As 2014 comes to a close, we take a moment at Geeks Of Doom to remember all the fallen entertainment figures in film and television who left us this year. This year, we gave a farewell to a large array of heavyweights, cult heroes, pioneering figures, and sentimental favorites who were among those who have passed on in a physical sense, but leaving the memories, the ones that they made in the past and the ones each of their fans have in regards to them.

John Henson, one of the sons of the late Jim Henson, who had created an empire with his puppet creations The Muppets, died of a heart attack on Friday. He was 48 years old. A rep from The Jim Henson Company confirmed the news on Facebook on Saturday, stating that Henson was at his home in Saugerties, NY, with his daughter at the time of his death.

Henson had been full-fledged involved with his father’s creations; he was a puppeteer for the Muppets and had performed as Sweetums the Ogre in several Muppet-themed films, including Muppet Treasure Island and The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. He was also a shareholder and board member of The Jim Henson Company.

The Muppets
Directed by James Bodin
Starring Jason Segel, Chris Cooper, Amy Adams, John Henson
Release Date: November 23, 2011

So, let me start this review by saying I wasn’t the hugest fan of The Muppets characters when I was growing up and I’ve never cared for musicals. Even today I have a healthy respect for the fandom and appreciate the iconic nature of Jim Henson’s creations, but am still not what I’d call a fan of the franchise. So with these caveats in mind I may actually be the perfect person to review this film, simply titled The Muppets, or the absolute wrong person.

I sort of stand in parallel to Jason Segel, the star of the film and co-writer. He’s the person really responsible for making the film happen. He fought to be involved with the project and fought to get the movie made, all because he loves the characters so much. Segel is an actor having starred in such films as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I Love You Man, but his true talent may be as a writer. He wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a film that ended up being much better than it should have been.