The Muppets: I’m a Muppets fan from way back and a HUGE fan of the original movie (which I would still argue isn’t a kid’s movie at all), but I had some trepidation watching this latest film, mostly because I haven’t seen a good Muppets film in years. Jason Segal of “How I Met Your Mother” fame wrote this one, and it harkens back to old school Muppet silliness, complete with dancing, singing, witty banter, and bad jokes. Segal also stars in the lead as Gary, with Amy Adams as his girlfriend Mary. Gary, Mary, and Walter, Gary’s puppet brother, take a trip to Los Angeles to see the sights and sounds, including Muppet Studios. But upon arrival, they find it closed, dilapidated, and slated from demolition by an evil oil man (played by a very hammy Chris Cooper, who even gets to rap a song). So it’s up to Walter, Gary, and Mary to get the Muppets back together to raise $10 million to save their studio (and they throw a celebrity telethon to do it). Disarming, cute, with film in-references, some good songs (Bret McKenzie of “Flight of the Conchords” was the music supervisor; director James Bobin is another FotC alum), various celebrity cameos (though not nearly as many as in the original), and a big heart beating away in the face of the fairly rampant cynicism of today’s society, this is a strong entry into the franchise and a big, sloppy love letter to the TV show (there are references to several notable skits from the old TV show, including “Mana Mana”). However, I don’t think it’s as good as the first “Muppet Movie” for sheer laughs. The only thing I really missed were some of the old voices - Frank Oz, who was Ms. Piggy and Fozzie, is nowhere to be found (there are only 2 or 3 of the old guard left here). Still a good movie worth seeing. Woodchuck sez, “Check it out.”
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