The Muppets (2011) starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Peter Linz directed by James Bobin Movie Review

The Muppets (2011)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Amy Adams and Jason Segel in The Muppets (2011)

Muppet Nostalgia

Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter have been together since they were children and whilst they have grown up with Gary dating Mary (Amy Adams) for the past 10 years they are inseparable. So with Mary they are heading to Los Angeles where Walter can't wait to visit the Muppet studios as he has been there biggest fan for years. What they discover is that Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) wants to tear down the Muppet Theatre so he can drill for oil and there only hope of saving the Theatre is if the Muppets put on one more show. The trouble is that the Muppets have gone their separate ways with Kermit living a lonely life in a Hollywood mansion, Fozzie playing in a tribute band, Miss Piggy is an editor of Vogue in Europe and Animal is having anger management therapy so to get them all together will be hard work.

It's happened again and I have watched a movie and I don't know how I feel about it with plenty which made me smile but plenty which bored me. The movie in question is "The Muppets" because there are times when I found myself bored by it all. Now usually I would say well it is made for children so what do I expect but in truth "The Muppets" with its heritage is as much for grown ups as it is for their children. To give you an example there is the whole peaches and cream innocence of Gary and Mary which is basically spoofing the movies from the 60s and 70s where the lets put the gang back together to save the club house was popular but after the first few jokes it becomes repetitive and boring. The same with the self awareness such as when Mary says this will be a really short movie, it is kind of tedious.

The Muppets (2011)

But as I said "The Muppets" entertained me as well as bored me and one of the biggest things it has going for it is timing. I don't mean comic timing but the fact this was the first Muppet movie in over a decade and as such when we get to see each of the old characters again from Kermit down to Staltler and Waldorf it is like catching up with old friends again. The fact that each of the characters has moved on and has their own lives also adds to the amusement as do the recreating of the old gags such as the use of the hook to pull them off of the screen.

It makes "The Muppets" a mixed bag and almost a case that every joke is amusing the first couple of times but then grows tired even when it is switched to another character. It is the same with the actual actors as whilst Jason Segel and Amy Adams are entertaining to start with the longer the movie goes on the less entertaining they become. Thankfully "The Muppets" has a whole list of cameos with some actors making complete fools of themselves.

What this all boils down to is that "The Muppets" is entertaining and a must watch for all Muppet fans but it is also a case that for every joke and scene which works there are those which don't.


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