While the Muppets may have fallen to the cultural wayside, Jason Segel’s reboot of this childhood classic is sure to charm kids of any age before they can utter “Mahna Mahna.” Director James Bobin (“Flight of the Concords” and “Da
While the Muppets may have fallen to the cultural wayside, Jason Segel’s reboot of this childhood classic is sure to charm kids of any age before they can utter “Mahna Mahna.”
Director James Bobin (“Flight of the Concords” and “Da Ali G Show”) delivers an enjoyable trip to the theater that isn’t dumbed down, combining wonderful puppetry, an imaginative story line and endearing characters to make one of the most charismatic films of the franchise.
The film stars Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), who also co-wrote the script. Segel plays Gary, a resident of Small Town, USA, who is inseparable from his biological, yet Muppet, brother Walter (voiced by Peter Linz).
Walter is the Muppets’ No. 1 fan, religiously watching old VHS tapes of the show and collecting every piece of Muppet memorabilia manufactured. When Gary plans a trip to Los Angeles with his school teacher and auto mechanic girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), they invite Walter along to visit the Muppet Theater.
When they arrive in Los Angeles, the trio discovers the studio has fallen into disrepair and oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plans to tear down the theater.
Walter decides he must reunite the Muppets in order to perform one last show to save the theater.
That’s easier said than done as the audience learns what the crew has been doing since its last cinematic outing, 1999’s “Muppets from Space”.
Kermit has been holed up in his Hollywood mansion, Miss Piggy is a plus-sized fashion editor for Vogue Paris, Fozzie Bear performs with the tribute band The Moopets, Gonzo is a successful toilet tycoon and Animal is in a celebrity anger management rehab center.
Yet through the magic of montage, the old crew is back together working to save their studio.
All the trademarks of a Muppets film are there — catchy songs, entertaining production numbers and lots of celebrity cameos (my favorite comes from Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory).
While Segel penned this campy film, it’s refreshing to see the “humans” aren’t hogging the limelight. Instead, the Muppets take center stage, dancing in large-scale productions, offering some genuine laughs and conveying complex emotions through subtle facial expressions.
Unlike other family films that rely on 3D effects, over-the-top CGI and cheesy humor, “The Muppets” proves that some filmmakers are able to breath life into inanimate objects.
This clever and charming film is sure to create a new a generation of Muppet fans while delighting old ones.
98 minutes.
