With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.
Review
When was the last time you watched a film that made you feel really good about yourself.
Something that grabbed you by the shoulders and screamed at you to enjoy life (metaphorically speaking of course). Can’t think of one because it’s been so long? Well you’ve obviously not seen the new Muppets movie then.
What a joy it was to watch this film and break away from my usual diet of dark independent films and bleak foreign cinema (which I don’t review enough on the site I might add). I honestly haven’t enjoyed myself with a film (calm down) for quite some time.
Now of course, The Muppets has nostalgia on its side when viewed by someone like me. I grew up with the Muppets and their endless celebrity guests. Their humour was so intelligent for what was a bunch of hand puppets, yet their charm resonated through my TV and into my living room in the form of TV and film. But then, they disappeared.
Or should I say, lost their place in TV culture. As the film points out, many people don’t want to see a puppet show on prime time TV, they’re only interested in reality TV and insulting shallow game shows. I’m sorry but if your TV diet consists of these, then you’re an idiot.
You see the Muppet Movie shows what great characters and a sharp script can do to a tired, age old storyline - The Muppet studio is to be bought by an evil corporation and torn down unless the Muppets can find $10 million dollars to save it - It’s not cutting edge, original storytelling but what the script does is bring everything to life by going completely overboard and turning it right up to eleven.
We have movie in-jokes, cameos, outrageous song and dance numbers, biting satire and of course, the warmth of the Muppets. Even the human actors get some great screen-time, from Jason Segel and Amy Adam’s sugar sweet couple to Chris Coopers over-the-top bad guy (maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh). It’s just a great ride from start to finish.
But let’s not beat about the bush, although the film is helped by great direction and music from Flight Of The Conchords duo James Bobin and Brett McKenzie (Jermaine Clement – not present) the film is owned by the Muppets themselves. It so good to see Kermit and the gang up there on the big screen doing what they’ve always done – thoroughly entertaining their audience.
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