THE MUPPETS – The Review

Anyone who had the misfortune of growing up without The Muppets has my unyielding sympathy. There’s never been anything like it, and there will never be anything like it again… that is, of course, for the revival film simply called THE MUPPETS, directed by James Bobin.

THE MUPPETS (2011) was written by, and co-stars Jason Segel as Gary, a happy go lucky guy who lives with his pal Walter, who happens to be a Muppet who thinks he’s a man. It is abundantly clear that Segel has a passionate love for The Muppets and fellow fans will catch this immediately. He gets it, and he nails what needed to be done for a successful revival of the beloved characters in a time when such projects often go terribly awry.

I say Jason Segel is the co-star because, really… we all know Kermit the Frog is the real star. But in all fairness, Amy Adams is a great addition to the film as Gary’s girlfriend Mary. Gary and Mary are madly in love, but she wishes for more, a married life. Unfortunately, Gary and Walter are inseparable. So, when Gary invites Walter along with him and Mary to Los Angeles to see the sights, Mary feels a bit like a third wheel.

But, enough of this romance stuff. Off we go, to Los Angeles where Walter dreams of touring the now closed Muppets Studio. Unfortunately, what they find upon their arrival is heartbreaking. An evil oil tycoon named Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper, has bought up the Muppets Studio property and plans to tear it all down in favor of oil exploration. The nerve!

Walter and Gary must now try and save the Muppets Studio, and the only way to do that is to get the band back together and put on one last show… a show to save the Muppet Theatre. This will prove easier said than done. We first reunite with Kermit the Frog. This is the first of several Muppet encounters that feels as familiar as so many of us being laid off and out of work. Muppets should never be down on their luck, but as Tex Richman points out… it’s a new era, and The Muppets are now irrelevant. To hell with that!

“You simply can’t keep a good Muppet down,” is what I always say. The Muppets feel and fresh and alive as I remember them some 25 years ago. Wow. I’d feel old now, if not for my abundantly active inner child. Not only do The Muppets have to overcome impossible odds, renovating the dilapidated Muppet Theatre and putting on a telethon to save it with little time to prepare, they must also contend with Tex Richman’s more modern and off-putting Moopets, his replacement for the Muppet.

THE MUPPETS (2011) is quite possibly the best live-action family musical I’ve seen since the original Muppet movie, but I am a bit biased. There is an intelligent cuteness to the song and dance scenes. The jokes are hilarious, for kids of all ages. That includes you, mom and dad. Segel is charmingly oblivious. For a guy that stands 6 foot 5 inches, you wouldn’t think he’d be able to pull off this level of being adorably silly, but he does.

Amy Adams is a blast, as well, especially during her musical numbers. Adams clearly jumped in with both feet and embraced the quirky, over-the-top nature of The Muppets, milking her scenes for all their worth without overdoing it a bit. Chris Cooper takes the essence of a Muppets villain and runs with it, giving a cheeky self-aware evildoer performance that rivals the best… Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh!

THE MUPPETS (2011) is everything fans hope it will be. I dare you to walk out of the theater and not be wearing a smile from ear to ear. I dare you not to get goose bumps when Kermit and Miss Piggy perform their classic duet of  “Rainbow Connection” for the first time in years. It’s unavoidable. Prepare yourself to rekindle that long, lost connection with all of your favorite Muppet characters, along with a gleefully rich cast of supporting and cameo roles including Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, and… many more. I don’t want to spoil all the surprises.

Overall Rating: 4 “Wocka, Wockas” out of 5