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Due to the heavy marketing it’s impossible not be aware of a new Muppet movie being released just recently. Forgetting about the straight to video releases emphasis was put on the fact that it has been 12 years since the last theatrical Muppet movie. This movie keeps in tone with that fact and tells a story about Muppets who have been moved from spotlight a long time ago and are pretty much forgotten. This is also the first movie that builds upon the television show from the 70s and 80s rather than being a standalone story or a Muppet version of a famous book or movie.
It’s been years since the last episode aired and since then not much was heard from the Muppets. Kermit is rich and lives in a big mansion, Miss Piggy is the editor of Vogue France, Scooter works for Google and Fozzy, in a nod to all those once famous musicians who end up singing their old hits at small bars, ends up as a washed up comic. Kermit wants to bring the gang back together when learns that oil tycoon Tex Richman wants to buy the old Muppet Studio, tear it down and drill for oil there. This was brought to his attention by the central characters of this movie: Gary (Jason Segel), Mary (Amy Adams) and Walter who is a muppet and Gary’s little brother who have their own little problems; Mary wants to marry Gary, but Gary is still too attached to his brother Walter who himself is looking for a place in the world where he would fit in perfectly.
The Muppets is a welcome return for the legendary Muppet characters most of us grew up with. It’s a nice story and original in a way that it for once acknowledges the TV show, something that hasn’t been done before as far as I know. Other movies sort of lived in a standalone universe. There is nostalgic feeling about the movie the way it has been executed, beginning with the hometown of Gary, Mary and Walter called “Smalltown”. A town that seems to be stuck in the 50s and where the entire village population joins in a sing and dance routine by Gary. Which brings me to my main problem I have with The Muppets: it sometimes is too much of a musical to my taste. Some of the numbers are fun and catchy, but others do feel outdated though I must admit that in the opening sequence the whole musical aspect was annoying to me, but that gradually disappeared during the movie and at the end I was singing Mah Nà Mah Nà.
The Muppets is a fun 100 minutes of entertainment. It’s a good “reboot” but not a true masterpiece. But then again Muppets aren’t known for creating masterpieces, their creation is a masterpiece.
