The Movie

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 whiteness Denver with 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 a wooded 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 the 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.

The songs/Chapters:
Hey Old Pal
Going Camping
Take 'Em Away
Gone Fishin'
She'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain
Catch Another Butterfly
Cool and Green and Shady
Tumbling Tumbleweeds/Happy Trails
Durango Mountain Caballero
Home On The Range
Down By The Old Mill Steam
Grandma's Feather Bed
Oh How Lovely
Poems, Prayers and Promises
No One Like You
It's In Every One Of Us

The DVD

Video:
Rocky Mountain Holiday is presented in 1.33:1 full screen. On a normal tube TV set, this DVD doesn't look that bad. But on larger projection screen, things get a little ugly. There is some obvious pixelation, and edge enhancement halos. Colors look decent for being such an old show, and black levels are adequate enough to make the campfire scene believable. If you've seen some of the Best Of The Muppet Show DVD's, then you have a good idea what to expect here.

Audio:
As you might have expected, a Dolby Digital 2.0 audio track is the only one include on this DVD. There's nothing overly nice I can say about the audio. It simply sounds the same as it did when it originally aired, so I suppose you can't ask much more than that. Dialogue is easily heard, and the songs sound decent coming through the front three speakers. Nothing above average for a TV special, but nothing unexpected either.

Extras:
I'm continually disappointed at the lack of extras offered on these Muppet special DVD's. This DVD came with absolutely NO extra features of any kind. There must be some lost footage floating around somewhere that could have been included. Columbia Tristar, if you're listening, please put more effort in assembling footage for these releases. Muppet fans want to see more.


Final Thoughts:
Rocky Mountain Holiday is almost magical in the way some of the songs make you feel. Granted, if you don't like John Denver or the Muppets, you'll want to steer clear of this one. But if you enjoyed the special when it originally aired, or you want to experience it for the first time, this is currently the best way to do it. Recommended