Review of The Muppets (2011) by Joshua B — 02 Sep 2012

The Muppets comes after a hiatus of more than a decade of the Muppets from the big screen. The central question both from a marketing standpoint and, indeed, the meta question asked in the film, is whether the Muppets are still relevant today.

And despite the inherent silliness of the story and the exercise, the nostalgia surrounding it all makes for a poignant query. When the movie begins, the Muppets are in retirement, and the plot revolves around getting "the band" back together for one more gig to save the historic Muppet Show Theatre from destruction by the maniacal oil baron, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper).

So there, it's a commentary on the way we value art, in general. But more importantly, the question going in was whether this was going to be THE Muppets or just a pale copy for a new generation. The success of this movie is not just that it is very funny, though it is; director James Bobin previously developed Ali G and Flight of the Conchords.

No, what makes the film work so well is that stays so true to the spirit of a property that has captured imaginations and hearts for over 30 years. Writer/star Jason Segal clearly has a deep admiration and love for the subject, and so this film does not feel like a mere attempt to reignite a franchise, but a genuine appeal for new fans to discover the joy, and old fans to relive it.