The Muppets (2011)

From the second The Muppets begins, there is never any doubt that this film was made by some of the biggest Muppet fans in the world. The early scenes follow the two central brothers as they spend their entire childhoods glued to the television, watching every episode of The Muppet Show that they can get their hands on. You get the feeling that these moments mirror the experiences of screenwriters Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, as the screenplay feels like it was written by a couple of guys who have seen The Muppet Movie a few too many times for their own good. They have the formula down pat: introduce goal for the Muppets to reach, get the Muppets together so they can reach said goal, and along the way throw in some catchy musical numbers, celebrity cameos, and several moments of self-aware humor. It hits every pre-determined beat with very few surprises, but it helps that this is a proven formula that has worked time and time again. The Muppets, all in all, is much like every other film that has been released under the Muppet name. Its storytelling is flawed and it’s sometimes too cute for its own good, but it’s also one heck of a good time at the movies.

Segel also stars in the film as Gary, who has had a very close relationship with his brother Walter (a Muppet, don’t ask how) ever since they were children. To this day, they even sleep in the same room. When Gary goes on a trip to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), he invites Walter along so he may visit the Muppet studios himself. When they get there, they discover that not only are the studios in disarray, but an oil tycoon (Chris Cooper) plans to seize the property and start, you guessed it, drilling for oil. Now it’s up to Walter, Gary and Mary to round the Muppets up for one last telethon so they can get the money they need and get the studios back for themselves. Of course, as is the case with every Muppet film, it’s not the destination that matters so much as the journey, and The Muppets has many joyful moments indeed.

There’s no arguing that older fans of the eponymous critters may enjoy The Muppets more than today’s young’uns, what with their Transmographers movies and iPhones and whatnot. The film is unabashedly a tribute to the glory days of Jim Henson, and it includes several references to the events of The Muppet Movie, and its entire plot is based around The Muppet Show, a program which stopped airing in 1981. It’s likely that today’s kids have heard of the Muppets, but it’s probably mostly through their more kid-friendly television specials and any online videos. If kids today like the Muppets themselves, it’s likely not because of “Rainbow Connection” or “Mah Na Mah Na.” (The only reason that wasn’t the case with me as a child was because I was introduced to the Henson-era Muppet films at a very early age. I was one of the lucky few.) If you say the word “Muppet” to a kid, they probably don’t particularly care about anything that came before Muppet Treasure Island. It’s entirely possible that much of the nostalgia here will be lost on them.

Little of that should factor in to the final judgment of The Muppets as its own movie, and when all is said and done it succeeds at being two hours of unadulterated joy. There are songs in this movie that have yet to leave my head; in particular, if “Life’s a Happy Song” doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Original Song, there is no justice and no peace. Just the color scheme in this film is enough to seduce the eyes, and in general the universe of The Muppets is one that I desperately want to live in as soon as possible. I like to think that in this film, there was no 9/11, there is no war in the Middle East, and the biggest problem in the world is the greediness of Chris Cooper and his terrible rap skills. The film itself even addresses how the Muppets themselves are products of a simpler, happier time, but it also makes the argument that a non-cynical world of impromptu dance numbers and happy puppet shows is one that we can return to if we try hard enough. Jim Henson may be gone, but The Muppets recaptures the spirit that made his creations so wonderful.

Of course there are problems with this movie. On a narrative level, there are tons. The most drastic error comes during the end credits, when an entire conflict is resolved in a bit of writing that is waaaaaay too convenient. Muppet films have a history of making things too easy, but this didn’t necessarily come off as stupid in an endearing way. It just came off as stupid. Besides this brief gaffe, just about everything else The Muppets throws our way works with flying colors. It’s funny when it wants to be funny and it’s moving when it wants to be moving, and it always finds a way to keep an idiotic smile planted on your face. The Muppets have been around for a long, long time, and just when it seemed like they were going to fade away into the background, Jason Segel and company came swooping in to remind everybody that so long as somebody cares, the Muppets are something that can live forever. Here’s hoping.

Grade: B+