Review of 'Jim Henson: Idea Man'
This documentary tells the amazing story of Jim Henson as he expressed his creativity with his incredible puppetry. It tells of early days providing spots for local television to his ground-breaking “Sesame Street” (1969) and “The Muppet Show” (1976), both of which garnered both critical acclaim and huge popularity that continues to this day. His Muppets are beloved by young and old with most people easily recognizing his Kermit the Frog, Fozzie the Bear and, of course, Miss Piggy characters. It also talks of his less successful though more personally rewarding creative ventures including incredible films the The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), staring David Bowie, as well as television series “The Storyteller” (1988) where he struggled to go beyond his famous muppets and into something more creative, unique and, slightly, more “adult”. Indeed a theme here is how his overwhelming success as a children's entertainer he often felt stifled his creativity.
Henson's story here is told in his own words along with those of his family and famous people he was involved with along the way. It touches on his personal life as well as professional, showing how focused he was on his work that he often neglected his family. It is also clear how much his art depended on those around him with the huge amount of resources it took to bring his creations to life. I found it amazing to see the rare background footage of how the puppeteers were able to deliver their magic to our screens and how hard it was to do so.
A touching and enlightening film that tells the story of a remarkable man who left us far too early.
Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”
Review Date: 2025-10-26
Directed by: Ron Howard
Studio: Disney Original Documentary
Year: 2024
Length: 111 minutes
Genre: Documentary
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19308034/
Other reviewed films by Ron Howard:
- Willow (1988)
- Rush (2013)
- Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)