THE MUPPETS
US, 2011, 103 minutes, Colour.
Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Jack Black, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Bill Cobbs, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Sarah Silverman, Whoopi Goldberg, Emily Blunt, Selina Gomez, David Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, Judd Hirsch, John Krasinski, Mickey Rooney.
Voices of: Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Peter Linz.
Directed by James Bobin.
Usually it is the children who are taken to see a show that is considered suitable for them. With The Muppets, it is the film that children could take their parents (and their grandparents) to see. This is especially true if those adults who are not getting any younger have fond memories of Sesame Street, The Muppet Show and the later Muppet Movies. If they are anything like this reviewer for whom The Muppet Show was a delight, even back in the late 1970s, then this is the movie outing for them.
In 1981 with The Muppets Movie, the song sung by Kermit, The Rainbow Connection, seemed more than a touch corny and sentimental. By 2011, it seems positively nostalgic.
It is hard to know what the younger generation will make of the film. One eight year old girl told her mother the only person she recognised was Selena Gomez (which some parents and grandparents may well respond, ‘Who?’). A chance for them to be introduced to the Muppets.
The basic idea is a nice one. Two brothers have been fond of the Muppets on television for years, all the time they were growing up and now into adulthood. We suspend disbelief when we see that one brother, Gary, is tall and human (Jason Segel who co-wrote the screenplay) and the other is short and a Muppet, Walter. When Gary and his fiancée, Mary (Amy Addams) visit LA, they take Walter who discovers that the Muppets studio and theatre are run-down and about to be taken over by an oil tycoon (Chris Cooper as the aptly named Tex Richman). They find Kermit and help him round up the other Muppets, including Miss Piggy who works for Vogue in Paris. And they go back to that old, old story, the putting on of a show.
Needless to say, it is good to see them all back again – some of them could have more screen time. But, the old Muppet Show introduction is there, Statler and Waldorf commenting again. They find Animal doing an anger management course where he could not mention drums – this set him off! Jack Black was on the course too, so they abduct him when the TV network wants a celebrity to host the show. There are the usual jokes, stories and songs – and the shy Walter finds his talent (after a pep talk on the matter from Kermit).
There are some funny lines when Gary and Mary refer to the film that they are in, especially Gary not wanting to intervene because he had just sung a sad song. Then there are quite a few cameo performances, from Alan Arkin as a guide, with Whoopi Goldberg and others, including Selena Gomez, who turn up for the show.
Do Kermit and Miss Piggy rekindle their romance? Of course, they do. And we can re-kindle our delight in the Muppets.
1. The popularity of the Muppets? From the 1970s, Sesame Street, their television show? The appeal to a range of generations? Television, the movies? The return and the response?
2. The popularity of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the other members? The delight of their comedy?
3. The quality of the puppeteering, the characters, the action, the personalities, the voices, expressions, song and dance? Audiences identifying with them?
4. The human cast, Jason Segel and his earnest naivety, Amy Adams and her sweetness and practicality, Chris Cooper as the ‘hiss the villain’, Jack Black and his comedy? The range of guests, supporting cast? The studio guide, the television appeal, Miss Piggy’s secretary?
5. The creation of the story, the focus on the new Muppet, Walter? The old theme of greed and demolition for discovering oil? The theme of putting on a show?
6. Walter and Gary at home, as babies, as children, the irony of the human with the Muppet? Their watching television? Walter and his love for the Muppets? Sport, Gary holding up Walter to catch balls, sport, school? Brothers together over the years? Testing their height, sharing the room, Walter’s nightmares?
7. Gary and Mary, ten years together, her teaching, fixing the mechanics, the decision to go to Los Angeles, the decision to take Walter, Mary’s disappointment, giving in? The departure? The travel?
8. The song-and-dance routine in the town, the preparations to go, the bus, arrival in Los Angeles?
9. The humour in the screenplay, the self-references to the film, that it might be short because of the lack of cast, Gary saying that he’d just sung a song, the collage of finding the Muppets? Travelling by map – and the convention of maps, the car, emerging from the Mediterranean in Cannes?
10. The Muppet Studios, dilapidation, the tour, Alan Arkin as the guide, the Asian visitors wanting Universal Studios? Walter, his going into the room, overhearing Tex Richman? Richman as the villain, the ugly Muppets (especially the one with the English voice)? Richman’s plan?
11. Walter, finding Gary and Mary, wanting to warn Kermit, going to find him, the gate with Kermit and Miss Piggy on the ironwork, Kermit arriving, the aura (and the Good Shepherd bus lights and singing behind him)? Talking with him, persuading him that the studio had to be rescued?
12. Kermit and the years, his memories, the song, going through the gallery in his house, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Gonzo? The regrets? The decision to go to Reno, Fozzie and his performing with the Moopets? The audience? Going on the roof, the rain? Fozzie leaving with Kermit? Going to the therapy session, the anger control, Animal and his rage, ‘drums’ as the key word? Jack Black and his being there, the comedy, the fight?
13. Going to France, travelling by map, arriving in Cannes, in Paris, the Vogue offices, Miss Piggy’s receptionist (and Emily Blunt reprising her character from The Devil Wears Prada)? Miss Piggy and her office, their disguising themselves as Muppet Man, falling over? The romance, Miss Piggy’s remembering the past, her love for Kermit, change?
14. Tex Richman and his name, his plans, the oil, wanting to sabotage the concert, taking out the electricity, Mary restoring it, knocking over the power connection? Going on stage?
15. The dilapidated theatre, the cleaning, Gary and Mary doing the work? The Muppets and their joining in?
16. Gary and Mary, Mary going on the tour, eating alone, the song of the Party of One, the reprise with Miss Piggy in Paris? Her change of heart?
17. Trying to get the television networks to put on the concert, the sudden hole in the program? Veronica Martin and her allowing them on? Her wanting a celebrity guest? The comedy on the popular films, especially Punch the Teacher? Contemporary taste? The decision to abduct Jack Black?
18. The rehearsals, the awkwardness of the opening, the two old men and their continued comments? Miss Piggy’s arrival, taking control of her rehearsal?
19. The show, Zach Galifianakis coming in, the only audience? The people gradually coming? The opening and its success? The various acts, the songs, the jokes, Jack Black and his being tied up, adverse comments – and people thinking this was part of the comedy? The money coming in?
20. Walter, the hero of the film, his love for the Muppets, his search for Kermit, with Gary and Mary, his being offered a role, the tribute to him that he had got everything going? His fear, stage fright, Kermit’s speech, the long almost-sermon about finding one’s own talent? Walter and his whistling – and his being a great success, standing ovation?
21. The almost getting the money, the one-cent loss? Richman, his arrival? His falling out with his Muppet, the Englishman not wanting to be the villain? His falling, hitting his head – and his later change of heart?
22. Kermit, his speech to the Muppets – the noble failure?
23. The happy ending, the crowd, the song and dance, Richman and his change of heart, Gary proposing the Mary, Kermit and Miss Piggy, the joy of laughter?
