo is missing while stuck in his funk. Even his closest friends, Rizzo and Pepe, are more concerned with exploiting Gonzo's current state than actually helping him.
Gonzo's only answers lie in his alphabet cereal, which begins to spell out a series of cryptic messages suggesting he is from outer space and his family is coming for a visit. The rest of the gang doubts Gonzo, but with the help of a pair of cosmic fish, he plunges head first into figuring out a way to contact his family. Unfortunately, his family aren't the only ones listening; members of a top secret anti-alien organization bent on finally finding definitive proof of alien life capture Gonzo, setting the rest of the gang on a rescue mission.
If Muppets From Space does anything right, it is that it manages to capture the core concepts that make Muppet movies fun. The film is loaded with one-liners that are just as cheesy as they are funny, as well as a few bizarrely awkward moments and oddball situations. All the ingredients are there, but it is missing the special "spark" of life that makes The Muppets Take Manhattan and The Great Muppet Caper so memorable. It is as if the film is trying so hard to be a "true" Muppet movie that it misses the mark. Even Statler and Waldorf's snark-filled comments fall flat (the recast voices don't help either... ). If you can't laugh at the two old gentlemens' comments, what else is there?
Another issue is the focus on lesser-known Muppets over the ones everyone knows. Kermit, Fozzie and Piggy take center stage throughout the film, though you end up seeing much more of Rizzo and Pepe. The rest of the crew - who manage to play bigger roles in other Muppet movies - are relegated to background characters.
True to tradition, Muppets From Space plays host to numerous guest stars. However, it isn't able to snag the same level of talent as previous films. The biggest talent on the roster is Jeffery Tambor, who plays the government agent willing to do anything to prove Gonzo is an alien and there are more of him out there. From there, it is a steep step down to names like Rob Schneider, Kathy Griffin and David Arquette.
Although the film leaves much to be desired, the Blu-ray transfer is fantastic. Colors pop off the screen, revealing a couple of previously unseen elements. Characters are more vibrant and pack a lot of visual punch.
Aside from a DVD copy of the movie and trailers, the only extras are a video for "Shining Star," the Dust Brother's song that plays a prominent role in the movie, and a short set of deleted scenes. I didn't care for the music video, but really enjoyed the outtakes. It is fun to watch the puppeteers flub lines and mess up, but still remain in character.
When it comes to Muppet movies, Muppets From Space is one of the more easily forgotten. It's an okay pick-up and should find a welcome home with younger audiences and die-hard Muppet fans, but older viewers will find that it lacks the same sense of fun and humor as the older movies.
