The Muppets (2011)
"It's time to play the music... it's time to light the lights... it's time to meet the Muppets..."
Before we begin, I have to explain something. I am a HUGE Muppet fan. Jim Henson is my idol, the man was a creative genius, and anyone that says otherwise is an idiot. Watch The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, even Labyrinth, and tell me the man was not creative. He turned puppetry on it's head and made it something new- hell, watch interviews with Kermit the Frog and remind yourself he's just a puppet. It's hard to do, because the character and all the others have taken on lives of their own, and are so familiar to us that we simply accept them as they are. This isn't like Mickey Mouse, who exists as a cartoon mascot- Kermit and the gang move around, they interact with people, they are in essence, alive. So ya, big fan, own almost everything Muppet related I can find and while in Disney World went to see the Muppet 3-D show three times in one day.
But like many fans, I had been disappointed with recent output by the franchise. As many may not be aware, a few years ago The Henson family lost control of the company, and during that time The Sesame Street characters were sold. Likewise, there was very little in the way of Muppet exposure- no new television shows or movies. Luckily, the family got the company back, but not long after they finished a deal Jim had started prior to his untimely death- selling the core Muppet characters to Disney. At first this gave me hope, I figured Disney would be able to bring the characters back to their glory days.
That didn't happen. We got two made for television Christmas specials and a version of the Wizard of Oz, and while the latter Christmas special, Letters to Santa, was decent,as was Wizard of Oz, the first one, It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie.... Well the less said about that the better. Suffice to say, it was awful and while the other specials were alright, none of them had that magic- I started to lose hope.
And them came Jason Segal.
While I might not be Segal's biggest fan- that's not a slight against him, just can't think of much he's done I've been interested it, we can agree on one thing- being Muppet fans. Difference being he is famous and can use that fame, which he did. When it was announced Segal was pitching a concept for a new Muppet film I was torn- excited at the possibility that maybe this was the comeback I was dreaming of, and wary, due to recent output and fear of Disney overruling whatever Segal wrote- let's be honest, Disney are an evil corporation, and if you ever need proof that they can kill beloved characters, go read my Winnie the Pooh review.
Still, I was hopeful, and then the trailer came out.. A trailer I must've watched a dozen times in a row. A trailer that gave me even more hope that this was going to be the Muppet movie I'd been waiting for. The movie came out, positive reviews came in from everyone including fellow Muppet lovers, but I was still wary.
Today I had the chance to see if my hope was justified or not. This is 2011's The Muppets.
Plot
The film begins with Walter, a Muppet born into a human family- how I don't know and I don't want to know, it really doesn't matter right now, and his life. Walter and his brother Gary have been inseparable since they were kids, and the two bond over The Muppet Show, which Walter becomes a huge fan of, as he identifies with the Muppets. Over time however this starts to effect him, as we see during a nightmare he has. Still he is a huge fan, and is overjoyed when Gary, played by Jason Segal, reveals that he is bringing Walter along when he and his long time girlfriend Mary, played by Amy Adams, go to Los Angeles- home of the Muppet Theatre. An opening musical number ensues, the first of many, and Gary meets up with Mary as her students leave for spring break. Mary is a bit wary that Walter is joining them, as she feels that she and Gary don't get to spend much time together due to the brother's close relationship. Still the trio head off and once in L.A, head for the Theatre for a tour. They find the place in shambles, and during the tour Walter sneaks off into Kermit the Frog's old office. He hides as a group enter, consisting of Muppet's Staler, Waldorf, Uncle Deadly and Bobo the Bear, along with oil tycoon Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper. Statler and Waldorf show Richman the rich and famous contract Kermit signed years ago, that states that the ownership of the Theatre and Studio will soon expire thus leaving it open for Richman to purchase. Waldorf reveals that the Muppets can retain the rights if they can raise ten million dollars prior to the expiration of the contract- an important plot point as Statler points out. The elderly duo leave and Walter overhears Richman explain the reason he wants to buy the old theatre- there is oil underneath and he wants it. Walter finds Gary and Mary and explains the situation, and the three set off to find Kermit, thinking he'll know what to do. They find the legendary frog, who seems a lot more despondent then he used to be. We find out in song that the old gang split up, and while he agrees a show could save the theatre, he doesn't think it can be done. Walter raises his spirts and the group set off to reunite the Muppets and save the theatre. I could continue but to say anymore would take away from some of the best parts of the movie, so let's just leave it at that.
Thoughts
Remember what I was saying about finding out if my hope was justified? I think I got my answer ten or so minutes into the movie. The set up, the style, the script, the songs, everything feels right. This is the Muppet movie I'd been waiting for, and deserves it's place with the rest of the classics in the franchise. You can tell that Segal was a fan because his script is riddled with references to previous Muppet films, both visually and in the dialogue. These are things only a fan of the movies would catch on to, but it works, and also helps to keep the continuity- Gonzo's status as an alien, as revealed in Muppets From Space, is mentioned early on, as is Piggy's attempt to marry Kermit at the end of The Muppets Take Manhattan. Hell, the rich and famous contract is what the gang sign at the end of the Muppet Movie after reaching Hollywood- it's all there, little things yes but things that make the movie work.
The story is one that has been done before, but that is not always a bad thing. The whole getting the band back together for a good cause works, heck, it's the plot of The Blues Brothers, one of my favorite movies of all time! The ideas of finding where you belong and learning what is really important in life are also Hollywood cliches but The Muppets make them work- you believe what you are seeing and the lessons they are learning because They are The Muppets and you want to see them succeed. Of course you know they will, although, the movie actually messes with you at the end, or at least it did with me, as you do believe that the gang might not win this one.
The cast are good- Cooper plays the atypical evil businessman to a tee, and although his rap leaves something to be desired it fits. Segal and Adams are lovable as the human leads and while they have their own story it never overshadows the main narrative- this is a Muppet movie, not a romantic comedy featuring the Muppets, which it easily could have been. The old gang are front and centre for much of the film and that's how it should be. What really makes that work is it's not all fun and games- while the reason for the gang splitting up is never given we know it wasn't a happy break up- there's tension when Kermit and Fozzy meet up again, and some great back and forth between Kermit and Piggy that plays off their past together and the obvious feelings they still have for one another. Another great thing is the use of lesser known Muppets, such as Uncle Deadly- trust me, you really need to be a fan to know him as he only appeared in a few episodes of the Muppet Show- but he gets to shine in this movie. Of course not everyone gets something to do- Rizzo the Rat has no lines despite being prevalent in the latter Muppet films, and Pepe the Prawn has only one scene. However this actually works in my opinion as this film is a return to form- it has more in common with the original Muppet movies then the later ones, hence Kermit, Piggy, and Fozzy are more in the forefront then Gonzo, Rizzo or Pepe. Then there's Walter, the new Muppet made for the film and our hero- he is the wide eyed fan with a good heart trying to find his place in the world and help his idol's reclaim their spotlight- he easily could have been a disposable character but he isn't, and in fact feels like a character whose always been there- he looks right standing there with Kermit and the gang, and hopefully he will appear in whatever the Muppets do next as he has earned his place with them.
Then there are the songs. The opening and closing musical numbers, Life's a Happy Song, fits right in, and while it is not in the same league as Rainbow Connection and Hey a Movie from The Muppet Movie and Great Muppet Caper, it's still a great way to start and end the film on high notes. Cooper's villain rap, Let's Talk About Me is silly but works because the character really is over the top,so it's fitting his musical number is as well. The covers done during the Muppet Telethon are hit and miss, with the chicken version of Cee Lo Green's Fuck You and the montage to We Built this City being the hits and the barbershop version of Smells Like Teen Spirit the miss- but they tried, and Jack Black points out how bad the song is as its being done. Walter and Gary's song Man or Muppet is decent but serves more as a plot point then a song, although I give it credit for at least being entertaining- something else the songs in Winnie the Pooh weren't. Mary and Piggy's pseudo duet of Me Party is ok, but has my vote for worst song in the movie simply because it seems shallow and sadly, Piggy's part works much better then Mary's. The whole group version of the classic Rainbow Connection is sweet and really brings you back to the old days- they could have changed it, made it more 'modern' as movies do sometimes but they didn't, they kept it classic and that is for the best. Speaking of, for my money, the best song has to Kermit's bittersweet song of nostalgia Pictures In My Head. The song is heartbreaking and you really feel for Kermit, who regrets letting his friends slip away and wants the good old days back, although he doubts it is possible. The visuals that go along with it add to it, as Kermit walks down a hallway in his house, looking at pictures of Fozzy, Gonzo, The Swedish Chef and the Electric Mayhem and remembering how things used to be, with the pictures joining in. But what nails it on the head is the last picture, which we only see uncovered for a brief moment- a picture of Miss Piggy. This is the first time we realize how much things have changed and we want Kermit to frog up and do what has to be done.
I want to be able to say something negative about the movie, just so I don't seem too biased but the fact of the matter is I really can't. Whatever faults the movie has are not overtly apparent and don't take away from the film as a whole. The script and story may be cliched but they are enjoyable and you can tell were written by someone who knows and loves the characters. The cast are great and it's awesome to see the old gang again doing what they do best. The songs are majority positive, and the few that aren't still have a place in the film even if I personally didn't care for them. So really, I can't knock this film.
Conclusion
Kind of strange, two movies released in the same year by Disney concerning characters I love and grew up with, both watched and reviewed by me with such complete different reviews. The Muppets got right what Winnie the Pooh got wrong in my opinion- the film kept to the spirit of the characters without sacrificing anything along the way. While Winnie the Pooh seemed like a mean movie by the end The Muppets was well balanced with equal amounts joy and tears. You cared about the characters and the story, and the songs and cast helped that. As a Muppet fan I can proudly say this movie lived up to the hype and the hope I'd given it, and I can only hope that this is the kick in the ass the franchise needs to get back on it's feet. Normally I'm adamantly against sequels but in this case I'll allow it, especially if they let Segal write it, as he really seemed to know what the Muppets needed. All in all, if you are a fan, see it. If you are not a fan, see it. Everyone should watch this movie and get a taste of the magic that The Muppet's possess. Jim would be proud.
5 Karate Chopping Pigs out of 5
That's all out of me, until next time I'm the Drew and I Be Awesome.
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