Les Muppets

There are very few of us twenty-somethings who grew up without the Muppets. Between Sesame Street, Muppet Show reruns, and videocassettes of the various Muppet movies, we saw these guys all the time. We even had one or two theatrical releases of our own during the '90s. (My personal favorite of those is The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is still annual holiday viewing.) In recent years, since the very underwhelming Muppets from Space, we've seen them pop up now and again, mostly in similarly underwhelming TV projects and in short (yet hilarious!) YouTube videos. I am quite happy to say that, in this newest movie, the Muppets are back in a big way!

The movie starts by introducing us to a new Muppet, Walter, and his strangely human brother Gary. Gary has planned a trip with his girlfriend, Mary, to Los Angeles, and he is taking Walter along to visit the home of his heroes, Muppet Studios. They find the studio to be in disrepair, and hear of an evil plot to destroy it. Can the Muppets, and everything we hold dear about them, be saved? To get my one complaint out of the way, I do feel that this movie was a bit rushed in places. I wanted more time with these awesome characters, and it did feel as if they were trying to get from one place to the next a bit too quickly.

That said, I spent nearly the entire movie with a smile on my face. These are the Muppets that I grew up with, doing what they are best at doing, with that gently edgy humor at which they have always excelled. While there are some moments that are very touching, it is mostly very funny, with lots of nods to The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie. While new little Muppet fans should enjoy this, it will be much more meaningful to those who have a history with Kermit and Co.

Clearly made with love for Jim Henson and his creations of fur and felt, The Muppets is the most delightful movie I've seen in theaters this year.

I must admit, I usually write reviews when i am angry, however in this case, I am writing this review because of pure love for the movie.

I went to this movie expecting few laughs and an enjoyable night. My expectations were met and more. the songs were great, the plot was classic Hollywood plot but they made fun of it so it didn't bother me at all. I laughed at all the jokes without exception. I didn't know the whole cast so the surprise appearances affected me emotionally.

most importantly, I felt that the people who are doing that movie didn't acted on that movie for the money, for the box office or for the fame, they did it for pure love for the Muppet's(most of them anyways) and I felt that. I was asking my self why I loved this movie? and this is was the answer I got. As long as these kinds of movies being made, there is still hope for Hollywood.

Warm, charming and funny, just like the Muppets I remember from my childhood. I'm not often one for musicals, but this one - aided by the brilliant combination of fuzzy puppet singers and Flight of the Conchords composition - hits all the right notes. It's funny without nudging into blue territory, a talent that's becoming more scarce by the minute, with a heartwarming reunion storyline that slowly reintroduces the cast and reminds us why we grew to love them in the first place. Loaded with unexpected cameos and sly winks at the troupe's long history, it's clear that a lot of love went into the making of this picture; the screen positively resonates from beginning to end. Though I was hesitant to revisit this old territory at first, by the final act I was grinning warmly and nodding right along, utterly entranced.

In Disney's major release for the holiday season, they went with an old stand by, the Muppets, in a film simply called The Muppets. It's a strange blend of humor, nostalgia, and satire. Here we meet Walter, who we know just by looking at him is a little bit different. He is, well, for lack of a better word, a Muppet. The only thing is he is a Muppet living in the real world, and not, I stress not, a member of the Muppet gang. At a very young age he fell under their spell, through television and video rentals. Walter's dream was to walk through the studio that his beloved Muppet's walked through. He gets his chance to meet them when his brother Gary (Jason Segel, who also co-wrote the script) takes his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to Los Angeles.

Walter finds out that the Muppets aren't as popular as they used to be. He finds only remnants of the glory days in a dusty studio, but winds up uncovering a sinister plot intending to bury the Muppet franchise for good. With so much at stake, Walter goes to great lengths to find his idols and bring them back together. With the help of Gary, Amy, Kermit, Fozzie, and the rest of the gang, Walter sets in motion a reunion scenario where if the Muppets put on one last show they can raise enough money to stop the maniacal Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) from ending the Muppet's hopes of survival.

It's almost like The Blues Brothers, where if "the band" gets back together all will be saved. The only difference is that for the audience it's like a reunion, too. We haven't seen the Muppets together save for a few commercials and music videos here and there. I would be lying if I said I didn't get goosebumps seeing Gonzo with his chickens, or the Swedish Chef and his man-hands. Without even trying this film grabs you right in the heart, squeezing every ounce of childhood you have left in there.

It is really evident that Segel took the task of acting and, more importantly, writing, very seriously. His heart really comes through. He didn't want to do an injustice to the franchise that gave him so much pleasure as a youngster. It's as if he wrote Walter as a Muppetization of himself (which really comes through during one particular musical number). He follows the Muppet formula of combining cultural references with the power of celebrity and the importance of silliness and childlike inhibition.

Has any of the magic left the Muppets? I don't think so. I must admit that some of the story points were a bit ridiculous, and sometimes a little too on the nose (yes, I am aware that it was trying to be, but doing it too much becomes tedious). I wasn't entering the film expecting completely revamped Muppet style. It was by the book, aimed appropriately at both children and adults, without ever stepping too far in either direction.

The BIG question remains...now what? The whole point of the movie is to show that the Muppet's have basically become an afterthought. A fond memory that quickly fades. Will this film attract a slew of Muppet followers? Will there be another film? Television show? Who knows. The movie ends optimistically, but how could it not? The thought of a world without the Muppets is scary. It's nice knowing that somewhere Kermit and the gang are waiting for their next queue. To light the lights, put on make up, and all that jazz.

So go treat yourself to a little taste of your childhood. It will do the soul good.

The Muppets may quite possibly be one of the best movies of 2011. I don't just mean that as a fan. The Muppets had everything spot on – it was clever, entertaining, adorable, heartwarming, and absolutely hilarious. The magical thing though is that The Muppets pleases everybody -- average moviegoers and Muppet purists alike, and that I believe is its greatest triumph. On one side is a modern comedy, chock full of hysterical celebrity cameos and pop culture references. And on the other side is a nostalgic throwback to the Muppets era. Those who remember the old series will unquestionably find delight in seeing their favorite puppets reunite for another big show, literally.

Funnily enough, the movie treats the Muppet characters as if they were real life actors, with The Muppets shows and movies being their past careers. The Muppets haven't seen any action in years (a fact also true in real life), and each muppet has taken his/her own path in life with varying degrees of success. When crisis arises, the old troupe is forced to find each other and give it another go.

It is all weaved through a fascinating metanarrative that begs the question, what happens to the Muppets when they aren't The Muppets? After all this time away, can The Muppets make a comeback through a reunion and relive their former glory days? – a question ultimately answered by the movie itself.

The film opens with a common puppet named Walter, whose childhood consists of watching The Muppets and dreaming of joining them. His older brother Gary (Jason Segel) extends the invitation to come with him and his girlfriend of 10 years Mary (Amy Adams) to Los Angeles so that he can visit the Muppet studio. Much to his disappointment, the Muppet theater is abandoned and Walter even overhears an oil tycoon's (Chris Cooper) plot to tear down the place. Walter and Gary quickly seek out Kermit the Frog to reunite the Muppet crew and remedy the situation, but all the while Mary is upset that the turn of events is ruining her 10 year anniversary with Gary.

As you can imagine from the premise alone, the movie is a tribute to the Muppets in every sense. It travels respectfully through the old Muppet history, and relives it instead of trying to replace it. In fact, seeing how each one branched off from the group like members of an old band and "grew up" gave, I would say, substantially more character to each Muppet than they ever had before. I think fans will agree that this is the best possible way the muppets could have returned.

Simply put, I can't imagine anyone with a heart not enjoying this film. There's something in it for everybody, especially if you're in the mood for laughter and catchy musical numbers. The creative humor was a breath of fresh air. There is plenty breaking of the fourth wall and oh so much of that lovely deadpan irony and absurdist humor, reminiscent of old comedies like Airplane! The audience in the theater was cracking up almost every other moment, myself included. And while humor is its strong suit, the movie is also an incredibly heartwarming tale of friends that go their separate ways but are still connected through their hearts. Moviegoers and Muppet fans alike, go see this movie!

9/10