The Muppets

[lety]

The Muppets are back! The Muppets are back! Disney's brought the Muppet gang back to the big screen for the first feature film in a dozen years with the PG-rated The Muppets. And while some of the Muppets movie outings in the past have been less than memorable, this goofy, sweet, totally silly production perfectly captures the tone of the best of the Muppets movies as well as the old The Muppet Show TV series. Which, I'm reminded while watching The Muppets, was a more entertaining program than 90% of what we're now served up on primetime on a daily basis.

 

Of course, not all of the old Muppet voices are back with this 2011 feature film and although their

replacements do a fine job, it's still just a little sad that the voices aren't exactly the same. As for the human stars, Segel has said this is the film he's most proud of and you can see his affection for the Muppets written all over his face the entire film. He's in heaven playing opposite Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang, and so even though we could have used with a little less Segel and a little more Kermit and Miss Piggy, we'll cut him some slack. His script, co-written with fellow Muppet lover Nicholas Stoller, oozes with love for all things Muppets. From the lavish, outlandish musical numbers celebrating each person's uniqueness to the inclusion of all sorts of celebrity cameos sprinkled throughout, The Muppets revives the hibernating franchise with a fresh, fun story that pays tribute to the past while providing a jolt of energy to Jim Henson's creation and bringing it forward into 2011.

There's a little something for every age group in The Muppets, although more for the adults who are familiar with the franchise than for the kids. Still, younger audience members should quickly catch on to what The Muppets is all about. And for those of us who have been - like Segel - lifelong Muppets fans, watching The Muppets is like getting a big, warm hug from friends who've been away far too long. Now if only they could have cut out Chris Cooper's rap number...