Kermit's Swamp Years
Encyclopedia
Kermit's Swamp Years is a live-action, made-for-video film starring Jim Henson
's Muppets
. It was produced in 2002 and is a prequel
of sorts to The Muppet Movie
, telling the story of Kermit the Frog's early life.
calls home. He recaps an adventure about his childhood where he enjoyed a serene amphibian's life with his buddies Croaker the Frog and Goggles the Toad, enduring the occasional unpleasant altercation with an aggressive bullfrog named Blotch. Despite his tranquil existence, Kermit can't help but wonder what else the world has to offer and what lies beyond the swamp, but the sentiment is not shared by his companions, and a swamp alligator named Arnie warns Kermit that to venture into the human world is to court disaster. After a pet store owner named Wilson (William Bookston) spots Goggles and Blotch and snatches them up so he can sell them however, Kermit and Croaker have no choice but to venture forth in order to save their friends.
Along the way, Kermit and Croaker meet a stray dog named Pilgrim (voiced by Cree Summer
), whose knowledge of the outside world proves vital in helping them reach the pet shop. Along the way, Kermit discovers the excitement of the movies, the power of a wishing star, and even what it's like to fly. Meanwhile, the other animals at the store manage to convince Goggles in a lively musical number that being sold to someone as a pet isn't such a bad idea. What they don't realize, however, is a high school teacher named Hugo Krassman (John Hostetter) and his cheerfully inept assistant Mary (Kelly Collins Lintz) will be collecting all the frogs for use as dissection fodder in Krassman's biology class.
In a daring rescue, Kermit manages to free Goggles from the dissection table and fend off Dr. Krassman using some swashbuckling techniques he picked up at the movie theater. Despite the warnings that Kermit should never talk to humans, Kermit addresses Krassman directly, asking him to please release the frogs. This fortuitous decision reveals that Krassman had encountered another frog who spoke to him as a child, only to be laughed at by his entire science class. With the truth at long last revealed that frogs can indeed talk, Krassman frees all the frogs and enables Kermit and his friends to return home. Back in the present, Kermit enters the swamp to meet up with his old friends.
who also co-wrote the teleplay for Kermit's Swamp Years and Muppets from Space
. Blotch was performed by John Kennedy
, who has been a supporting Muppet performer for years.
The opening and closing sequence also introduces Horace D'Fly (voiced by Bill Barretta), one of the few computer-animated Muppets (In the outtakes reel that rolls during the end credits, Horace complains about having to be swallowed up by Kermit and asks, "Can't we use CG in this scene?").
The character Pilgrim was realized in some scenes as a trained dog, and other scenes as a Muppet (voiced by Cree Summer
) that was identical to the live dog.
The outtakes reel at the end of the film includes an alternate version of the song "The Rainbow Connection
" performed by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
.
The behind-the-scenes featurette involves a Muppet named Joe the Armadillo interviewing various members of the production staff and crew (Watch for his "big scene" in which he is inserted into the pet store sequence with some clever post-production editing).
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
. It was produced in 2002 and is a prequel
Prequel
A prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
of sorts to The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
, telling the story of Kermit the Frog's early life.
Plot
The movie opens in the swamplands that Kermit the FrogKermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
calls home. He recaps an adventure about his childhood where he enjoyed a serene amphibian's life with his buddies Croaker the Frog and Goggles the Toad, enduring the occasional unpleasant altercation with an aggressive bullfrog named Blotch. Despite his tranquil existence, Kermit can't help but wonder what else the world has to offer and what lies beyond the swamp, but the sentiment is not shared by his companions, and a swamp alligator named Arnie warns Kermit that to venture into the human world is to court disaster. After a pet store owner named Wilson (William Bookston) spots Goggles and Blotch and snatches them up so he can sell them however, Kermit and Croaker have no choice but to venture forth in order to save their friends.
Along the way, Kermit and Croaker meet a stray dog named Pilgrim (voiced by Cree Summer
Cree Summer
Cree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
), whose knowledge of the outside world proves vital in helping them reach the pet shop. Along the way, Kermit discovers the excitement of the movies, the power of a wishing star, and even what it's like to fly. Meanwhile, the other animals at the store manage to convince Goggles in a lively musical number that being sold to someone as a pet isn't such a bad idea. What they don't realize, however, is a high school teacher named Hugo Krassman (John Hostetter) and his cheerfully inept assistant Mary (Kelly Collins Lintz) will be collecting all the frogs for use as dissection fodder in Krassman's biology class.
In a daring rescue, Kermit manages to free Goggles from the dissection table and fend off Dr. Krassman using some swashbuckling techniques he picked up at the movie theater. Despite the warnings that Kermit should never talk to humans, Kermit addresses Krassman directly, asking him to please release the frogs. This fortuitous decision reveals that Krassman had encountered another frog who spoke to him as a child, only to be laughed at by his entire science class. With the truth at long last revealed that frogs can indeed talk, Krassman frees all the frogs and enables Kermit and his friends to return home. Back in the present, Kermit enters the swamp to meet up with his old friends.
Cast
- William Bookston - Wilson
- John Hostetter - Hugo Krassman
- Christian Kebble - Young Jim HensonJim HensonJames Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
- Kelly Collins Lintz - Mary
- Cree SummerCree SummerCree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
- Pilgrim the Dog, Kermit's Mom (voice)
Muppet Performers
- Bill BarrettaBill BarrettaBill Barretta has been performing with the Muppets since 1991, when he performed the body of family father Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs...
- Croaker the Frog, Horace D'Fly, Roy the Frog, Turtle #2 - Alice DinneanAlice DinneanAlice Dinnean-Vernon is a puppeteer and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean-Vernon has performed on many children's television shows such as Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House, Cousin Skeeter, and Jack's Big Music Show...
- Vicki the Snake, Performer of Kermit's Mom - Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
- Waldorf - Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
- Statler - John KennedyJohn Kennedy (puppeteer)John Kennedy is a puppeteer who has worked with The Jim Henson Company since 1990. From 1991 until 2003, Kennedy took over Jim Henson's role of Dr. Teeth, after which Bill Barretta took over in 2005. Kennedy has also voiced Kermit the Frog in Disney Cruise Lines.-Characters:* Dr. Teeth * Multiple...
- Arnie the Alligator, Blotch the Bullfrog, Monkey - Joey Mazzarino - Goggles the Toad, Turtle #1
- Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
- Kermit the Frog, Jack the Rabbit, Chico the Frog
Production notes
Although the supporting characters were created specifically for this movie, the performers behind them are no strangers to the world of the Muppets. Croaker was performed by Bill Barretta, who also performs Pepe the King Prawn. Goggles was performed by Joey Mazzarino, a writer, lyricist, and Muppet performer for Sesame StreetSesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
who also co-wrote the teleplay for Kermit's Swamp Years and Muppets from Space
Muppets from Space
Muppets from Space is a 1999 science fiction comedy film and the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. The film was directed by Tim Hill, produced by Jim Henson Pictures, and released to theaters...
. Blotch was performed by John Kennedy
John Kennedy (puppeteer)
John Kennedy is a puppeteer who has worked with The Jim Henson Company since 1990. From 1991 until 2003, Kennedy took over Jim Henson's role of Dr. Teeth, after which Bill Barretta took over in 2005. Kennedy has also voiced Kermit the Frog in Disney Cruise Lines.-Characters:* Dr. Teeth * Multiple...
, who has been a supporting Muppet performer for years.
The opening and closing sequence also introduces Horace D'Fly (voiced by Bill Barretta), one of the few computer-animated Muppets (In the outtakes reel that rolls during the end credits, Horace complains about having to be swallowed up by Kermit and asks, "Can't we use CG in this scene?").
The character Pilgrim was realized in some scenes as a trained dog, and other scenes as a Muppet (voiced by Cree Summer
Cree Summer
Cree Summer Francks , best known as Cree Summer, is a Canadian actress, musician and voice actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as college student Winifred "Freddie" Brooks on the NBC sitcom A Different World...
) that was identical to the live dog.
The outtakes reel at the end of the film includes an alternate version of the song "The Rainbow Connection
The Rainbow Connection
"Rainbow Connection" is a popular song written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and originally performed by the character of Kermit the Frog in The Muppet Movie in 1979...
" performed by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
.
The behind-the-scenes featurette involves a Muppet named Joe the Armadillo interviewing various members of the production staff and crew (Watch for his "big scene" in which he is inserted into the pet store sequence with some clever post-production editing).
External Links
- Kermit's Swamp Years at Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...