Rocky Mountain High Newsletter
September 2003



DVD TALK
http://www.dvdtalk.com
REVIEW of the DVD "John Denver and the Muppets -
Rocky Mountain Holiday" by David Blair

     Grab your tent and your fishing pole, because it's time
to join John Denver and the Muppets for a "Rocky Mountain
Holiday!" This Emmy-nominated special is a non-stop singing
fest filled to the hilt with Denver's heart and love for the
great outdoors.
     If you're a fan of Jim Henson and the Muppet Show, then
you know that John Denver and the Muppets go together like
stink on a skunk. Some of the very best Muppet moments are
when Denver is present, like his wonderfully fun appearance on
the Muppet Show and his fantastic Christmas holiday special.
Whenever you witness Denver and the Muppets, you just know a
fun time will be had by all.
     Like all Muppet specials, this one is riddled with comedy
and songs. However, it's the songs that make a lasting
impression as Denver's gentle spirited ballads keep coming one
after the other. In fact, they somehow manage to jam pack 16
songs in this 47 minute feature. But this special isn't just
an ordinary collection of poetic prose and sketch comedy; it's
a message about protecting the environment and enjoying the
natural beauties of this planet we call home.
     The adventure begins with Denver and the Muppets arriving
at a wooden parking lot that leads to their Rocky Mountain
campsite. As soon as Denver steps out of the truck he breaks
into the song "Hey Old Pal," and from here on out the songs
just keep coming. We follow our group as they hike seven miles
to their lakeside destination. Along the way we pass a wood
cabin and the hillbilly residents sing the song "Take 'Em
Away," a song about picking up your trash when you're done.
When they arrive at camp, the crew splits up to perform their
individual campsite duties. Denver goes off to catch dinner
with Floyd while singing the delightfully mellow "Gone
Fishin'." Kermit's young nephew Robin is asked to hang a
clothesline, and when Robin fails to hang the line high
enough, Denver impatiently snaps at him and feels bad about
his outburst. He finds Robin upset in the woods, and expresses
his apologies with the beautiful sentimental song "Catch
Another Butterfly." Soon nighttime arrives, and our group of
fun loving campers find themselves singing around the
campfire. Here they sing tons of songs, and the special comes
to an end with Denver saying "good night" to all of his Muppet
friends.
     Oddly, Miss Piggy makes only two short appearances. The
first comes in a flashback when the Muppets sing "She'll Be
Comin' Round the Mountain." The other comes when Denver
reminisces about Miss Piggy coming to visit him for an
afternoon of horseback riding.
     The only real disappointment I had about this DVD was the
editing resulted in the loss of a memorable scene when Denver
gives Ralph a flying lesson to help him get rid of his
bothersome hiccups. I can only assume this scene was cut
because of the manner that Denver died. Despite the
reservations the editors may have had about this scene, it
should have been included. In fact, the editors decided to
leave in a scene where Denver jokes to Ralph about the hiccups
afterwards, which will undoubtedly confuse those who are
seeing this special for the first time.
     Every time John Denver gets together with the Muppets,
the experience is truly memorable, and "Rocky Mountain
Holiday" is no exception. Seeing the Muppets sing and joke in
the majestic mountain scenery is extremely fun, and watching
Denver sing with such emotion reminds us of the original
country cowboy that the world sadly no longer has. If you're a
John Denver fan this DVD must be in your collection.