“The Muppets” is one of most fun rides you can have at the
movie theatre these days, and a great film for the whole family. Like any good family
feature it has enough fun for kids and elements adults will enjoy.
“The Muppets” tells the story of Walter (voiced by Peter
Linz), a puppet who is born into a normal family. Walter longs to fit in with
everyone else, but struggles to because he is a puppet. He turns to The Muppets
for solace, and becomes their biggest fan. Walter lives with his brother Gary
(Jason Segel), who one day decides to go to Los Angeles with his girlfriend
Mary (Amy Adams) and Walter. While there, they tour the Muppet studios, now a
run-down tourist trap. Walter breaks into Kermit the Frog’s old office and
overhears a plot by a businessman named Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to tear the
Muppet studios down and drill for oil. The only way that the studio can be
saved is if the Muppets can pay $10 million dollars. Walter runs off to try and
reunite the Muppets and figure out a way to save their old home. Upon meeting
Kermit, Walter decides the Muppets should hold a telethon to try and raise the
$10 million dollars.
There aren’t any real performances to note here. Segal and Adams
are both predictably likeable in their roles. Honestly the entire romantic
subplot could have been cut from this movie and the story wouldn’t have skipped
a beat. Cooper is very good at being sinister as Richman, his musical number is
also one of the funniest moments in the film. The rest of the human ensemble is
filled in with cameo appearances. From Dave Grohl to Zach Galifanakis to Alan
Arkin, there is some sort of cameo stuffed into nearly every scene of the film.
The most noteworthy celebrity is Jack Black, who has an extensive role in the
film and even provides some funny lines during the Muppet telethon.
The real stars of the film, however, are the Muppets
themselves. It’s pretty incredible- in an age where computers can generate any
character on-screen you can think of- that a film using puppets could find
funding. What’s even more incredible is these puppets have enough depth and
range to actually feel like real characters on-screen. Kermit remain as
endearing as ever, his persona is encapsulated well in this story. He’s still
an understanding, emotional frog that still struggles with being green. All our
other favorite Muppets are here too, in their full glory. Every character
represents a sort of depth that would seem hard to achieve with only puppets,
and yet they pull it off expertly.
Aside from the puppets, “The Muppets” offers about
everything you’d expect from a family feature. There are moments that are
touching, moments that are funny, and a story that is appropriate for all ages.
There are some pacing issues with the script, like I said earlier I don’t think
the human characters have enough depth in this story. Ironically enough, they
are probably more lifeless than the Muppets in this film. The film also makes
good use of the fourth wall, breaking it repeatedly for a few laughs.
Overall I think “The Muppets” does a good job of creating a
fun environment for any moviegoer. If all you need is about two hours of
escapist theatre “The Muppets” will give you that. It won’t give you much more,
but it will give you that. The film is a welcome return for Jim Hensen’s
beloved creations and gives them plenty of time to shine. I think the script
could have fleshed out the human characters a little more, or just wrote them
out of the script, but overall you will enjoy this movie. It won’t make any top
ten lists, but then again it’s not trying to.
“The Muppets” receives a 3.5/5
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