Robert here. The universe of the Muppets has always overwhelmed me. The idea of naming a favorite character or film eludes me as I love so many of them. The bigness of the Muppet world seems to great to pick any one item and place it above the rest. Yet one of the small things I think of and come back to again and again, when discussing why I love the Muppets is in fact very minor element from a film that's not very good (though my wife would argue vehemently that no combination of Muppets, pirates and Tim Curry could ever be bad).
Meet Mr. Bimbo.
Mr. Bimbo is the little man who lives in the index finger of Fozzie Bear's left hand. This is, of course, Fozzie Bear starring as the character Squire Trelawny in Muppet Treasure Island, a concept that didn't always work for the Muppets, in a film that works even less. But I love Mr. Bimbo. I think it's because Mr. Bimbo epitomizes all that is innocent and pure and completely anarchaically ludicrous about the Muppets. It's a gag that requires not so much complexity as devotion and Fozzie is up to the task. And it's a sign that in every Muppet movie, regardless of quailty, there's something redeeming. Whenever someone mentions Muppet Treasure Island (it happens more than you'd expect) I don't think of how the film was a disappointment, or a sign that the Muppets were running on empty. I think of Mr. Bimbo.
What's your favorite small thing in a Muppet movie? Perhaps it's a minor character or a line reading or something else entirely.
Friday, August 17, 2018 at 9:00AM 
