Now this is the Muppets! Jim Henson’s cast of
lovable, furry misfits, oddballs, and weirdoes from The Muppet Show and
several delightful feature films, haven’t been seen on the big screen for
twelve years, languishing all this time in a couple TV specials and a handful
of YouTube videos. They haven’t been gone, not exactly, but they haven’t been a
cultural presence the way they once were. Since Henson’s untimely death in
1990, the characters have seemed every-so-slightly lost. This new feature,
called simply The Muppets, reintroduces them in the biggest, funniest,
loveliest, way possible. This is a hugely satisfying film that scrambles all
definitions of kids’ films and grown-ups’ films, a giddy nostalgic reunion with
old friends, and an unmitigated success.
The Muppets have found a great new voice, one that sounds as
close to their old voice as possible without Henson, in co-writers Jason Segel
and Nicholas Stoller. You might remember their Apatow production Forgetting
Sarah Marshall in which the main character wants to produce an all-puppet
Dracula musical. That film’s grand finale was that production, complete with
sweet song-and-felt numbers. Of course, that film was most definitely R, but
their love of G-rated Muppetry was obvious in that sequence. The Muppets have
an earnest and earned innocence, a broad delight in vaudevillian antics, puns,
slapstick, heartfelt musical numbers and staying true to yourself while
sticking by your closest friends. Segel and Stoller get that perfectly in a
splashy, witty musical with great numbers written by Bret McKenzie of Flight
of the Conchords, who knows a thing or two about funny songs. Together they
create a film that starts by acknowledging that the world has seemingly left
the Muppets behind, but, even if unexpressed, the world is desperately in need
of their return.
At the film’s start we’re introduced to Gary (Segel), a
human, and his brother Walter, a Muppet in Smalltown, USA. They’re big fans of The
Muppet Show and plan a trip with Gary’s girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), to
Los Angeles, the main attracting being the Muppet Studios. They set off to L.A.
on a bus by way of a musical number. When they arrive at their destination,
they’re disappointed to discover the place run down, an unenthused tour guide
informing them that the Muppets haven’t been seen in years. Poking around the
rundown buildings on his own, Walter overhears the property’s owner, Tex
Richman (Chris Cooper), explaining to Statler and Waldorf (the old heckling
duo) his plans for bulldozing the place to drill for oil. The Muppets would
need ten million dollars to buy back the old theater.
Horrified, Walter sets out determined to save the Muppet
Theater. Luckily, he eventually runs into Kermit the Frog and convinces him to
try and raise the money by getting the old gang back together and putting on a
show. Why not? After all, it was Mickey Rooney himself who helped see Gary,
Mary, and Walter off at the Smalltown bus stop. So, Kermit his new pals set off
to gather up all the Muppets they can find, all of whom have long since gone
their separate ways. Some are struggling, singing in a Muppet tribute band at a
shady hotel lounge, for instance. Others are doing reasonably well for
themselves, like working at Vogue’s Paris bureau. Regardless of
circumstance, though, most are more than happy to jump back into their old
variety show ways. It’s an utter delight to see the Muppets reunite one by one:
Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Rowlf, and Miss Piggy. And what would a Muppet
movie be without Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker? Sam Eagle? The Swedish Chef?
Dr. Teeth? They’re all here and more besides, including some ingenious
celebrity cameos I wouldn’t dare spoil.
What makes the movie so very entertaining is the nonstop
hilarity that comes from a sweet, good-natured desire to do nothing more bring
joy and laughter to the world. The script is filled with funny meta flourishes
that comment on the Muppets’ faded cultural status and extended absence as well
as the film’s very nature as a film. In an opening sequence, a terrific
Broadway-style musical number, there is a pause in the music and the dancing
townsfolk are seen lounging around, waiting for their cue to start up again.
Later, plot points are resolved through literal movie magic. How to drive to
Europe? Let’s go by map! How to pick up all the rest of the Muppets in a timely
manner? Use a montage! Director James Bobin, veteran of TV comedy, brings an
effortless cinematic quality to such playful filmmaking, allowing these
gorgeously simple piece of felt to find their footing once again without ever
once letting it feel dated or quaint. He wrangles the production well. The
familiar felt faces (performed and voiced by Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson,
Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, and Matt Vogel) mix well with the game
human cast, who are entirely unselfconscious in the face of such broad and
varied, smiling wit and whimsy. The film’s hip, clever, and witty without
feeling edgy or contemporary. It has the timeless feel you’d want.
What makes the movie somewhat moving is the way it uses new
Muppet Walter to illuminate that which has always made the Muppets so
singularly special. They’re all misfits in some way. They’re too loud, too
corny, and too musical. They try their hardest and seem unfazed when they fail.
They’re not afraid to get mad at each other, but they’re even less afraid of
forgiving each other. They’re friends and colleagues who have come together in
spite of their weirdness, united by their desire to bring happiness into the
world and to celebrate the weirdness, the boundless hope and enthusiasm that
makes them so wonderful. Walter doesn’t fit in. But with the Muppets, he can
find acceptance. The Muppets have always communicated this message. It gets
better. All you have to do is be yourself and there’s a chance that you’ll find
just the right group of misfits who love the same things you do, who support
you every step of the way, and who will pick up a friendship right where it
left off, even if it’s been years. The humor and the wisdom of the Muppets come
from their unwavering consistency of personality. They are who they are.
I hadn’t seen these guys on the big screen since 1996’s Muppet
Treasure Island. So, I was somewhat surprised to find that, as I waited all
day to see an evening show of The Muppets, I felt a rare anticipation of
the kind I associate only with childhood Christmas Eves. The film was a present
worth waiting for. It’s the funniest movie of the year, the best movie musical
in many a year, and a film so purely, warmly enjoyable that I had a smile on my
face from the first scene to the last credit. It’s a joyous return for these
characters, a generous, contagious, blast of effervescent exuberance and fun
that recaptures the old magic. The film’s working title was The Greatest
Muppet Movie Ever Made. I’d imagine a humble deference to the characters’
legacy caused the change, but now having seen it, that original title would
have barely been hyperbole. This is as good as these iconic characters have
ever been and certainly their best feature film since 1979’s The Muppet
Movie. It’s truly a rekindled rainbow connection. Welcome back, Muppets!
No comments:
Post a Comment