Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow

"Turkey Hollow" includes some legitimate laugh-out-loud moments, a mostly terrific cast, and four memorable "monsters," but it also includes some inexplicable choices. Chief among these is a reliance on toilet humor (literally, in one scene), which feels completely out of place in such a naively cute story. I'm no prude, but hearing these jokes, along with words such as "fugly," in a family Thanksgiving special is strangely jarring. It's especially noticeable because the show works just fine without these gross asides. The funniest moments all come from the characters themselves. The aunt character's cranky hippie persona feels just right, especially her unexpectedly adorable interactions with the town's sheriff--odd that this subplot is really the best thing in the whole movie. It's also odd to see Ludacris filling the narrator role usually reserved for Kermit the Frog in Jim Henson productions. Maybe Kermit was busy that week.

There's an obvious touch of Henson in this. And while it is based on a Henson story/idea, that's sadly not the part that works in the film. The creature designs are nice, and the creatures are great. I won't go too much into detail her (spoiler territory), but they're the clear highlight of the film. I also actually quite like the Ludicrous-segments, that break the fourth wall. They feel very much in line with the Muppets. But other than that, the movie disappoints. The premise is good enough, but it feels like there should be more time spent on the kids exploring the secrets of the forests, and less time on the search for them. There's a sequence where they come to some interesting pumpkins that seem ready to burst into life... but nothing happens. It's like they planned a sequence, and instead of dropping it, made the audience feel what we missed. The creatures are great, but are hardly put to use. I'm sure many kids will enjoy it, and I can also see it becoming a staple of thanksgiving TV - but for something fronted as "Jim Henson's", it sure lacks a lot.

Turkey Hollow is a Lifetime movie that has been Disneyfied with the help of Jim Henson's muppet like creatures and an unfinished story ideas from him. Whimsically narrated by Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, it tells the story of a newly divorced dad who takes his two kids for a vacation at his quirky aunt's organic farm in Hollow Hoodoo which is famed for having a mythical monster in the woods. One of the children upsets the neighbouring farmer by letting his factory farmed turkeys loose and he demands compensation or the deeds of the aunt's farm. This is a silly but enjoyable film aimed at kids. The puppet monsters maybe turn up a little too late, the bad guy and his henchmen maybe play it a bit too broad. Taken at the right spirit it is mildly enjoyable.

"Turkey Hollow" includes some legitimate laugh-out-loud moments, a mostly terrific cast, and four memorable "monsters," but it also includes some inexplicable choices. Chief among these is a reliance on toilet humor (literally, in one scene), which feels completely out of place in such a naively cute story. I'm no prude, but hearing these jokes, along with words such as "fugly," in a family Thanksgiving special is strangely jarring. It's especially noticeable because the show works just fine without these gross asides. The funniest moments all come from the characters themselves. The aunt character's cranky hippie persona feels just right, especially her unexpectedly adorable interactions with the town's sheriff--odd that this subplot is really the best thing in the whole movie. It's also odd to see Ludacris filling the narrator role usually reserved for Kermit the Frog in Jim Henson productions. Maybe Kermit was busy that week.

I liked this as a casual afternoon movie while taking care of some minor chores that I could do while watching. I was okay with the story having an intermittent narrator. This is not to the level of Gone with the Wind or The Deerhunter nor Indiana Jones or Lara Croft but I found it enjoyable. I have yet to see a Henson production I wouldn't watch, including this one. I can see Jim Henson's influence in the design of some of the characters but it took quite a while before they were introduced. I think it is the first time I heard the word "fugly" used on television. The title is the name of the town where the action takes place and the town's main economic product seems to be turkey which make various appearances through the movie. I will admit some of the themes are a bit predictable, notably a recent divorcée with kids. Mostly, I was relieved that it wasn't another Christmas story! There are way too many of those now, can I hear an "amen" from somebody?

Great movie for the whole family to watch. Its light enough not to scare the younger ones but has enough mystery and a story line to keep the older kids and parents attention. Makes the perfect fall Friday family movie night! Our kids are 3, 4 and 7 years old and it held their attention that they have watched it twice this fall so far. The Henson creatures are done very well they may seem a little frighting at first but soon become something none of our kids feared or had nightmares about. Which is something we have encountered in the past with other family friendly movies. Nice to have another movie the whole family can enjoy that is not animated. Some movies tend to be a little scary for the younger ones who want to be part of family movie night, but this one is the perfect mix of fun scary that is not scary.

First things first, this is definitely a kids movie, but it's a kids movie that Moms and Dads will find themselves snickering at. I ended up seeing this movie twice over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and appreciated it even more the second time. There are some slapstick moments for the kids, but there are also some very sophisticated one- liners sure to go over the younger heads. Mary Steenburgen is great as usual, and I especially enjoyed her flirtation with the Sheriff. Of course the Monsters are the star of the show. They're ugly and adorable at the same time, and they have fantastic interplay with the child stars. Some of the special effects toward the end are a little cheesy, but overall the movie looks great, with a beautiful forest setting. I found it worthy of the Jim Henson name and a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving!