Review of The Muppets (2011) by Jackson H — 24 Oct 2012

Let's be honest, the Muppets haven't been relevant for at least a decade. So it was the task of Jason Segel of How I Met Your Mother/Forgetting Sarah Marshall fame to a new generation, and a few others who fondly remember Kermit and the gang. It is with great pleasure that I can say that all those involved with this Muppet return have succeeded 100%.

Jason Segel plays Gary, whose brother, Walter (Peter Linz) is a Muppet. Immediately from the first song, featuring Mickey Rooney, you know that Segel and co. respect the source material and know how exactly the Muppets should be. And the Muppets really are the stars of this movie. Most of the roster are here on show, even some more obscure ones, and while Jim Henson is sadly not behind the puppetry, he is there in spirit. Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Concords is the main composer for this Muppets outing, and has done a great job, worthy of his Oscar win.

This film thankfully sees the Muppets return to fine form, with plenty of cameos and pop culture references that made the original TV show and line of films so memorable and nostalgic.