Man or Muppet

"The Muppets"

It's been twelve years since we've seen a Muppet movie on the silver screen.  That's probably due to the fact that "Muppets from Space” was a critical and financial failure.  With the exception of the occasional cameo here and there from our favorite frog, pig, and bear, the Muppet franchise may as well have been laid to rest.  When it was announced that actor Jason Segel and director Nicholas Stoller (both having worked previously on Forgetting Sarah Marshall) were in the process of writing a screenplay in hopes of reviving the beloved fleece puppets, I couldn't help but crack a smile of anticipation.  

Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) is a puppet while his brother Gary (Segel) is of flesh and blood. After coming across The Muppet Show on television he instantly falls in love with everything and everyone on the popular show.  Walter's dream is to someday go to the Muppet Studios and meet Kermit the Frog.  Luckily for Walter he is invited by Gary and his longtime girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams,) to come along with them as they are planning a trip to visit Hollywood and celebrate their tenth anniversary together.

Upon arrival at the famed studio, to everyone's dismay, the property is in ruin.  Kermit and company are nowhere to be seen.  Our tourists learn that Kermit sold the studio to Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who plans to turn the monument in to a museum.  Or so we lead to believe.  While underneath a table, Walter overhears from a behind closed doors meeting that Richman is actually going to tear down the studio and drill for the oil buried beneath it.  The only way to save the studio now is to reunite Kermit with the rest of the gang.  Despite their waning popularity, the Muppets need to come back for one last show and raise the money to save the one thing that made them who they once were, a family, together again.

I went into this film with fairly high expectations and it met them every step of the way.  I think The Muppets greatest strength is that it never comes off as a parody.  I get the sense that Segel and Stoller were avid fans of the Muppets when they were growing up.  But the film doesn't come across as, "Get it?  We're writing a Muppet movie!  Look at how much this is Muppet movie."  The picture comes off as genuinely feeling like a Muppet movie.  

All the actors do their own singing and dancing which is a huge plus.  They all look like they're having a lot of fun at playing their roles.  The songs are fresh and original and are still stuck in my head as I’m writing this review.  The film is also filled with constant jokes, mostly about acknowledging the fact that yes, this is a movie.  You'd think that would get tiring after the first couple of zingers but I just kept laughing.  I liked the continual breaking of the fourth wall humor because it was a pleasant reminder not to take the film too seriously.

The Muppets is a prime example of what good, clean, enjoyable fun filmmaking can be to an audience.  And although it was released by Disney, it stays away from being overly cutesy and well you know… Disney.  This is the kind of film that can be enjoyed on a number of levels and can appeal to wide range of ages, much like a Pixar film.  I will say this though, if you did not grow up with the Muppets or just don't have a place in your heart for them this probably isn't the film for you.  If however you are looking to have a good time and you're eight years old, or want to feel like you're eight again I highly recommend this piece of entertainment.  It's one those films that made me laugh as well as want to sing along with the characters.  I can't remember the last time a movie made me feel that way.  Whether you like them or not, the Muppets are back and hopefully are here to stay, at least for a couple more sequels.