The Muppets

Director: James Bobin
Cast: Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Rashida Jones and Chris Cooper
Releasing in cinemas: 12 January 2012
Rated: G

Brimming with nostalgia for the good old days of Jim Henson and Frank Oz and their nifty glove puppets, The Muppets opens like a 60s musical with a rather kitsch song and dance routine. The film will really appeal to those in the right age group to remember TV’s Muppet Shows, while offering a touch of zany magic from the past for younger kids.

Gary (Jason Segel), his brother Walter (voiced by Peter Lintz) (a Muppet who’s been accepted as a member of the  family without raising any eyebrows), and Gary's sweet girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) set off from Smalltown to visit the big smoke of Los Angeles. Walter, naturally a mad fan of the Muppets,  encourages them on a tour of the decrepit old Muppet Studio, which happens to be under threat of demolition from villain of the piece Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). Tex believes there a wealth of oil beneath the studio, and to save it falling in his grubby hands, the Muppets have to raise $10 million.

Gary, Walter and Mary search and find Kermit, who’s living in solitude, and together they set out to find the remaining Muppets hoping to stage a telethon to raise the cash needed to buy back the studio. Fun is generated in their travels to locate and recruit the other Muppets made popular in the original series, especially Miss Piggy, now living in high fashion in Paris.

Finally ready, they enlist the reluctant aid of TV studio boss (Rashida Jones). “In this market you guys are no longer relevant,” she tells them; reality shows like 'Punch Teacher' are the rage. However they get the gig, but lack a guest celebrity, until Jack Black gets pressed into service, and the variety show takes off as the happiest part of the movie. Despite chaotic rehearsals, and considerable aggravation from Tex and his sidekicks, it all resolves with a lavish concluding song and dance number in the city street.

James Bobin, who’s from a TV background (Da Ali G Show), directs from the script by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. Segal, a great fan of the Muppets, has not changed their basic format or tried to re-invent the characters, which works in his favour. It may be argued that stretching what was a successful as a 30 minute TV program to 103 minutes feature length is a bit of an ask. Let's face it - the film will have most appeal to followers of the Muppets and they'll not complain. The Muppets has a pleasant retro quality about the style and content. Even if the plot is flimsy, the execution (complete with pop songs from the era) will please the target audience.

Jason Segel (Bad Teacher) and perky Amy Adams (The Fighter) would look comfortable in a Doris Day adventure. The whole vision of the film suggests the era of the Muppets, and there's nothing wrong with that. Chris Cooper (The Town) and Jack Black (Gulliver’s Travels) overact as one should in such company. Images bright and vibrant help the nostalgic appeal, the staging of the major dance numbers are right out of classic MGM musicals. Watch out for famous faces in cameo parts including Emily Blunt and Mickey Rooney.

Perhaps there's regret Frank Oz and Jim Henson are no longer behind the scenes, and to be honest I felt the film lacked something of their earlier excursions in nutty comedy. But it works well enough to please the fans, while the pop music soundtrack might bring back happy memories to mums and dads. There’s a couple of flat patches but overall it’s entertaining and also free from violence and crudities.

Interesting to see how 'gentle' films such as The Muppets and Happy Feet Two, into music and dance rather than strong storyline, will fare against the more robust animated films often influenced by computer games. Certainly the original Happy Feet proved there's a solid audience out there, so with a large fan base already assured, The Muppets should be home and hosed. 

John Bale