Jim Henson: Idea Man (2024) User Reviews

Excellent Rare Clips

[smgrigal-74583 · 9/10 · 1 June 2024]

*Semi-Spoilers*

I own and have seen virtually every documentary that has been put out on Jim Henson and The Muppets so I was quite curious what Ron Howard could dig up for another one that might be new. Sure enough, he surprised me, ESPECIALLY with the vintage behind the scenes clips from the 50's and 60's of Jim and his troupe.

It is a beautifully constructed documentary with wonderful stories, heartwarming interviews, and hilarious clips. My ONLY gripe is that I feel it ended a little abruptly. Not bad by any means, but I think I would have rather them closed out with more examples of his influence and legacy after we lost him. Watch it; you won't regret it.

The trajectory and work of the revolutionary and visionary artist

[aguilera-felipe · 8/10 · 5 June 2024]

"Jim Henson: Idea Man" shows us the trajectory and work of the revolutionary and visionary artist known as the mind and personality behind the Muppets. With a wide variety of interviews, supporting material, and great admiration from director Ron Howard, this documentary provides us with information that goes far beyond the creation of Kermit the Frog and his group of puppets. It's a journey through the motivation, relentless work, perseverance, and great talent of a character who, along with his wife and team, always sought to surprise, innovate, and change the possibilities that television offered.

Jim Henson is undoubtedly a pillar of creativity and positive artistic attitude in recent years, and his legacy will be indelible not only for the relevance of Sesame Street for a generation of children or the cultural phenomenon that the Muppets brought to millions of viewers. He is also a source worthy of admiration and inspiration in a world where everything may seem already defined.

Great Biography With Annoying Music

[paulwetor · 8/10 · 2 June 2024]

When I was in high school, Sesame Street came along. I had study hall before lunch in a small room where we could watch the show on TV. That began my interest in the Muppets and Jim Henson. This documentary is a great view of the history of both.

That said, I'm halfway through and the music is annoying. I'm trying to listen to people talk, watch the pictures, and there's distracting music playing that interferes with the sound.

It's not flowing music, it's short and choppy. That would be fine for scenes that need to imply action, but it's people talking in short, choppy words. The music is ear-catching when it should be subtle and not distracting. Music should be an additive to scenes that don't have dialogue. When people are talking, let them talk!

Beautiful Tribute for Jim!

[lucybnichols · 10/10 · 31 May 2024]

This was absolutely the most heartwarming documentary I've seen yet! Since I was younger, I've always been obsessed with the Muppets! I always thought Jim Henson was just the "puppeteer" for these famous puppets. But from this documentary, I've learned he was so much more than that. He was a creative mind that wanted way much more than just being a children's puppeteer. I've learned that he's done more creative projects than just the Muppets. Like other muppet documentaries, it doesn't show the true side of him and his work, like this does. This just gives a more of an inside scoop of his life and his reality. For the most part, seeing the others who have worked alongside him pay tribute, is just so beautiful! If you're interested in him and his life, I most definitely recommend this! To conclude, It's such a heartfelt, heartwarming tribute for Jim Henson. I'm just hoping this lives on for generations to come and that we celebrate his artistic work.

Wonderful Tribute to a Wonderful man

[SHB_73 · 10/10 · 1 June 2024]

This documentary by Ron Howard is a fascinating look into the life of the late great muppets creator Jim Henson. The documentary takes us back to the early days of Jim's life in Mississippi. From tragically losing his big brother in an automobile accident to creating Kermit from his mother's coat. Many of Jim's friends and family participate in the documentary. People like Frank Oz and his son Brian Henson describe what Jim was like to work with and his life as a father. We see many behind the scenes footage of him performing the muppets on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and his films such as The Dark Crystal and Labrynth. Jim was on the verge of selling his company to Disney when he tragically died on May 16, 1990 from bacterial pneumonia. Ron Howard does a fantastic job with the documentary showing us rarely seen footage of him and also explaining how he persevered when no tv studio would take a chance on The Muppet Show. Jim always said he would love to leave the world a better place and thankfully his creations continue to do just that. Idea man is a fascinating look at the life of an incredible man who left us far too soon.

oh my gawd...

[ops-52535 · 10/10 · 1 June 2024]

This is some of the most majestic of nostalgic feature length documentary making, a film about Jim Henson, the godfather of tv puppets, whether in commercials, childrens tv or for all us grownups who had '' the muppet show'' as a pillar of inspiration to comedy pranking...

its a full run story about a man , and a workoholic that died younger than me, but developed and enveloped hundredfolds in products and creativity, a voice actor out of the giants, and not to forget all that comedy that comes out of that bodily figure and puppets...

i'm stunned by this production, it ends far too abrupt, just like the man himself, but all the memories he has made in all and everyone weighs heavier than the loss, like he said himself, ''im just on another plane'' when talking about neverland and beyond. So therefore, one of few men that can make me smile instantly, has now got his own biographical documentary, a film that me, the grumpy old man , will recommend just for good memories...

Creative Genius - Wonderful Human Being

[tiberius-32495 · 10/10 · 2 June 2024]

Fantastic biographical account not only of Jim but the Muppets too.

Jim's boundless creativity makes you question what wonderous creations we would be treated to today had he not been taken from the world so early... Watching this is an emotional rollercoaster for any true Henson/Muppet fan, his legacy will continue in our hearts and with his family.

The world learnt so much from his shows like Sesame street, not just reading and counting but empathy for our fellow occupants of this earth both human and animal alike.

When I watch this movie/doc I'm left with those emphatic words of Elmo "Gotta love me!" well Jim we always did and will do forever!

Thankyou Ron, Frank and the Henson family for this wonderful insight of genius.

A labor of love

[lor_ · 7 June 2024]

I knew immediately that this bio documentary about Jim Henson was in good hands (Ron Howard directing) with the opening, played out against the rousing music of Charles Mingus in one of his trademark barn-burning performances. The story is one of unbridled creativity, and the movie, along with authoritative commentaries by the likes of Frank Oz and Jennifer Connolly, speaks for itself. Howard is especially successful at the poignant way he handles Henson's sudden death, which I had forgotten even though I was a reporter covering the movie industry 34 years ago when it occurred.

One element that hit me out of the blue was a shot of George Lucas on screen during the coverage of "Labyrinth". It reminded me how difficult it would be to make a documentary on Lucas's life, and how there are book-ending similarities in his career relative to Henson's: both were once experimental filmmakers in the 1960s (THX 1138 4EB versus Timepiece), later becoming entwined in the commercial side of the entertainment business with huge financial success, and their creative achievements ended up in the domain of Walt Disney (himself an analogous figure in history).

Someday we'll find it. The rainbow connection

[TheVictoriousV · 7/10 · 9 June 2024]

Jim Henson is the movie-maker that got me into movies. When I saw The Dark Crystal at age five, I was never the same again. This was when I first felt that I simply had to know how movies get made. Later on, I became a fan of Muppets and Fraggles alike (yes, I got to the Skeksis before I got to Kermit, at least in terms of adoration) and by now, I consider Henson one of the most important creatives of the 20th century.

He changed the way I take in art, and did this and insurmountably more to countless others around the world. Even all these years after his death, he touches generations of people through his colorful creations -- so lifelike, nay, alive in spite of so clearly not being "real". In Ron Howard's documentary, Jim Henson: Idea Man, we see most of his life laid out (albeit sometimes in disappointingly brief snippets), from his youth to his early TV gigs (like those 1950s Wilkins Coffee commercials where a Kermit prototype puppet commits murder indiscriminately); from the inception of Sesame Street to the rise of the Muppets and the bona fide celebrity status of Kermit and Miss Piggy; from the creation of The Dark Crystal (which also involved the opening of the Henson Creature Shop) to the disastrous release of the now-beloved Labyrinth.

Meanwhile, we learn of his personal life and the way he inspired, not just us, but those around him. In one notable moment, Frank Oz recalls how Henson pushed for him to co-direct The Dark Crystal, as Henson felt he himself lacked something that he saw in Oz.

The documentary is cleverly presented, making good use of projectors, stop-motion interludes, and some animations Henson himself created before the Muppet years. Unfortunately, it is missing -- or just barely mentions -- a lot of information about Henson's life that would have made this documentary go from good to great. Still, it is a worthy celebration of that Rainbow Connection (sorry) that Henson created between all of us.

Wonderful, insightful tribute

[rozza-34691 · 10/10 · 8 June 2024]

Having been a lifelong Muppet fan, it was a joy to watch this documentary and learn about its creator. Idea man is the perfect title and will make sense once you watch it.

Insightful, candid behind the scenes stories from cast, crew and family really paint a picture of the man, you almost feel like you know him.

Lovingly made documentary using rare footage and clever editing to show Henson's work throughout his career. You can tell that Ron Howard has a lot of respect for the man and his work and that this was a labour of love for him.

This has given me an even greater appreciation for his work, I wanted to rewatch all of The Muppet Show as soon as I finished.

A delight for Muppet fans but also a great documentary in general.

Hagiography pathetic even by Howard's standards

[khungus-1 · 2/10 · 8 June 2024]

Who exactly does Ron Howard think he's manipulating at this point? Nobody cares anymore, about him or his subject here and the results are embarrassing at best. This is a muppet clip show, a paid infomercial on the genius of Jim Henson with levels of insight on par with an elementary school newspaper interview. Nothing here is explored in any detail and every talking head brought on adds nothing more than hollow praise.

I came out of this learning nothing and actually disliking Henson even more than I did going in. I'm not a Muppet fan. The charm wore off sometime around 1980 and I firmly believe that (with the exception of the Sesame Street characters) society wouldn't lose a minute of sleep if they vanished without trace tomorrow. But that doesn't mean an exploration of Henson's life can't be interesting. He was a powerful Hollywood figure for years, surely he had his share of demons. But instead he's painted here as a benevolent, caring genius. A man who created a show (Fraggle Rock) because he thought he could put a stop to warfare. This kind of megalomania is just screaming to be expanded on but Howard glosses it over like everything else in the movie.

This is lazy, lazy filmmaking by a hack director paid to drum up interest in a fading brand that he seemingly has little interest in. Just an awful experience.