Kermit's Swamp Years

Kermit's Swamp Years
DVD cover
Directed by	David Gumpel
Screenplay by	Jim Lewis Joey Mazzarino
Story by	Jim Lewis
Produced by	Ritamarie Peruggi
Starring	William Bookston John Hostetter Christian Kebble Kelly Collins Lintz Cree Summer Muppet performers: Bill Barretta Alice Dinnean Dave Goelz Jerry Nelson John Kennedy Joey Mazzarino Steve Whitmire
Narrated by	Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire)
Cinematography	Stephen Campbell Rufus Standefer
Edited by	Katina Zinner
Music by	Joe Carroll Peter Thom
Production company	The Jim Henson Company
Distributed by	Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment
Release date	August 18, 2002 (2002-08-18)
Running time	82 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Kermit's Swamp Years is a 2002 American direct-to-video buddy comedy-drama road adventure film, directed by David Gumpel, featuring Jim Henson's Muppets, including a young Kermit and his best friends Goggles and Croaker, who travel outside their homes in the swamps of the Deep South to do something extraordinary with their lives.

The film, which tells the story of Kermit the Frog's early life, is a prequel to The Muppet Movie (1979). Kermit's Swamp Years was released on VHS and DVD and on the Starz network on August 18, 2002.

Although the film rights are still owned by Sony Pictures rather than The Walt Disney Company, Kermit's Swamp Years was filmed at the Disney-MGM Studios, which is now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Plot

Kermit the Frog rides a scooter down a dirt road on his way to visit the swamp where he grew up and reminisces about his first big adventure. A 12-year-old Kermit lives in the swamps of the Deep South with his cool and smooth-talking best friend, Croaker, who is the best hopper in the swamp, Goggles the Toad, a shy and awkward friend of his, Blotch the massive Bullfrog, who constantly bullies the trio, and Arnie the Alligator, who protects Kermit and his friends from the dangers lurking outside the swamp, especially humans, which the frogs think are frog-killing monsters that live in a scary and dangerous forest located outside the swamp, which the frogs call "The Outside World", the home of the outside dangers that is ruled by the most powerful being in the universe, "The Dark Lord". Kermit dreams about visiting "The Outside World", but Goggles and Croaker are content where they are.

One day, an evil and selfish scientist named Dr. Hugo Krassman (John Hostetter), and his comical assistant, Mary (Kelly Collins Lintz), intent on capturing frogs for their science experiments, arrive on an expedition from "The Outside World", spot Kermit, Goggles, and Croaker, who believe Krassman is "The Dark Lord". However, Arnie saves them and warns them about the two humans and not to go in "The Outside World" and never ever talk to humans or "The Dark Lord" will hunt them down, to which Kermit, Croaker and Goggles seriously think about his words, with Kermit wishing for an adventure in "The Outside World". The next day, the trio runs into Blotch, who attacks them for revenge on Goggles for doing what he mistakes for mooning him. The fight takes them to "The Outside World" and spills onto a road, where the pair are taken by a kindly pet store owner named Wilson (William Bookston), prompting Kermit and Croaker to remember Arnie's warning about the outside dangers. Kermit and Croaker believe Wilson is a spy sent by "The Dark Lord" to capture their friends and venture forth on a quest in "The Outside World" to save their friends. Meanwhile, Goggles and Blotch are taken into Wilson's pet store. Blotch's bullying causes the pair to be put in a cage with Vicki the Snake, who intends to eat Blotch. Goggles saves him by goading Vicki to kill him and then using his poison gland, which makes Blotch forget about bullying other frogs. The other animals at the store manage to convince Goggles and Blotch in a lively musical number that being sold to someone as a pet in "The Outside World" leads to a safe and luxurious lifestyle, away from "The Dark Lord".

After getting run over by Wilson's truck and having tire tracks on his chest, Croaker is no longer able to hop and starts to lose his confidence. Krassman and Mary arrive to capture Kermit and Croaker, who believe "The Dark Lord" has appeared in front of them, but they get saved by a stray dog named Pilgrim (voiced by Cree Summer), who knows a lot about "The Outside World". Pilgrim decides to help them find their friends, revealing that "The Outside World" is not actually a forest, but the Earth and home to all animals and humans. That night, Kermit is able to find Wilson's truck by using helium balloons, but discovers they are no longer in the vehicle. Kermit regroups with Pilgrim and Croaker again, and together they find Wilson's Pet Store. Croaker, filled with motivation, finally manages to hop again by hopping through the window and helps Kermit up the window while Pilgrim stays outside, but they find out from Vicki that their friends have gone to the office of "The Dark Lord", which is actually George Washington High School, where Krassman works as a biology teacher who wants to kill the frogs. Depressed about this, Kermit speaks to a star he often looked up at in the swamp, who gives him advice that he shouldn't give up hope, which reaffirms Kermit's determination to find Goggles and Blotch and he comes up with a clever plan for him and Croaker to save Goggles and Blotch from "The Dark Lord" and go back to the swamp.

The next day, Kermit and Croaker deliberately get caught by Wilson, who is revealed to be Krassman's henchman and provides him with all the frogs he has to get taken to the high school and escape upon arrival as the first step of Kermit's plan. They meet Pilgrim again, who followed them in order to save Goggles and Blotch as well. Pilgrim and Croaker, under Kermit's instructions, distract Wilson by asking them to capture them and take them to "The Dark Lord" while Kermit sneaks into the classroom. Krassman intends to dissect Goggles, but Blotch goes in his place to repay Goggles for rescuing him from Vicki. Krassman decides to dissect Croaker instead when Wilson brings him into the class. Mary refuses to show the class how the dissection is done and leaves the classroom. Kermit manages to free Croaker from the dissection table and fight with Dr. Krassman using some swashbuckling techniques he picked up earlier at a movie theater, but Krassman is able to overpower Kermit, Croaker, and Blotch. Goggles finds the knife that Kermit dropped, but after he picks it up, Krassman sees him.

Despite Arnie's warnings that frogs should never talk to humans while visiting "The Outside World", Kermit stops Krassman from attacking Goggles by talking and asks him to please release the frogs as the final phase of his plan. This action leads Krassman to reveal that as a child, he was about to dissect his first frog when the frog begged him to stop, but the frog refused to say anything to everyone else in Krassman's classroom, which caused him to be humiliated. Krassman, having been exposed by Kermit via his speech and inspired by his speech that reveals frogs can talk, frees all the frogs, enables Kermit and his friends to return home, and dismisses the class, making Kermit's rescue plan as a success. With Krassman arrested for his crimes, Kermit, Crocker, Goggles, and Blotch head back home after a ride back to the swamp's border in Wilson's truck and a redeemed Wilson adopts Pilgrim. Back at the swamp, Kermit is hailed a hero for saving Goggles and Blotch, confessing the truth about humans and "The Outside World", and defeating Krassman, promising he will live in "The Outside World" someday. Back in the present, Kermit thinks about how all of them have remained friends over the years before finally arriving at the border and reunites with his friends and family.

Cast

• William Bookston - Wilson
• John Hostetter - Hugo Krassman
• Christian Kebbel - Young Jim Henson
• Kelly Collins Lintz - Mary
• Cree Summer - Pilgrim the Dog (voice), Kermit the Frog's Mom (voice)

Muppet performers

• Steve Whitmire - Kermit the Frog, Jack the Rabbit, Chico the Frog
• Joey Mazzarino - Goggles the Toad, Turtle #1
• Bill Barretta - Croaker the Frog, Horace D'Fly, Roy the Frog, Turtle #2
• Alice Dinnean - Vicki the Snake, Kermit the Frog's Mom (puppeteer), Pilgrim the Dog (puppeteer)
• John Kennedy - Arnie the Alligator, Blotch the Bullfrog, Monkey
• Dave Goelz - Young Waldorf
• Jerry Nelson - Young Statler

Production notes

Goggles and Croaker were performed by Joey Mazzarino and Bill Barretta, respectively. Mazzarino was a writer, lyricist, and puppeteer for Sesame Street at the time of the film's production. Mazzarino also co-wrote the teleplay for the film. Blotch was performed by John Kennedy.

Originally, Barretta was going to play Goggles and Mazzarino was going to play Croaker, but they traded roles after they tried out the characters.

The opening and closing sequence also introduces Horace D'Fly (voiced by Barretta), one of the few computer-animated Muppets (In the outtakes reel at the end of the film, Horace complains about having to be inside Kermit's mouth and asks, "Can't we use CG or something?").

The character Pilgrim was depicted in some scenes using a real dog, and other scenes as a puppet that was identical to the live dog.

The film's outtakes reel includes an alternate version of the song "The Rainbow Connection" performed by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

The behind-the-scenes featurette on the DVD is hosted by a Muppet named Joe the Armadillo (performed by Mazzarino) interviewing various members of the production staff and crew.

External links

• Official website
• Kermit's Swamp Years at Internet Movie Database