Another childhood movie of mine that I enjoyed. It's more or less aged well. I like the movie because it's almost coming of age and shows Kermit before the Muppet's. The reason I say it's a coming of age movie is because the film chronicles Kermit exploring the outside world for the first time while growing up and finding a place for himself.

I had seen all the Muppet movies that went to cinemas and made for television, and this was the only one left that I hadn't, before the release of Muppets Most Wanted of course, I knew it was most likely going to be average, but I was still willing to try it. Basically Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) is reliving memories whilst revisiting his swamp home, where he came from before becoming famous (not exactly the same one as in The Muppet Movie, but never mind), and the film flashes back to when Kermit was twelve years old and one of his earliest adventures. Young Kermit enjoyed life in the swamp, with his best friends Croaker the frog (Bill Barretta) and Goggles the toad (Joey Mazzarino), but he wonders what else is out in the world beyond the swamp. But then Goggles and bullfrog bully Blotch (John Kennedy) are kidnapped by pet shop owner Wilson (William Bookston), and sold to scientist Dr. Hugo Krassman (John Hostetter) and his assistant Mary (Kelly Collins Lintz), Kermit and Croaker are forced to venture out of the swamp to rescue them, but they also get the opportunity to see the world for what it is, good and bad. Kermit and Croaker are accompanied by stray dog named Pilgrim (Cree Summer) who is seeking a new owner, and after all kinds of small events along the way they reach where their friends are, and they realise Krassman's nasty plans for all toads and frogs he has kidnapped, they are all to be used in school for biology classes for dissection. In the end Krassman realises the error of his ways and lets all toads and frogs free, Pilgrim is adopted by Wilson who also turns out to be nice, and all four frogs head home to the swamp, where Kermit continues to live happily, with more freedom to get out and about when he feels like it. Also starring Steve Whitmire as Jack Rabbit , Bill Barretta as Horace D' Fly and Roy the Frog, Dave Goelz as Waldorf, John Kennedy as Arnie the Alligator and Jerry Nelson as Statler. This is about as good as you're going to get from a straight to DVD release, it's a pit they weren't able to get at least one celebrity cameo like other Muppet films, children watching this certainly won't have many complaints, and it is reasonably good fun, not a bad fantasy comedy. Worth watching, at least once!

Kermit's Swamp Years was something my 5 year old nephew enjoyed, but really didn't pay much attention to it. Having bought a series of Muppets movies the same day as this one (Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets in Space) and having seen those before this one in that week, I was a bit disappointed at the quality drop. The human actors in this movie are terrible, terrible. Overacting and completely 2 dimensional, more so than the Muppets themselves.I enjoyed the behind the scenes with the Armadillo more than the actual movie, as well as the blooper reels and the end credits with more bloopers. But there is something gone in the post-Henson Muppet productions. There is a kind of innocence lost and some of the jokes mentioning poop are not what I would expect in a Muppet movie. There are also some tongue in cheek moments which do not add to the experience.There is a moment when scalpels are used in a kind of sword fight, and it doesn't seem very appropriate. especially for a kid's movie.Overall, a fun experience for the young children, but I have seen a lot deeper and much better stories from previous Muppet movies. This one feels watered down.

This recent Muppet film has been greeted with accusations of cynical "cashing-in" on the part of the producers. These can be easily batted away, however, when one comes to personally experience this re-imagining of Kermit's origins.With a batch of new, but undeniably 'muppet' friends, Kermit begins life as just another ordinary frog - but it is the fact that he could love and can dream that sets him apart and on the road to fame.I was reminded of the opening scenes of 'The Muppet Movie', when 'Rainbow Connection', and the spindly-legged creature singing it, stole my infant heart and replaced it with a font of dreams and wandering imagination. At that age I wondered what Kermit was doing on the swamp planet of Dagobah,not recognising the Florida everglades. In a way, I feel that this was a correct, spiritual link to make - between Henson's musical amphibian and Oz's diminutive sage the common truth that it is "not easy being green" is shared.With Kermit's name in the title, the film is a must for fans, or rather, kin of the muppets. The 'Disney's franchise' years are behind it, unsavoury memories of the corporate-flavoured 'Muppets in Disneyworld' TV special are expunged from the memory and the renaissance engendered by 'Muppets in Space' continues apace.The original muppet-makers' hands are less in evidence on this film, but don't let that turn you away. In many ways this is the spiritual cousin, and, oddly, natural accompaniment to the Star Wars prequels.