Movie The Muppets (U)
Jenness Mitchell • Published 10 Feb 2012 08:00
0 Comments
Share this
Kermit and the gang return with their first theatrical release in over 12 years since Muppets from Space.
Whilst touring the rundown Muppet Theatre on holiday, super-fan Walter overhears Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plotting to tear down the studio to drill for oil. Along with human brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams), Muppet-born Walter convinces Kermit the Frog to track down and reunite with his old friends to throw a telethon and raise the $10m needed to save the building. With the likes of Animal, Fozzie Bear, Beaker and Rowlf the Dog on board, Kermit only needs a celebrity to host the evening and a performing star for the show to go on. Unfortunately, Miss Piggy is in no mood to help out. The now Paris Vogue plus-sized editor is doing well for herself and bears a heartbroken grudge against her former husband for their split. With time running out, Kermit begins to doubt the world is ready for the resurgence of The Muppets.
The Muppets is the highest grossest Muppet film to date with $125m recouped so far from a $45m budget. This Box Office success will likely spawn several sequels over the next few years, however I personally found it tedious.
Prior to the movie's release several spoof trailers appeared online, including The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo (TGWTDT), Breaking Prawn (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1), The Fuzzy Pack (The Hangover Part II) and Fuss in Boots (Puss in Boots). This clever marketing ploy got me into a cinema seat, but I won't be falling for that one again.
Lead human star Jason Segel co-wrote The Muppets with his Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller, whilst directorial reins were given to James Bobin (who along with Sacha Baron Cohen helped to create the characters Ali G, Borat and Bruno). I felt the trio played it safe and while the script was clean and family friendly much of the acting was too cheesy for my liking - possibly it was ironic and I missed the point. The 'breaking of the fourth wall', acknowledging and joking with the audience, became annoying. I didn't feel there was a continual need to dumb down and simplify an already easy-to-understand plot. A four-year-old would have understood it by the third time and a three-year-old by the eighth.
Segel's former castmates (Emily Blunt and Jack Black from Gulliver's Travels, Rashida Jones from I Love You, Man, and Neil Patrick Harris from How I Met Your Mother) made an appearance, as did Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl (Jack Black's best mate), John Krasinski (Emily Blunt's husband), Feist, Alan Arkin, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Jim Parsons, Sarah Silverman, Ken Jeong and Zach Galifianakis alongside many others. Apparently a scene was written for Sesame Street's Elmo, but was sadly rejected by representatives from Sesame Workshop.
Although I loved Amy Adams and Miss Piggy's disco anthem about being alone, I don't think Man or Muppet is deserving of an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. While fans will excitingly welcome the return of The Muppets, the film's no Disney classic.
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our What's On archives.
Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser Poll
What game do you think was crucial to the Wasps winning the title?
