Review of The Muppets (2011) by Dead A P — 22 Oct 2012

Not the gross disaster I was led to believe by some passionate friends, The Muppets is an ode to the begotten ways of the muppets (Marinette-puppets) that have been with with us for nearly fifty years.

Originally created by puppeteer Jim Henson, the world of Henson studios has branched out into Sesame Street, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and films such as The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth. The Muppets references many of these facets and has a tone that respects the ways of the old gang while also making them fresh for an entirely new generation of fans.

The muppets really needed a reboot, and after twelve years without a theatrical release they won big time with a script by uber fans Jason Segel and Nicolas Stoller. The film warrants comparisons to the first film entitled The Muppet Movie (1979), as this as well is studded with a plethora of guest cameos, contains many songs, and makes in-jokes, references, and stays true to the original vision of these now remembered childhood icons.

The take on this is that the muppets have been forgotten by society, and the group has to reform in order to keep their studio from the evil clutches of Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who wants to drill there for oil.

It's a kitschy premise, but one that is mocked throughout. The tone is surprisingly dark for a children's film, which I generally liked, because it wasn't as waylaid as previous films which didn't have the same care and effort.

Segel truly is a fan boy, and it's clear he's having a ball while shooting every scene. He and the cast did a bang up job of letting most of the screen time be dominated by the legends themselves, which I found refreshing.

His and Amy Adams' performances were a bit hollow in spite of their forced enthusiasm, and though they remained cheery focal points, they didn't add much to the story. (That hurts me to say with Segel's appreciation and love so obvious and abundant.

) The songs weren't all great, as evidenced by an evil villain rap from Chris Cooper, but I think they will mostly hold up in the future. It was sincerely enchanting throughout and a great way to introduce kids to a set of performers that haven't truly held the hearts of America since their groundbreaking show in the seventies.

I'm glad to see the muppets looking fresh and unyielding to cop outs, thank God.