History Film / KermitsSwampYears

** At different points in the movie, Kermit is certain he can hear something out there calling his name--echoing the lyrics of ''Rainbow Connection'' ("Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices?/I've heard them calling my name/Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?/The voice might be one and the same/I've heard it too many times to ignore it/It's something that I'm supposed to be...").
*** The star that Kermit thinks is calling his name is another nod to the song ("Who said that every wish would be heard and answered/When wished on the morning star?/Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it/Look what it's done so far/What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing/And what do we think we might see?").

*** The star that Kermit thinks is calling his name is another nod to the song ("Who said that every wish would be heard and answered/When wished on the morning star?" [...] "What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing/And what do we think we might see?").

** At different points in the movie, Kermit is certain he can hear something out there calling his name--echoing the lyrics of ''Rainbow Connection'' ("Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices?/I've heard them calling my name/Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?/The voice might be one and the same").

*** The star that Kermit thinks is calling his name is another nod to the song ("Who said that every wish would be heard and answered/When wished on the morning star?" [...] "What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing/And what do we think we might see?")

** Another advert seen in the pet shop reads "Goelz Guppies", a nod to original Muppet performer and builder Dave Goelz, best known for Gonzo.

** At different points in the movie, Kermit is certain he can hear something out there calling his name--echoing the lyrics of ''Rainbow Connection''.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar

* ChekhovsSkill: [[spoiler:Kermit wallops Dr. Kraussman using tips he observed from a film. "What is this?! A movie?!"]]
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Mary, Kraussman's assistant. For instance, she claims to have wanted to be a scientist ever since reading ''Literature/TheWizardOfOz'' as a child. Kraussman points out that the book has very little to do with science.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Dr. Kraussman phones Wilson's Pet Store for frogs for his class at George Washington High School. Goggles only hears "George Washington" and assumes he's their new owner.

** Dr. Kraussman was named after Creator/MelBrooks' German mad scientist character Professor Kraussman from ''Film/TheMuppetMovie''.

* ObviouslyEvil: Kraussman.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: [[spoiler:Frogs have an unwritten rule never to talk to humans. Kermit has no choice but to break it so he and his friends can escape from the classroom and go home. This implies that Kermit is also a liberator among his species- no frog has ever been revealed to be able to talk to any human before this, save for maybe Kraussman as a boy, who tried to convince his other classmates and failed. In ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'', talking frogs are seen as completely ordinary.]]

** Dr. Kraussman was named after Mel Brooks' German mad scientist character Professor Kraussman from ''Film/TheMuppetMovie''.

** Kermit is inspired by an action film while in a movie theater. This is clearly a nod to him remarking how "there's a matinee downtown every Sunday" in the original film.

** Ernie the Alligator, who in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' appeared as an animatronic, non-speaking, naturalistic-looking robot in the opening scene, here appears as a more traditional Muppet ''[[SuddenlyVoiced who can speak!]]'' He was on good terms with Kermit back then too.

* SuddenlyVoiced: Arnie the Alligator reveals he can talk after helping out Kermit and his friends.

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[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]

* BittersweetEnding: Krassman gets arrested for his crimes, Mary reunites with Wilson, Goggles and Blotch are saved, and the frogs go back to the swamp. Pilgrim decides to move in with Kermit, but [[IChooseToStay she chooses to say with Wilson]] ..

* TheDragon: Wilson Hayes is this to Krassman.

* MeaningfulName: [[spoiler:In a deleted epilogue, Mary reveals to Wilson that "Mary" is actually her middle name and her real first name is Jennifer.]]

* StarCrossedLovers: Mary is a scientist and Wilson is a pet shop owner. [[spoiler:Krassman kept Mary away from Wilson, which causes them to break up. As the movie ends, they reunite.]]
* SuddenlyVoiced: Arnie the Alligator reveals he can talk after helping out Kermit and his friends.
* TheChewToy: [[BigBad Dr. Krassman]] is clumsy and gets into lots of trouble.
* WhamShot: [[spoiler:[[VillainousCrush Mary is revealed to be married to Wilson]] at the end of the movie.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Kraussman's assistant won't go through dissecting the frogs.]]

* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:Kraussman wants to kill frogs because he had to dissect one when ''he'' was in high school, but was laughed at by everyone for not going through with it, and for being called crazy for claiming frogs can talk.]]

* LargeHam: Dr. Kraussman is very hammy.

* MeaningfulName: In a deleted epilogue, Mary reveals to Wilson that "Mary" is actually her middle name and her real first name is Jennifer.