Movie: The Muppets
Release Date: November 23
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Grade: A
Everybody's favorite frog has made his triumphant return to the silver screen. Kermit, Miss Piggy, the Great Gonzo, and the rest of the Muppets have reunited to put on one more show in The Muppets.
It has been 12 years since the Muppets graced the silver screen, and The Muppets proves that you are never too old to enjoy a puppet show.
After the Muppets dwindled into irrelevance, oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper, The Tempest) buys the Muppet Theater under the false pretense of making it into a Muppets museum when he just wants the oil underneath.
Richman's diabolic scheme would go off without a hitch if it weren't for the Muppets biggest fan, Walter, who is hiding in Kermit's office when Richman reveals his plan.
Walter begs his brother Gary (Jason Segel, Bad Teacher) and Gary's girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams, The Fighter) to help track down the amphibian leader of the Muppets and beg for him to intervene.
After holding out for a moment, Kermit decides to get his old troupe back together for a show to save their old home. After a humorous montage catching the audience up with the lives of the other Muppets, the gang can finally get to work.
Segel not only starred in the film, but he was also the writer and the producer of it. His infatuation with the felt puppets was apparent, as The Muppets is the best film in the series to date.
The songs written for the movie were both infectiously catchy and overtly sentimental. While the audience taps its feet along with the song, it finds itself connecting with the songs on an emotional level.
The musical numbers in The Muppets were the highlight of the movie. Every song instills a meaningful message while also adding Segel's patented sense of humor.
Anyone that is familiar with Segel's musical work in Forgetting Sarah Marshall or How I Met Your Mother will be pleased as The Muppets soundtrack is in the same vein as Segel's other musical ventures.
The Muppets contains humor for any age group. Both adults and kids alike will be slapping their knees, even if it is for a different reason. While the children might not get all the jokes, the adults sure will.
One thing The Muppets has an abundance of is celebrity cameos. From Dave Grohl to James Carville, the cameos seem to be never ending.
Segel put The Muppets in the right hands with director James Bobin. He directed the cult series Flight of the Concords, and the humor he injected into Concords is evident in The Muppets.
While the bar was set high for the new Muppets movie, Bobin shined under the pressure. In his feature length debut, Bobin not only delivered the best Muppets movie of all time, but also one of the best films of the year.
The Muppets might supply a healthy dose of humor, but it also tugs on the heartstrings of the audience. Twenty minutes in, and one finds him- or herself fighting back the tears.
It is impossible to see The Muppets and not get misty eyed. If you are able to sit through the whole movie without getting choked up, there is a chance that you might be a heartless robot.
Segel and Bobin created a Muppets movie that is both true to the Muppets of old while also updating the story for a new generation. The Muppets has the most entertaining cinematic experience of the year.
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