Review: The Muppets (2011)
Blockbuster films are cashing in on nostalgia an awful lot these days. On one hand, you have the likes of the Transformers films, and other brand name properties from the 80s and 90s, which cash in on people’s nostalgia for the cartoons and toys. Then there’s a film like Super 8, a love letter to the Spielberg blockbuster classics of the 80s, while also attempting to be it’s own film about the joys of filmmaking. But almost none of these films understand the point of nostalgia. It’s not about “Do you remember this fad? Do you like those films as much as we do?” It’s about showing the audience why they fell in love with those things in the first place, and introducing them to the modern age.
The Muppets is a film that completely understands this and fulfills that promise of showing the audience why they loved these characters. The film follows Walter, a muppet who appears to have been raised as a human alongside his brother Gary, played by Jason Segel. Walter is the biggest fan of the Muppets ever, and has always felt more at home when watching them. With Gary’s girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) they embark on a roadtrip to Los Angeles to visit the old Muppet Studio, only to find it will soon be torn down to drill for oil by land baron Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). They meet up with Kermit the Frig, and hatch a plan to air one last show, a telethon, to raise the money needed to buy back the studio in time.
What follows is a hilarious and touching last hurrah for characters we’ve come to know and love over the 56 years they have been around. We’re treated to catchy and well-written musical numbers, and the Muppets are shown to be just as funny and relevant as ever. They poke fun at Hollywood, television, and other storytelling tropes, and have a laugh at their own expense. The film was a dream project for Jason Segel and his Forgetting Sarah Marshall collaborator Nicholas Stoller, and it shows. There is so much joyous passion for these characters on screen that the film puts a smile on your face from start to finish. Equally impressive is how Jason Segel never makes the film a vehicle for himself or any other human actor on screen. This is a film about the Muppets, and he’ll be damned if he’s going to steal their spotlight.
The film isn’t perfect. It lacks a real visual directorial punch that many of the previous Muppets films had. In many scenes where there should have been wider establishing shots, the film often feels claustrophobic and visually cramped, making the scale of the film seem very small. In addition, while the film has some great songs like any other Muppet musical, many of the songs lack a certain weight. They’re just as catchy and fun as ever, but there’s nothing as emotionally weighty or impactful on the narrative as many of the songs in The Muppet Christmas Carol. But rest assured, Kermit does get to sing a couple of songs that will tug on the heartstrings of anyone who grew up with the Muppets.
Minor flaws aside, The Muppets is such a fantastic tribute to characters who have remained cultural icons for generations, and the screenwriting takes center stage in a hysterical and heartfelt film that ranks amongst the best family films in years. The film will have you rolling in the aisles with laughter and without spoiling anything, Chris Cooper in particular will leave you wondering why this guy doesn’t do more comedies.
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Review: The Muppets (2011)
Review: The Muppets (2011)
