On Thursday night, I caught an advance screening of “The Muppets,” the Stallone-esque title of the new movie starring The Muppets and their endlessly-growing list of celebrity friends.
I anticipated this film for a long time. I am a Muppets fan almost my life, and yet I have never seen the movies in the theater. (although I have watched the classic films many times, loving each one more each time I watch it). I also really enjoy Flight of the Conchords and Jason Segel’s works. I tried to be cautious with my hopes, but all the new information made me more and more excited to move until I had built up in my head that not only the greatest movie ever made, but also a cure for twelve known diseases and six unknown ones.”
So I went into this movie trying to suppress my excitement, but not in such a way that I had a bad attitude that would spoil the perception of the movie, so I wanted to leave with only hope that I noticed the goodness of the movie, but not so much that I ignored the room for improvement. And I wanted to have fun.
A stressful man is watching.
In term? He was from the house. By no means perfect, but easily the best Muppets flick since “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” which still stands as the best of the post-Henson era.
The film’s biggest flaws have to do with the plot. With almost every classic Muppet appearing (even Uncle Deadly, even Nigel the conductor, even Marvin Suggs, WAYNE AND FREAKING WANDA), plus the four main human characters, the character-new Muppet, the famous famous cameos, there. there are a lot of people to split screentime. Much like Segel and Stoller’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” some subplots don’t develop as much as they should, while others spend too much time on them. (One celebrity self-fancier is particularly heavily involved in one of the squads, and while I don’t mind his role, I’m sure a party of people won’t be shocked.) I almost found myself wanting to. The movie was longer, just to give everyone the time they deserved.
But, regardless of subplots or extravaganzas, there’s still plenty of time for musical numbers, just like in any good Muppet movie. (Take that, “A Stretch”!) “Happy Song of Life,” which has been constantly stuck in my head since it first leaked on the Internet not long ago, is a delightful open number that somehow manages to sound plain. like a Muppet song, and yet it’s still reminiscent of Bret McKenzie’s Flight of the Conchords senses. “Pictures in My Head” is a real tearjerker, and “The Man or the Muppet” manages to be both emotional and hilarious at the same time. There are many other musical moments, including various pop songs and classic Muppet music (and yes, I got chills with the “Muppet Show” theme performed on the big screen), but the funniest musical moment in the film is Fozzie’s act with the Moopets in Reno. It will make any Muppet fan simultaneously laugh, cringe, and want to hug the poor guy.
Segel and Amy Adams are good as Gary and Mary, the cutest couple in Smalltown, USA (you can tell it’s a charming small town. since it was shot on the same backlot as “Gilmore Girls” Star Hollow). They are full of unintelligible flattery, “What do you expect of your Mothers” and “Cantatas” from them, although Adams is not really credited with much in particular. – their entire relationship subplot is featured in just a few short sequences (which may still be a bit much for some anti-Human character purists), and is mostly used as a parallel and motivator for the real-life romantic relationship of the movie, Kermit and Miss Piglet.
I suspect that the human characters are both flattered and more cartoonish than in the case of the Muppets. Knee-jerk indifference to morning advertising by paranoid purists, this is a Muppets movie, and any people who are mere props are just there to set up whatever the Muppets are going to do next.
Speaking of which, that’s one of the two places post-Henson’s Muppet projects have always fallen flat. Like Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog is often criticized for his cuteness, witty extremes, and his stubbornness and stubbornness. the tendency to stress is often neglected. Fortunately, Segel and Stoller know these characters. A lot of time has passed in the universe for the Muppets, with many changes to the group, but they are still true to the classics, they just haven’t been around for a long time. Even Walter, who is not a very remarkable character by Muppet standards, has a very relatable internal struggle. Actually, his arc is pretty complete by the end of the movie and it’s hard to say if there’s any potential for Walter’s future appearance, but for the sake of the movie, he was added here anyway.
Another area where the Muppet projects fell flat without Henson is innovation. Jim Henson is always looking for new things. After his death, however, there was much less creativity in Muppet projects. I don’t mean in stories or jokes, but in production and craftsmanship. And sadly, this movie doesn’t do much for what it revolves around. In the first three films, just the act of riding a bicycle would be enough to make me scream, “How did they do that?” There are almost no scenes here that prompt that reaction. (In addition, it means that I am not thinking about the production of the film).
In a way, this film embraces the opposite of innovation, almost entirely in nostalgia. There are several direct references to the original three Muppet theatrical flicks. Clips from classic Muppet Show episodes were used, including excerpts from the audio introductions to “Veterinary Hospital” and “Space Pigs” sketches. Kermit’s role is filled with pictures of his classic Muppet monster guest stars (and one picture in the center of it with Jim Henson, the sight of which alone almost brought me to tears, just like the sign outside Henson’s theater). The end credits sequence is exactly what you (probably) think it is, and it brings everything full circle to the first episode of the show.
But while the film is a little heavy on the “I-remember-if-this”, it still leaves room for “well-now-this-this”. We’ll have to see what The Muppet Show would look like if it were still around today–no different than it did in 1976, albeit with younger guest stars and a few running songs. The Muppets, very peculiarly mixed, innocent kindness with a slightly subversive but not quite canine edge, sometimes leaning surprisingly far in, as in the Henson Wilkins Coffee commercials, but too often to irrigate. low, fake, “safe” flattery in the post-Henson era. But with this movie, the Muppets have their edge back, without ever losing their heart.
And that brings us back to the film’s central question: do the Muppets still fit into the pop culture landscape? Is there still a place for them in the distant world of showbiz? I think the question answered by all ages, from grandparents to teenagers to toddlers, who sat with me in that theater, was more excited than you can imagine to spend an hour and a half with Kermit and the gang.
This movie is about the Muppets. Also about the movie what it means to be a Muppet fan. Heck, a movie about what it means to be a fan of something. It’s to find a place where it fits in. It’s almost like making up for the past. It’s swallowing your pride when it happens to those you love. About growing up and focusing on your own life, but also about keeping your innocence in a slightly-too-dogged world. It is about warmth, laughter, tears, hope. It’s not always the best Muppet game. But as I look back on the film, even my criticisms bug me less as I remember that the film gave me all the joy. The scenes and gags that don’t work will be easy to watch on DVD, and the jokes that work still make me giggle thinking about them. The songs are still singing, the moving parts still breathe me.
And that just after one sight. I can’t even imagine what it feels like after several thousand subsequent views.
