The basic premise couldn’t be more believable. The Muppets are no longer famous, and their legacy is in the hands of mercenaries who don’t have much regard for it beyond its ability to spin cash. This rubs a superfan the wrong way. This superfan’s enthusiasm becomes the catalyst to reuniting the gang and reclaiming their tarnished fame.
This premise is believable largely because it’s true. The Muppets, while always objects of GenX nostalgia, had stopped being relevant to anyone too old for Sesame Street. Superfan Jason Segel did begin scheming to get the team back together. This movie is the result of that fandom.
It’s pretty great. I have to confess to also being a Muppet fan of ancient vintage who imagines his own spirit guide to look something like Ernie. Ernie and Danny Trejo – I’m a complicated man. I’m such a fan, in fact, that it’s possible I’m not an entirely reliable narrator here.
All the elements are in place. The story is amusing, the pacing is snappy, there’s just enough sap at the center. Like all the good Muppet Movies, there are a lot of amusing cameos and the presence of autonomous puppets in the world of humans is taken completely for granted. The gentle, rollicking anarchy of Jim Henson’s worldview is ably reproduced. The jokes hit much more often than they miss, and Chris Cooper desecrates the art of rap with a commitment it’s hard not to respect. Amy Adams is an old hand at being an adorable fairy-tale foil and Jason Segel is clearly elated to share the stage with the fuzzy old gang. You might find a reason not to enjoy yourself watching it, but you also might be the kind of person who kicks puppies. In either case, you shouldn’t tell me because I will judge you harshly. Harshly.
At heart, the Muppets are as old-timey as it gets. They are a bunch of misfits who want to put on a vaudeville show because they find no joy in the workaday world. This is used to great effect in the getting-the-gang-back-together sequence, where we see what all the Muppets have been doing since their show was cancelled. Most of them are more than ready to walk away from their day jobs again, even after all this time. Muppets are showbiz to the core.
A new character is introduced, and I suspect that he will be the source of most of the disapproval. Not because he’s a bad Muppet, but because his origin story complicates the mythos a bit. I was not bothered by his backstory, in fact I thought it was cleverly handled and played nicely with the innocent confusion that attends the provenance of the Muppets. It makes for a great introduction point for kids who don’t know the gang.
If you like the Muppets, or enjoy the Mickey Rooney “let’s put on a show” storyline, or have a beating human heart, it’s worth your time.
Otherwise, judgement. Harsh, harsh judgement.
