Although I grew up in the generation raised on The Muppets, they somehow failed to grab my attention at a young age. The animated series Muppet Babies was the most exposure I had to the characters. I’d liked the characters, but after seeing the new Muppets movie, I’m a big time fan.
The Muppets brings the characters back to their classic state in a witty way. The central characters are brothers Gary and Walter. Somehow, human Gary (Jason Segel) has a Muppet brother, Walter. Being a Muppet, Walter doens’t quite fit in anywhere, but when he sees The Muppets’ variety show on television, he finally discovers his place in life and know exactly where he will fit in.
When Gary decides to take his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to Los Angeles for their tenth anniversary, they bring Walter along to give him the opportunity to tour Muppet Studios – but when they get there they realize that it’s nothing more than a run-down ghost town shell of what it used to be. Just like their existence in our world, people have forgotten about The Muppets. Their studio has gone belly-up and the once beloved Muppets are now estranged.
While touring Muppet Studios, Walter overhears a Texas oil tycoon (Chris Cooper) explaining his evil plot to tear down the studio when The Muppets lose their property in one week. Not wanting to see his dreams go down the drain, with the help of Gary and Mary, Walter sets off to reunite The Muppets and organize a telethon that will earn them enough cash to buy the studio back before demolition.
The Muppets is filled with tons of old, classic Muppets moments, as well as plenty of fresh, creative and funny new ones. It’s got Kermit and Co. performing the song “Rainbow Connection,” as well as new songs written by Flight of the Conchords member Bret McKenzie. It’s a great hybrid that will surely entertain the old fans while making new ones at the same time.
The smart consistently hilarious dialog will keep the adults entertained while the physical humor and silly nature of The Muppets will keep the kids attention, making it the perfect flick to take the family to on this holiday week.
Photo credit: Buena Vista
