Jim Henson: Idea Man (2024)
Directed by: Ron Howard
Premise: A documentary about Muppets creator Jim Henson, covering his family life and artistic accomplishments.
What Works: Jim Henson is one of those cultural figures like George Lucas, Walt Disney, and J.R.R. Tolkien whose body of work has become legendary and enmeshed into the culture. Idea Man recounts Henson’s major works and for viewers who are not familiar with Henson’s biography this is an enlightening documentary. Viewers who are fans of Henson and the Muppets will find Idea Man a nice tribute to Henson that summarizes his various projects. As presented in Idea Man, Jim Henson was an ambitious artist who led the creation of Sesame Street, the Muppets, and the films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. The documentary does not dig deep into any of these projects but it does cover them with just enough depth to explain what the films meant to the culture and to the art of puppetry. Most interesting is Henson’s early work. Henson was primarily an experimental filmmaker. Puppetry and animation gave him the opportunities to do things that were artistically and technically innovative. His interests were broader than children’s programming and Idea Man addresses the way he may have been trapped by success. However, the documentary also emphasizes the way Henson worked cooperatively with his fellow creators. That’s an important touch; Idea Man does not suggest that Henson did all of this by himself (as official biographies of Lucas and Disney have sometimes implied) but rather Henson surrounded himself with equally enthusiastic and talented people. The film’s exploration of Henson’s family life is tastefully done. The filmmakers acknowledge some of the tensions in his marriage and the way Henson had to choose between his family and his work.
What Doesn’t: Jim Henson is a beloved figure and rightly so and there’s nothing in Idea Man that is challenging to Henson’s status or his legacy. This documentary was co-produced by Disney which owns the Muppets and so Idea Man has to be understood as a piece of legacy curation by Henson’s estate and by Disney which have a vested interest in protecting the brand. Idea Man acknowledges that Disney bought the Muppets from Henson but the documentary does not address what the company has done with the property since then. Muppets alumni and Idea Man interviewee Frank Oz has been openly critical of Disney’s use of the Muppets but this isn’t acknowledged at all.
Disc extras: Available on Disney+.
Bottom Line: Jim Henson: Idea Man is a respectful summary. It’s more of a biographical sketch than an in-depth study and no one is likely to come away from the documentary having a new appreciation for Henson and his work but it is a serviceable tribute.
Episode: #1013 (September 15, 2024)