Kermit the Frog (Muppet Show) Review

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Kermit the Frog (Muppet Show) Review

Kermit the Frog
Muppet Show (Palisades)Ah, Palisades Toys… For its time, there wasn't any other company like it. A nice selection of licenses, great sculpts and stunning accessories, and all for good prices. Sadly, financial issues closed its door in 2006, despite them still having plenty in the pipeline. Nowadays, their figures are still pretty well-enjoyed, but none of their lines is as noteworthy as their Muppets line, thanks to a fun, varied selection of characters and exclusives along with creative accessories and playsets. I have a couple of these, so I figure I'd start the reviews with good ol' Kermit.

Wait… didn't I already do a review of this guy almost four years ago? Aw, the hell with it, it's time for a new look at an old figure.

The cardback has a red curtain motif matching The Muppet Show, which at first, was the only Muppet work Palisades had the license to. The graphics are a little simple, but the cardboard back means the package is easy to open, and everything in the plastic tray can be taken out with ease. The back shows off not only a bio of the character and a cross-sell, but lists all of the people involved in the creation of the figure. Even today, not a lot of companies do that.

Kermit's sculpt is credited to Cynthia Woodie, and the head is definitely the key area. He has an open-mouth portrait, a common look for him that manages to convey some expression. The head has a rough texture to recreate the feel of an actual puppet, and sculpted wrinkles are present on the neck to make it feel more realistic. The paint is nice, but there is some bleed here and there.

Standing around 4 1/4" tall, Kermit has a bit of paunchiness to his body, but having watched an episode of the show before doing this review, it's safe to say he's supposed to. The legs are a little bent with toes slightly curling up, and the arms are bent as well, with the right hand being a loose grip and the left hand being wide open. Having the limbs pre-posed like this is good for him, given his limited articulation, and that same texture on the head is present all over the body. The yellow-green collar doesn't have any texturing, but it is made out of a softer material. The body seems to have been fully painted green, as the soles are a lighter color, looking to be unpainted green plastic.

As far as articulation goes, Kermit only gets swivels at the neck, shoulders, and hips, along with hinges at the shoulders for allow to additional range. It's not a lot, but I feel it's just right for the figure, as the limbs are too thin for any additional joints, and anything on the torso would break up the sculpt. You can get some nice poses out of the arms thanks to their sculpt, and the hip articulation allows the feet to lay flat on the ground.

Kermit doesn't get a lot of accessories, but they still prove to be the best part of the figure. The camera is the big hook here, standing 5 7/8" tall and sporting the Muppet Show logo, along with some nice paint all around. Not only does the camera's head and level swivel, but it can raise up and down as well, though there's only two positions for it. Kermit also gets his coffee mug, complete with name, and a oval base with the logo. Thanks to the gripping right hand, Kermit can hold his mug, but the limited articulation means he can't hold it right up to his mouth.

It's been a bit over twenty years since this figure was released, and yes, Diamond Select has put out some nice figures of the franchise, including this guy, in recent years. However, Kermit still holds up well, and the effort put into him, as well as every other one of these figures, proves that Palisades was a company that was gone too soon.

- 4/17/23