The Muppets

"I always dreamed we'd be back here."
"Dreams? Those were nightmares!"

Walter, a Muppet, has been the Muppets biggest fan since childhood.  The Muppets gave him hope, and .  He travels to Los Angeles with his brother Gary (Segel) and Gary's girlfriend Mary (Adams) to see the Muppet Studio, but is devastated to find it in ruins.  While wandering through the office, Walter overhears a plot to demolish the Muppet Theater to drill for oil, by oil tycoon Tex Richman (Cooper).  But there is a loophole, if the Muppets can raise $10 million, they can save the theater.

However, the Muppets have not performed together or seen each other for years.  They find Kermit the Frog, living alone in a mansion... surrounded by memories.  He agrees to help find his friends, and with 80's Robot behind the wheel, they begin the search.

After finding their friend, the Muppets are repeatedly turned down by TV studios, since they are no longer famous.  CDE executive Veronica (Jones) agrees to air the Muppet telethon, after another show is cancelled, if they can find a celebrity host.  So Kermit digs into his rolodex to find a host, while his friends get the theater ready.

Meanwhile, Richman and associates, Uncle Deadly and Bobo the Bear, learn of the proposed telethon and begin their plan (including maniacal laughter) to stop the Muppets.  Can the Muppets find a host and put on a show



It has been over a decade since the last time the Muppets hit the big screen (Muppets from Space).  The quality of Muppet features have declined and left fans wondering if the Muppets would ever return to their former glory.  Thankfully the film was written by Muppet fans (co-written by Jason Segel), who manage to honor the Muppet legacy while breathing new life into the characters.  Segel proved his skill with puppets in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, when his character wrote and performed a puppet musical about Dracula (which was one of the best sequences in the film).

This film also marked the first time Frank Oz, one of the Muppet creators, did not perform his characters.  You can hear it in Fozzie Bear (and is slightly distracting at first), but the voice difference is subtle or completely undetectable in his other characters (i.e. Miss Piggy).  The only original Muppet puppeteer to participate in this film is Dave Goelz.  Steve Whitmire and Bill Barretta have performed in other Muppet movies (and other Henson Production shows, like Fraggle Rock and Sesame Street).

It is a family friendly film, that doesn’t resort to cheap laughs (except for the fart shoes, but they only appear briefly and don't deter from the film).  It doesn’t talk down to the audience, but still provides laughs for all ages.  The characters often break the 4th wall and talk directly to the audience or commenting about the film,

“Wow, that was such an expensive looking explosion! I can't believe we had that in the budget.”

The songs are catchy, and written by Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie, check out “Life’s a Happy Song.”  They also included new variations of songs from the original movie: “The Rainbow Connection” and “Mahna Mahna.”

The film also featured many Muppets that have not appeared for years.  This marks the first time since Jim Henson's death that Rowlf spoke (they felt this character was the closest to Henson's personality, and retired him).  They also brought back many obscure Muppets who only appeared in the TV show, and gave Uncle Deadly a plum part.  And they pay homage to previous Muppet films: Bobo the Bear (who was the funniest character in Muppets from Space) once again chooses the wrong side, Sweetums has to chase after the car (like The Muppet Movie), etc.

The film features funny celebrity cameos, most appear in the various trailers for the film (but there are still a few surprises I won't spoil for you).  All of the celebs join the Muppets to perform a special song over the end credits.  An excellent addition to the Muppet cannon.

The Muppets (2011) 98 minutes
Director: James Bobin
Starring: Jason Segel as Gary
Amy Adams as Mary
Chris Cooper as Tex Richman
Rashida Jones as Veronica Martin
Steve Whitmire as Kermit, Beaker, Statler, and others
Eric Jacobson as Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Animal, and others
Dave Goelz as Gonzo, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and others
Bill Barretta as Swedish Chef, Rowlf, and others
David Rudman as Scooter, and others
Matt Vogel as Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Camilla, Sweetums, and others
Peter Linz as Walter