After more than a decade, the Muppets are back on the big screen in their new movie, “The Muppets” and I’m glad to see them back.
Fans of the series and newcomers alike will love this new movie. The plot involves new Muppet character Walter, his brother Gary (Jason Segal) and Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) taking a trip to Hollywood where they discover that oil baron Tex Richman (Gary Cooper) is plotting to buy and destroy the Muppet theater to get to the oil lying underneath it.
Walter and Gary, both long-time Muppet fans, set out to stop him by gathering the now split-up Muppets to put on a massive telethon to raise the money and buy back the theater.
Before “The Muppets” came out, a lot of people (myself included) dismissed it as another nostalgia movie like “The Smurfs,” seeking to use our emotions to get us to see a quick cash-grab films with forced humor. But “The Muppets” is different.
From beginning to end, the movie is a barrage of self-referential humor. Goofy but charming jokes, fourth wall breaking gags and hilarious celebrity cameo’s including Jack Black at his comedic best.
Honestly, the movie just made me happy; it gave me an ear to ear grin that didn’t go away until the next day. I didn’t know how much I missed the Muppets until I saw this movie.
“The Muppets” is a labor of love from everyone involved – especially for Segal who wrote and produced the film. Everyone was having fun in the production and it shows in the quality.
At the end of the day “The Muppets” is a funny and charming movie reminding us why we always loved these characters and at the same time introducing them to a whole new generation. Now if only we could get them back on TV.