The Muppets (2011)

I am a big Muppets fan. Even in college, Muppet Treasure Island has been a movie that my roommate and I watch (and sing along to) on a regular basis. When I learned that a new Muppets movie was being made, I was more excited than a college student should be for a movie starring puppets, but that didn’t stop me from counting down the months as the release grew closer and closer. I had high expectations from The Muppets, and guess what? They were met and even exceeded.

I saw The Muppets on Thanksgiving Day with my family, Andrew, and his parents. From start to finish, Andrew and I couldn’t stop laughing. The humor that has been a part of the Muppets ever since their original inception by Jim Henson was just as present now as it was then, and the characters are still just as lovable as ever. Walter is a fantastic addition to the same familiar characters we grew up with, Jason Segel and Amy Adams were entertaining and fun, and Chris Cooper as the villain was fantastic; it’s like he was born to be villain to a talking frog. The songs ranged from touching to hysterical to nostalgic, and the fourth wall was broken spectacularly…nobody breaks the fourth wall as well as the Muppets do. 

Filled with pop culture references out the wazoo (the Indiana Jones franchise, Neil Patrick Harris’ knack for hosting things, and even previous Muppet movies are all referenced, among other things), a story that is both touching and hilarious, and songs that will get stuck in your head for quite a long time, The Muppets is a film worthy of being included in the Muppets canon. It was everything I wanted it to be and more…thank you, Jason Segel, for this movie.

Chad

Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

MPAA: PG – for some mild rude humor