I have no idea what the actual title for The Muppets movie I saw this weekend is, but I know it involves them and opened on Thanksgiving so that’s close enough. This movie defied my expectations by not sucking. I know that sounds like a hell of a backhanded compliment, and is, but I found myself shocked at how much I found myself caring about these characters I didn’t even know I had missed. Maybe I didn’t know I missed them because I have never actually seen a full Muppets movie before.
What Works: I loved the way the movie was upfront with how stale the muppets are and how they’ve really fallen off the pop cultural radar. The “Moopets” cleverly satirize how coarse 2011 entertainment has become. [Ask yourself if you could ever imagine Transformers being this self-aware?] The movie is self-aware without ever being cynical, which is pretty much the exact opposite of most retro based, nostalgia entertainment. A lot of fine celebrity cameos are sprinkled throughout to make the “new” audience care and a few of the muppet’s old favorites will make their parents care (the group Muppets musical number towards the end caused a few to tear up and is pretty touching). By the end, if the movie hasn’t won you over, you’re probably a terrible person…
What Doesn’t Work: If you make it to the end. Several people in the theater I was in got up and left during the first thirty minutes (I guess kids prefer something busier and more cynical like Arthur Christmas). It seemed like the musical numbers really put some people off but I usually ignore stuff like that as I’m not a musical fan but I can’t be prejudiced against an entire genre because of some group songs. Also, as much as the muppets satirize that they don’t have a place in today’s pop culture, they aren’t really doing anything that fresh (for something really revolutionary, catch Hugo) since the Shrek films and countless others borrow the Muppets formula for two parts pop culture references, one part mushy heartwarming moments.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Even though you probably had to have Jason Seigel, Amy Adams, and the new muppet Walter to get studios interested, it would be a lie to say the stuff with them is as interesting as anything else on screen. I would have probably shaved a couple of their scenes and added a couple with several classic muppet characters we barely see in the movie. And a couple of the celebrity cameos really could have been sharper, for every one who actually gets off a good line (like Zach Galifancan’tspellhisname’s Hobo Joe, Jack Black), there’s one who barely gets to say anything (Neil Patrick Harris, John Krasincan’tspellhisname).