“The Muppets” is the first Muppet movie since 1999’s “Muppets in Space”. Following a long lay-off and recent partnership with Disney, Kermit this new adventure for Kermit and his friends is a major success, even though it didn’t do as great at the Box Office as it should have.
Jason Segal co-wrote the script and stars as Gary. His girlfriend of 10 years is Mary (Amy Adams) and his brother is Walter, who happens to be a Muppet. In flashback we see Gary and Walter growing-up and being best friends. They also discover “The Muppet Show” on TV, and Walter immediately becomes the shows biggest fan.
To celebrate their 10th anniversary Gary and Mary decide to take a trip to Hollywood and bring Walter with them. Once there they discover that old Muppets Studio has been abandoned for years and is about to be demolished by an evil oil baron named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper).
Walter decides that he needs to find Kermit and convince him to get the Muppets back together to do one more show – a telethon to raise #10-million dollars to save the studio. This isn’t going to be easy, because the old gang has gone their separate ways and all have new lives.
The first part of “The Muppets” is a road picture, and then it becomes a “let’s put on a show” picture, and there’s some romantic storylines, a nasty villain and loads of laughs. You would expect that Kermit would be the star of the film, but this is a true ensemble, with each of the beloved Muppet characters – Fozzie, Animal, Gonzo and, of course, Miss Piggy – all getting their share of screen time. But it’s the story of Walter that gives the film it’s heart, as he tries to decide where he fits in the world.
Others in the human cast include Rashida Jones (“Parks and Recreation”), who plays a tough TV executive. And there are nearly two dozen celebrity cameos, led by Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin and Neil Patrick Harris (who has the movie’s best line) – some playing themselves, some playing characters. I was worried that the cameos would be overdone, but they’re actually very well placed.
All of the performances are great and there’s some fun dance numbers and several songs, including two performed by Kermit (a new one and the classic “Rainbow Connection”) that may choke-up longtime fans. I’ve seen most of the old episodes of “The Muppet Show” on DVD and all of their movies and watching this comeback film was even an emotional experience for me.
“The Muppets” is rated PG for some brief, mild violence. It’s appropriate for everyone 6 to 96. Many of those who worked on the old show and previous movies criticized this new film for being unfaithful to the Muppet name and legacy, which is nonsense. “The Muppets” honors the characters and their history and is a very worthy addition to the franchise.
On “The Official Kid Critic Report Card“, “The Muppets” gets a B+.
It’s a heartwarming comedy, action, adventure, suspense, romantic musical. Normally I would blast a movie that tried to be all that. But Kermit and the gang pull it off in style. Maybe, after all these years, it has become easier being green.
A sequel has already been announced, but Segal will not be a part of it.