‘Jim Henson Idea Man’ Review: A Heartfelt, If Safe, Tribute to a Singular Figure
variety.comMichael Nordine Universally beloved figures are increasingly rare these days, with a distressing number of our former heroes having been outed as one kind of monster or another in recent years.
Jim Henson is a notable exception. The creator of the Muppets remains as revered today as he was during his too-short life, an enduring icon of wholesomeness whose legend has only grown since he died in 1990 at the age of 53.
Among his legion of admirers is Ron Howard, whose documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” premiered at Cannes earlier this month and will be available to stream on Disney+ this Friday.
A multihyphenate if ever there were one, the puppeteer, filmmaker, animator and actor is described here as both a “boy genius” and “very rare creature” who was “so internal and quiet that his inner life must have been sparkling.” It’s certainly true that his life’s work sparkled, and not just Kermit and company: “Idea Man” also gives pride of place to “The Dark Crystal,” “Fraggle Rock,” “The Labyrinth” and “Sesame Street,” not to mention the more outré endeavors some of the film’s interviewees would argue were his true — if unrealized — passion.
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