The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street (NR)

This collection of Sesame Street clips starring Kermit begins at an award dinner honoring the web-footed Muppet with this year's Frog of the Year award. Grover reflects on Kermit's career on Sesame Street. We see Kermit's best moments (including ones parents will recognize from their childhoods!) and hear eight of his songs, including "Caribbean Amphibian," and the classic "Bein' Green." "African Alphabet" provides children with a beautiful song, as well as the letters on the screen, to help them learn the alphabet. There's also the adorable scene in which Kermit says the alphabet with that adorable little girl (parents will remember this one from way back when) who thinks "Cookie Monster" is one of the letters.

If your child is a Kermit fanatic, then this half-hour with the little green guy is bliss. Adult Kermit fans will love it, too, for they will revisit their favorite Kermit moments. However, diehards may be disappointed by the short shrift given to some of those moments and less enthusiastic viewers will find the video flat.

That said, the music is terrific. Each song has a different sound, and the lyrics teach and the visuals entertain -- this is the great stuff Sesame Street is known for. Several skits deserve praise as well. The video also does a good job with weather (wind, rain, and snow) and elbows. The best skit shows real tadpoles becoming frogs. But much of the video lacks energy. Grover's tribute to Kermit does not tie the scenes together, so the show is fragmented, and some clips are too short. Cute shots of Kermit, but other Sesame Street offerings are more worthwhile.

Studio: Sony Pictures
Director: John Chiappardi
Cast: Frank Oz, Jim Henson, Steve Whitmire
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 30 minutes
DVD release: September 1, 1998
MPAA Rating: NR