Brian Henson Movies
- 2014
Visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro teams up with goth illustrator Gris Grimly and the Jim Henson Co. for this stop-motion version of Carlo Collodi's classic tale of Pinocchio. Del Toro collaborator Matthew Robbins provides the screenplay, with Grimly directing along with Adam Parrish King. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- 2013
From the Jim Henson Co. and director Brian Henson comes a comedic noir set in a place where puppets and humans coexist. Produced under the Henson Alternative banner, the film follows a puppet detective as he investigates a series of puppet murders connected to a 1980s children's series called "The Happytime Gang." Katherine Heigl stars. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
L. Frank Baum's enduring fantasy story gets a new and very funny spin in this made-for-TV comedy. Dorothy (Ashanti) is a young woman who works in a diner in Kansas owned by her Aunt Em (Queen Latifah) and dreams of one day making it big as a singer. When a tornado makes its way through the trailer park Dorothy and Em call home, the young woman is spirited off to a magical land known as Oz, where she accidentally kills the most wicked witch in the land. Dorothy, however, isn't so sure she wants to stay, and sets off to find a wizard who might be able to help her. As Dorothy searches for the wizard's castle, she makes some friends along the way -- a scarecrow (Kermit the Frog, voiced by Steve Whitmire), a cowardly lion (Fozzie Bear, voiced by Eric Jacobson), a combination robot and computer made of tin (The Great Gonzo, voiced by Dave Goelz) -- but she also has to fend off The Wicked Witch of the West (Miss Piggy, voiced by Eric Jacobson), whose sister fell victim to Dorothy upon her arrival in the strange new land. Featuring most of the best-known Muppet Show characters, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz also features guest appearances by Jeffrey Tambor, David Alan Grier, and Quentin Tarantino. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ashanti, Queen Latifah, (more)
The cult-favorite science fiction series Farscape comes to a close with this miniseries. The bloodthirsty Scarran Empire unexpectedly declares war against the Peacekeeper Alliance, and the Peacekeepers are forced to strike back with all they have. The Peacekeepers' last, best hope lies in astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder), an earthling who joined them when he was drawn into a wormhole in space. Can Crichton find a way to lead the Peacekeepers back through the same wormhole before they're destroyed by the Scarrans? Produced in part due to the volatile reaction from fans after Farscape was canceled with many plot threads left unresolved, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars also features original cast members Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Jonathan Hardy, Paul Goddard, and Gigi Edgley. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ben Browder, Claudia Black, (more)
- 2002
- PG
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What would life amongst the Muppets have been without their unofficial leader Kermit the Frog? That's the question posed by this made-for-TV confection, which not only spoofs the Yuletide classic It's a Wonderful Life, but also takes satirical aim at such pop cultural phenomena as Moulin Rouge and Fear Factor. The plot is set in motion when typically evil banker Rachel Bitterman (Joan Cusack) forecloses on the Muppets' famous variety theater, with the intention of building a gaudy nightclub. But Bitterman's machinations take a back seat when apprentice guardian angel, Daniel (David Arquette), shows Kermit (voiced by Steve Whitmire) what conditions would have been had Kermit never existed. Without going into full detail, suffice to say that a Kermit-less world would have found Miss Piggy (voiced by Frank Oz) running a fraudulent psychic hot line, Fozzie Bear as a homeless derelict, and Sam the Eagle as a caged dancer at a rave. Decked out with cameo appearances by everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to the cast of the TV series Scrubs, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie debuted over NBC on November 29, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, (more)
- 2001
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Wealthy businessman Jack Robinson (Matthew Modine) is building a new casino on the site of the family castle in England when the construction crew makes a startling discovery: They find the skeleton of a gigantic human being. Soon, foul weather and natural disasters occur at an unnatural rate. Countess Wilhelmina (Vanessa Redgrave) tells Jack that he's related to young Jack (J.J. Feild) who, 400 years ago, climbed a vine into the sky and came back with a goose that lays golden eggs and a harp that can play itself. Disbelieving, Jack encounters the lovely Ondine (Mia Sara), a mysterious woman who says she's 10,000 years old and that the evil weather can be stopped -- in fact, the world can be saved -- if Jack goes to the land in the sky with her to stand trial for his ancestor. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
In this Irish fable, a man named Hubert Flynn (Pete Postlethwaite) lives in Dublin and takes pride in his indulgence in beer, gambling, and ignoring his patient wife Conchita (Imelda Staunton). One night, after having a few at the local pub, he slowly begins to evolve into a rat, which has an oddly unenchanting effect on his family. His loving daughter Marietta (Kerry Condon) is all for his new transformation, wanting to shower it with love and care, but she is also in the midst of an impending wedding and wonders if his diminutive appearance might not be acceptable. His son Pius (Andrew Lovern) is headed for the religious order and would rather see him dead. Phelim Spratt (David Wilmot), a greedy, ambitious type, moves into Hubert's bedroom and begins to write an novel of the transformation which he hopes will become a major motion picture. Conchita regards it as yet another of her husband's tricks designed to humiliate her, while Uncle Matt (Frank Kelly) has various theories on why the whole occurrence has taken place. Rat was created with the help of the late Jim Henson's animation company and directed by music video pioneer Steve Barron. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pete Postlethwaite, Imelda Staunton, (more)
- 1999
Characters from Bear in the Big Blue House help teach kids the basics of toilet training using fun and song. Each character has a problem associated with using the potty, such as fear of the unknown and asking for permission, and Bear tries to help him or her overcome it. His gentle instruction and reminders are helpful to children who are interested in using the potty, but not quite sure how to start. Fun songs like "Potty Chair" and "I'm a Toileteer" add to the overall benefits of the program.
~ Sarah Block, Rovi
~ Sarah Block, Rovi
At long last, the secret of just what the Great Gonzo happens to be is revealed! As Gonzo and his friend Rizzo hit the road in search of their roots, Gonzo makes a shocking discovery: his parents are actually space aliens from another galaxy. After announcing this startling news on Miss Piggy's talk show (hey, if Ricki Lake and Rosie O'Donnell can do it, why not Miss Piggy?), Gonzo finds himself the subject of a dark and mysterious government conspiracy, led by the nefarious K. Edgar Singer (Jeffrey Tambor). In time, Gonzo is forced to choose: should he hop on board the UFO and sail off to live with his family, or stay on Earth with the friends he knows and loves? Muppets From Space once again pairs the late Jim Henson's creations with a stellar cast of human beings, including F. Murray Abraham, David Arquette, Ray Liotta, and Andie MacDowell. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dave Goelz, Jeffrey Tambor, (more)
- 1999
Still escaping from the PeaceKeepers, the living starship Moya and her crew are shielded from detection by an instellar phenomenon, the handiwork of an insectoid race called the Drak. Partly out of necessity, partly out of gratitude, the crew agrees to protect the Drak queen during her spawning period. Unfortunately, the queen can only deposit her eggs under extremely high temperatures -- so high that they may prove fatal to renegade PeaceKeeper Aeryn Sun (Claudia Black). The third filmed episode of Farscape, "Exodus From Genesis" was the second episode to be broadcast, on March 26, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1999
- G
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One of the most popular characters on Sesame Street gets his own movie in this family comedy. Playful Elmo (voice of Kevin Clash) loves his blue blanket and would never want to lose it. So when it gets spirited off to parts unknown in the midst of a tug-of-war with one of his friends, Elmo sets out to find it and ends up in the grumpy kingdom of Grouchland, where Huxley (Mandy Patinkin) and the Queen of Trash (Vanessa Williams) rule over a dark and ill-mannered domain. Along with Elmo, several other favorite Sesame Street characters appear, including Oscar the Grouch (Carroll Spinney), Ernie (Steve Whitmire), and Bert (Frank Oz). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, (more)
A lot of people like to say that their pets think they're human, but Trudy Lintz (Rene Russo) has taken this notion to a new level: she likes to treat her pets as if they were human. A wealthy New Yorker, Trudy has a menagerie of animals living in her apartment, including dogs, horses, ducks, and four chimpanzees whom she dresses in human clothing and treats as if they were her own children. Trudy's husband (Robbie Coltrane) is fully aware of his wife's eccentricities but has learned to live with them. However, this gets a bit more difficult when Trudy is persuaded to adopt Buddy, an infant gorilla. Buddy is a tiny creature in poor health when Trudy first meets him, but with love and care she nurses the gorilla back to health. However, the rejuvenated Buddy starts growing into adulthood, and while the chimps are small and docile enough to wear human clothing and obey Trudy's instructions, Buddy becomes a several-hundred-pound adult who hears the call of the wild too clearly to do what Trudy wants, which becomes painfully obvious during a trip to the World's Fair. Jim Henson's Creature Shop helped create the special-effects animals used in the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rene Russo, Robbie Coltrane, (more)
Originally aired on the NBC network as a two-part miniseries, this all-star adventure is perhaps one of the most complete and faithful retellings of 18th-century author Jonathan Swift's epic social satire on film. Nine years after he set sail from England, a bedraggled, disoriented Dr. Lemuel Gulliver (Ted Danson) returns to his home. His faithful wife (Mary Steenburgen) is delighted to see him, but also troubled, for in Gulliver's absence the conniving Dr. Bates (James Fox) has taken over Gulliver's home and practice and is also trying to force Gulliver's wife to marry him. During his recovery, Gulliver raves and acts out his fantastic adventures at sea wherein he encountered the diminutive but contentious Lilliputians, the gigantic Brobdingnag's and their egalitarian society, the Laputas, who live upon a flying island, and the Houyhnhnmland, intelligent talking horses living in a land populated by wild humans. Scenes of his adventures are deftly interspersed with Gulliver's present predicament in which Dr. Bates, wanting Lemuel's wife and son, has placed the traveller in Bedlam, London's famous insane asylum where he awaits a hearing to determine his sanity. Gulliver's young son holds the key to his release. Filmed on location in Portugal and England, this miniseries is set apart by a top-notch cast and exceptional special effects. In addition to the aforementioned actors, the cast includes Peter O'Toole, Geraldine Chaplin, Sir John Gielgud, Omar Sharif and Alfre Woodard. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Danson
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