Watching The Muppets it quickly becomes clear that writer/star Jason Segal has great respect for his source material. When the Muppets last appeared on screen over ten years ago, the franchise felt stale. Much like the Star Trek reboot, The Muppets revitalizes a series that was past its prime. It is a love letter to the Muppets of yesteryear and to the late, great Jim Henson. It also invites comparison with The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper.
Segal stars as Gary, who lives in Smalltown. U.S.A. with his brother Walter (voiced by Peter Linz). That Walter is himself a puppet is never commented on nor explained, one of the many whimsical details that we accept because Walter, the newest addition to the Muppet pantheon, is as real a character as Kermit the Frog. Gary and his longtime girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams at her most charming) plan a trip to Hollywood, and Walter tags along for a chance to visit the antiquated Muppet Studios. Walter has been obsessed with the Muppets for as long as he can remember (go figure!) and hopes to get a glimpse of his heroes.
The Muppet Studios are long abandoned, and Walter overhears the plans of Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), an evil developer who plans to tear down the studios to drill for oil. This leads Walter, Mary and Gary to seek out Kermit and the rest of the Muppets so they can buy back the studio before it's destroyed.
The musical numbers by Flight of the Conchords alum Bret McKenzie are delightful, if not quite in the same sphere as those written by Paul Williams for The Muppet Movie. "The Rainbow Connection" is reprised in the climax, a moment that brought unashamed tears to my eyes. The high point comes when Walter and Gary sing a duet and ask themselves "Am I a man or a Muppet?" Gary looks in the mirror and sees a Muppet version of himself. The human that Walter sees in the mirror is one of the many inspired cameos peppered throughout the movie. Even with the likes of Jack Black and Neil Patrick Harris making an appearance, it's hard not to think how far the Muppets have fallen from the pop culture firmament. The Muppet Movie featured the likes of Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, Milton Berle, Richard Pryor and Bob Hope. The Muppets gives us....Selena Gomez?
Tex Richman says the Muppets are washed up, not edgy enough for a cynical world. They certainly aren't edgy, and aside from one mild fart joke, the Muppets humor is as wholesome and innocent as it ever was. Segal makes the point that in our jaded times we need the Muppets more than ever. The movie is relentlessly positive, from the opening song "Everything is Great" that has Walter and Gary strolling through their Mayberryesque hometown. The finale, in which the Muppets stage a telethon to save the theater, filled me with such nostalgia that I felt like a little boy again, watching The Muppet Show in reruns on Nick at Nite. To everyone that ever loved the Muppets, this movie is a gift.
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