Quentin Tarantino Had a Profane Cameo in ‘The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz’

The Wizard of Oz has seen many iterations on the big screen, ranging from Oz the Great and Powerful to the recent movie musical Wicked. Each one has brought its own unique spin to the timeless story. One strange version was made by one of the biggest names in show business, the comedy puppet group known as The Muppets.

The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz was the last of The Muppets’ famous movie adaptations of classic novels. The film was made for TV and released on the ABC network in 2005. The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz is filled with many wild changes to The Wizard of Oz story, some funny and some strange, such as the cameo from intense director Quentin Tarantino.

The Muppets Bring Their Classic Silliness to Oz

In The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, Dorothy must follow the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard, just like in the novel and 1939 film. The biggest differences are with what she finds on her journey.

The inhabitants of Oz have all changed from previous adaptations because they’re all Muppets, of course. The Munchkins are now rats, the witches are pigs, and the Flying Monkeys are actually a biker gang of misfit puppets who have a singular monkey as their leader. Toto is not a dog in this adaptation, with The Muppets’ wise-talking Pepe the King Prawn taking over the role of Dorothy’s companion. Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear step in as the scarecrow, tin man, and cowardly lion, respectively.

There are other differences with The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz as well. Rather than red slippers, Dorothy receives silver slippers as she arrives in Oz, which is a nod to the novel. She also goes to meet the Wizard, so he can grant her wish of becoming a singer rather than her wish of going home. Ultimately, she does still wish to go home as being a singer in Oz leaves her unfulfilled.

Between The Muppets being in the film and Dorothy trying to become a singer, the film unsurprisingly includes a few original songs. Michael Giacchino, who has become a recognized composer for his work on superhero and Pixar films, helped write the songs as one of his earlier jobs.

Debunking a Common Muppet Misconception

Between The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, The Muppets have gained quite a reputation for adapting classic stories with a charming spin. Fans have come up with their own ideas for Muppet adaptations, taking timeless tales and fan-casting an actor to be the single human in the film.

Muppet adaptations have a few commonalities. They take their narratives from a classic novel in the public domain, notably ones that have already had other movie adaptations. They use a human actor as the lead and Muppets to play notable roles. They also incorporate songs and humor.

However, a misconception has emerged with this formula. It’s not true that each Muppet adaptation only has one human actor in it, and it’s a disservice to the talented supporting cast members in the films. With Muppet Treasure Island, Tim Curry is remembered for his fantastic performance as Long John Silver, overshadowing Kevin Bishop’s lead role as Jim Hawkins or Jennifer Saunders and Billy Connolly’s parts at the beginning. Michael Caine’s role as Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol is certainly the main performance, but there are still other humans, like Scrooge’s nephew and his ex-lover.

Unfortunately, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz perpetuates this myth. Ashanti, as Dorothy, is the main human, but there aren’t many more once she arrives in Oz. David Alan Grier and Queen Latifah play Ashanti’s aunt and uncle, but they only appear at the beginning and end of the film. Three other humans appear prominently while Dorothy’s in Oz, but one is Jeffrey Tambor as the Wizard, who appears as an animated being for most of the movie. The other two are just cameos from Kelly Osbourne and Quentin Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino Makes an Unhinged Cameo

Good or not, The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz is certainly unique. One of the film’s most memorable moments comes when the acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino shares a small fourth-wall break with Kermit the Frog. Cameos are a staple of Muppet films, with most featuring a variety of actors and musicians for single scenes, but they’re rather unusual for the Muppet adaptations.

Quentin Tarantino is the mind behind generational films like Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. Tarantino has made a name for himself as a violent and profane director, so it’s hilarious to see him in a film aimed at children and families. In his scene, Tarantino describes interesting ways for the Wicked Witch to be defeated.

Related

15 Wizard of Oz References in Other Movies and Shows

A variety of films and television shows have given shout-outs to The Wizard of Oz, both the movie and book that inspired it.

“I’m talking kung fu. I’m talking walking on walls. I’m talking explosions everywhere. I’m talking Oz in flames, burn, baby, burn,” Tarantino says to Kermit while waving a katana, forcing the fictional frog to cower in fear. “That sounds a bit violent for a family film,” Kermit responds.

Tarantino really pushes the bar for what’s been said in a Muppet movie, as he suggests a scene with “Scooter turning into a big, busty vampire vixen.” The director’s cameo stands out in an already-strange movie, and it was enough to get the TV movie a premier at the Tribeca Film Festival, where the real-life puppets walked down the red carpet among stars like David Hasselhoff and James Gandolfini. Rent on Apple TV or Prime Video.