Whilst it’s been 12 years since the (decidedly dodgy) last Muppets movie, there clearly is still a lot of affection for the fuzzy superstars in Hollywood. Jason Seigel, star of one of America’s most popular TV series, wrote the script for this comeback movie, while ‘Flight of The Conchords’ star Brett McKenzie is on board to write the songs (one of which is now Oscar nominated). But, over 50 years on from their inception, can Kermit and the gang still entertain like they used to?
The film is the story of Walter, a young man born as a Muppet who grows up alongside his human brother Gary (Jason Seigel). While Gary dotes on him, Walter grows up feeling different from everyone else, except for when he watches old episodes of ‘The Muppet Show’. Desperate to meet his heroes, he tags along on Gary’s vacation with girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to Hollywood. Once there, they discover the Muppet Studios have been closed for a while, and about to be demolished by an evil oil baron (Chris Cooper). Walter, Gary and Mary find Kermit the Frog and urge him to get the old gang back together and raise $10 million to save the studios, but can they pull it off in time? And how long Mary put up with coming second in Gary’s life to his brother?
Seigel is reportedly a life-long Muppets fan, and it certainly shows in the amount of affection poured into this script. However, this is more than just a nostalgic look at what made The Muppets so great, it also brings back the same fun, haphazard feel of their TV series. The songs are superb (particularly the epic ‘Man or Muppet’), towing a delicate line between a ‘Conchords’-like irreverence and Henson-like lunacy. There are niggles- some of the jokes misfire slightly, and many prominent characters such as Gonzo make minor appearances- but overall what wins you over is that the whole thing is just so darned joyful. Everyone looks like they’re having a great time, and that combined with some great gags causes a similar effect on the audience.
Henson fans balked when the original Muppeteers, most notably Frank Oz (the voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzy Bear and Animal), walked away from the project. This does mean the voices aren’t quite as you remembered (Fozzy is particularly off the mark at times) but given that the spirit of the story is so Muppet-like, the lack of original input is less of a problem. Seigel and Adams have great comic timing, with the latter in particular having some hilarious moments (she really gives her solo number, ‘Party For One’, a lot of gusto); while Cooper hams it up joyously as the villain (although his rap may divide opinion).
It’s far from perfect, and purists may spurn it for the absence of old favourites behind the scenes, however, aside from the odd 20th century update, ‘The Muppets’ is exactly the type of movie Henson used to make. As well as giving adults a nostalgic glow, it will introduce new generations to their antics. Simply put, it’s 90 minutes of pure fun that, for once, everyone in the family can love. 'The Muppets' is in cinemas now.
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