Review of The Muppet Movie (1979) by Aaron G — 21 Mar 2013

Chasing the origin story of the titular Muppets, we follow Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and a slew of other puppets across the country on their way to fame and fortune. Along the way the Muppets run into many cameos, sing music, and experience many montages.

For such a seemingly conventional story, you'd think The Muppet Movie plays out like one. Not only would you be wrong, you would be pleasantly surprised to discover that The Muppet Movie may just be one of the better movies ever filmed.

As with any of Henson's work, the puppeteering is nothing short of gorgeous and the characters he's created are represented brilliantly by their charm, their wit, and with aid from the very entertaining (and occasionally 4th-wall breaking) script. The story moves at a steady pace while occasionally stopping for celebrity cameos, that I won't dare spoil. The jokes are always clever, with plenty of humor for adults and not just children.

Perhaps the biggest feat the film can boast is that it could do with puppets what so many other movies couldn't: Be wholly entertaining on every end of the spectrum.