The Muppets (2011)

Let's get this out of the way: I really am a pretty big Muppets fan. I love the show and most of the movies and was genuinely excited about this new movie, the revival of the Muppets after a dormant decade. I'm sure there were a lot of people like me with fond memories of the original program and films and this new movie tries to harness that nostalgia more than anything. After all, many kids today are probably only vaguely aware of who the Muppets actually are, and the Muppets were always intended as an all-ages entertainment; adults were never excluded. So, we have this movie starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams as a couple who go to Los Angeles to celebrate their tenth dating anniversary and end up sparking a Muppets reunion. The gang has to put on a successful show and raise ten million dollars to save the Muppet studios and name. There's also a new Muppet named Walter who whistles and somehow managed to go through his entire life in the real world without anyone noticing the hand up his rump.

There is a lot to like about this movie. For one thing, it's great to see the Muppets again, because nobody actually forgot about them. I mean, really. The logic of this movie dictates that the Muppets haven't done anything since the 80s. Apparently Muppets Tonight and Muppets from Space never happened. Anyway, one thing that caught me by surprise was the fact that this is a full-blown musical. I don't know why I found this odd, because all Muppet movies, with one exception, were. I just can't imagine people liking the fact that a good third of this movie is wasted on lame musical numbers. Actually, a good portion of the movie, particularly the several opening scenes that have no Muppets whatsoever, are just plain weird. I know it's part of the Muppets brand of humor to be self-aware, but the asides that keep reminding us that this is, in fact, a movie get a bit old. A huge fault of the movie is how much time is spent on Segel and Adams in a subplot that really doesn't matter. Their time on screen takes away from any potential Muppet time on screen. Fans will be able to see many Muppets all over the place during this movie, though only a few actually get significant screentime or dialogue. It was pretty disappointing to see yet another extended Segel singing solo, when Sam the Eagle never says anything.

The celebrity cameos, another staple of the movies, are also quite underwhelming. It's very, "Oh, look! There's Whoopi Goldberg!" Yet, she does nothing but walk across the screen. I wondered to myself how much John Krasinski got paid to literally be on camera for a few seconds. In the end, though, that all falls away when Kermit and Piggy sing "Rainbow Connection" and all the others join in and we know everything will be just super. Even friggin' Uncle Deadly gets the spotlight for once! Director James Bobin clearly loved The Muppet Show and projects that fondness clearly in an overall enjoyable movie. I just wish he had put his head on a little straighter and thrown out some of the rambling bits. Still, even with all the technology available to film-makers today, there isn't really anything like these good old-fashioned puppets and their eager desire to put on a great show. When was the last time inanimate objects made us this happy?

7/10