The Muppets first-ever Halloween special exceeded expectations.
The Halloween special follows The Great Gonzo and Pepe taking on the challenge to spend the night inside a version of the Haunted Mansion. The blending of The Muppets and the Haunted Mansion properties worked. If you are a fan of the Haunted Mansion you’d get a kick out of this special, and if you’re a fan of The Muppets you are delighted to see them return to form.
The cast for the special was pretty stacked. Will Arnett, Darren Criss, and Taraji P. Henson — no relation to Jim — all played iconic Haunted Mansion characters. Special cameos by the late Ed Asner and longtime Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine were delightful. Irvine’s mother Leota Toombs portrayed Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion attraction.
The Muppet performers were great as always but specifically stood out in this special. Maybe it was because this special just felt more old school than previous attempts? Dave Goelz and Bill Barretta stood out the most. The special appearance by Brian Henson was also a welcomed surprise. I wouldn’t mind seeing Brian Henson work with Disney more on The Muppets in the future.
Muppets Haunted Mansion just carries that classic Muppets vibe that has been hard to replicate for the Disney-owned The Muppets Studio in recent years. Kirk Thatcher’s direction was wonderful, and I hope they lock him down for more specials. The special was written by Thatcher, Bill Barretta, and Kelly Younger.
Whatever Disney and The Muppets Studio did on this production they need to replicate it in future Muppets projects. When I originally found out that The Muppets were under Walt Disney Imagineering I was leary. But after Muppets Haunted Mansion, I realize the potential Walt Disney Imagineering and The Muppets have. Hopefully, more Disney Parks/Muppets specials are on the way.
With that being said, Muppets Haunted Mansion was a Halloween delight and will be a yearly Halloween tradition for fans of The Muppets for years to come.
I still can’t get Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem’s version of “Dancing in the Moonlight” out of my head. Just a great cover of a great song.
Muppets Haunted Mansion is now streaming on Disney+
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
