96% The Muppets

The muppets return to the big screen, some 12 years after their last film, this time brought to life by Jason Segel, the "Freaks and Geeks" star who wrote and stars in the film. Segel plays Gary, a guy who's in love with Mary (Amy Adams) and also has a muppet-brother named Walter. The three travel to hollywood and wind up helping Kermit and the gang rescue the old muppet theater when Walter overhears an evil oil baron (Chris Cooper) talk of tearing it down. The muppets have to reunite to put on one last show and raise the ten million dollars needed to save the old theater in time. There are lots of songs, lots of tear-jerking, and frankly lots of crass manipulation. This isn't a muppets sequel or even a re-launch of a "franchise", it's a eulogy for muppet nostalgia. Kermit it a washed-up recluse, living in a dilapidated mansion, singing forlorn songs of lost love and friendship. And it's not that I find this to be particularly offensive to my muppet memories, I just don't find it particularly entertaining. "Not very entertaining" is how I'd describe most of the movie. The aforementioned songs range from adequate to not-very-good-at-all (there's no "Rainbow Connection" to be found here, other than, well.. a new version of Rainbow Connection) and all were written by "Flight of the Conchords" member Bret McKenzie (coincidentally or not so much, the Muppets was also directed by Flight of the Conchords series' co-creator James Bobin). I guess if you're a Flight of the Conchords fan, you'll love the movie, but unfortunately, I can't stand Flight of the Conchords. However, in spite of my misgivings, the muppets themselves are actually really great. When the old muppets are on and they're doing their old show, the movie works and is fun. As big a fan as I am of Segel's, I wish there had been less of him and more of the muppets. Perhaps it would've distracted me from those endless "from-the-heart" speeches.

January 8, 2012

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_muppets/

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