Clearly aimed at a younger audience but with allowances for the possibility that adults would drift into the theater to reminisce over their childhoods, the newest Muppet Movie is like a pizza supreme that is covered in so many toppings that everyone can find something they like. The jokes are served to the audience in a near-contiuous stream, some subtle and others clearly slapstick.
More entertaining than J. Edgar and less juvenile than Arthur Christmas, this movie, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stroller and directed by James Bobin, features such an abundance of cameos, from Selena Gomez to Mickey Rooney, that both the nine-year-old girl and her forty-year-old father (who “reluctantly” agreed to go along) are certain to recognize at least one or two familiar faces. Over the course of the movie, the viewer can appreciate the return of old, timeless characters like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy and develop relationships with the newest addition to the Muppets’ clan, Walter, who adorably spends most of the movie staring at Kermit completely awe-struck with his hero so close.
When we first see Gary and Walter (brothers for as far as they can remember), they are happily singing a trite, cloyingly sweet, and absolutely wonderful song about how perfect everything is for them. This epitomizes the remainder of the movie. Interestingly, nobody questions how a human and a Muppet can be brothers. When Walter, Gary, and Gary’s long-time girlfriend Mary go to Los Angeles, they find a new mission: to save the Muppet studio from falling into the hands of an evil oil tycoon. To do this, outrageous hijinks ensue as the characters embark on a search to reunite all of the original Muppets and put on a telethon that will raise enough money (ten million dollars) to buy the studio.
As the plot unfolds, we learn that Mary has some consternation over the glacial pace Gary and her relationship is taking as they are approaching their ten-year anniversary, and they are celebrating with a trip to Los Angeles. Gary insists that Walter tag along, and he does, much to Mary’s chagrin.
When the trio arrives at the Muppet studio, Walter strays from the guided tour and enters Kermit’s private office. (Caution, Spoiler alert!!) The evil oil tycoon and his two loyal Muppet minions enter and Walter takes cover under a table, where he overhears their plans to tear down the studio and drill for oil after they buy the location. In a pivotal point in the movie, one of the evil Muppets says something to the effect of, “And they won’t be able to save it unless they can raise ten million dollars by the end of the week.” The other minion points out the emphasis with which the comment was said and suggests that it may be a major plot point, thus breaking the “fourth wall.” While this is a clever way of introducing the inevitable loophole that will allow our puppet heroes to triumph, it also lets the characters make fun of themselves.
I can only imagine the difficulty and convenience of playing the major role in a film that you have also written. Segel handles the responsibility very well, easily falling into his role as socially-awkward Gary, making it easy to believe that he is not simply embodying the character, but also creating it.
Cameos, cameos, cameos. What better to attract a large audience than every famous person you could possibly think of in one minute appearing in the movie? Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Mickey Rooney, Rico Rodriguez, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Whitney Cummings, Sarah Silverman, and Jim Parsons are only a few of the celebrity faces that fill the movie. Where in movies like New Years and Valentine’s Day feature this multitude of celebrities in a tacky, desperate attempt to make money, the Muppets have always been magnets for special guest stars from every facet of the entertainment spectrum.
Throughout the movie, everyone maintains that incredible balance between realistic acting and self-deprication. True to form, all of the characters maintain stoic expressions, even while delivering the most gleefully ironic of lines. This new installment sticks close to the Muppet Movie of 1979.
As relationships develop and falter, one constant is the singing. I mean, is he a man, or is he a muppet? And I’ve always wanted to know why they make so many songs about rainbows. But despite both the quality and quantity of the songs, I can’t help but wonder the intention in the creation of this movie. Few new original songs speak to the purpose of the movie as more of a remembrance of the Muppets’ hay day than a real revival of the characters.
The movie is summed up at the very start by Statler and Waldorf, the two old codgers whose only purpose is to heckle. “Is this movie in 3D?” asks Statler. “Nope!” replies Waldorf, “the muppets are as one-dimensional as they’ve always been!”
Indeed they are, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Muppets is rated PG (parental guidance suggested).
