Random Floppy Review: MUPPET ROBIN HOOD

Preview at Boom Kids!

This was a nice surprise. I've never been much for the Muppet spin-off movies. They range from pleasant (Treasure Island), to the abominable (Wizard of Oz). So a comic book spin-off of Robin Hood sounded to me like weak sauce after Langridge's MUPPET SHOW series. I was wrong.

It's a light and funny version of the classic story that makes clever use of the Muppets ensemble. It digs deep to find just the right characters to play each part. They even drop a couple jokes to dismiss the idea that Kermit's nephew, Robin, should play the lead. In fine Muppet tradition, they are jokes that break the fourth wall. The art has a gentle cartoony feel that conveys action and comedy well. For the most part the likenesses are successful; Kermit and Sweetums (cleverly cast as Little John) look the best. Unfortunately nobody has been able to crack the Miss Piggy dilemma yet. She looks artificial and out of place, sometimes even downright scary. The only other minor gripe I might have is that the story borrows a page from SHREK. In a parody of consumer culture, Robin returns to Nottingham to find it converted into a theme park. But that's probably the kind of thing only an old bitter nerd would notice. Kids don't carry the same pop culture baggage.

There are two variant covers. I dig the David Petersen one pictured above.