I’m quite surprised that the Muppets have never really been about Halloween in all their time on screen. They’ve mostly been about Christmas and Thanksgiving which is a shame, because they’re fitted well for the holiday. I’d love it if the Henson company allowed for yearly Halloween specials, but at this point it’s probably wishful thinking. Nonetheless, “Muppets Haunted Mansion” does a good job mixing the Disney attraction with the Muppets.
The Great Gonzo – world famous daredevil artiste, has done it all, seen it all, and survived it all. But on Halloween night, the fearless Gonzo (aided by partner Pepe the King Prawn) takes on the greatest challenge of his life by spending one very daring night in the most grim grinning place on Earth … The Haunted Mansion.
All the hallmarks of the Muppets are here from their fun sense of humor, their ability to really fit in to any scenario, and of course there’s their long list of celebrity guest stars. Among them there is the hilarious Will Arnett who gets the most screen time, as well as Yvette Nicole Brown, Taraji P. Henson, John Stamos, Darren Criss who gets two musical numbers, as well as brief cameos from folks like Ed Asner, Danny Trejo, Alfonso Ribeiro, and Craig Robinson respectively. What I enjoyed most about this special, though, is the usual Muppets antics, allowing for Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn to take mostly center stage.
There are the usual antics by the other muppets, including Kermit and Miss Piggy, both of whom are a part of a fun gag involving one dressing as the other for the holiday. I also found the re-appearing skeletons quite hilarious. Gonzo and Pepe are also really fun protagonists that keep the energy lively. The Henson company manages to really bring audiences in to the spirit of Halloween, all the while celebrating one of their most popular attractions. I’ve never been much of a fan of the Haunted Mansion mythology, but the Muppets add a great injection of hilarity behind it with a special suited for all ages.
Now Streaming on Disney Plus.