Here is a movie not that's not just nostalgic, but about nostalgia. I love being able to take my kids to the movies, and this movie was great for them. But it had so many inside jokes and great cameos that my wife and I loved it as well. I grew up watching "The Muppet Show", and this movie taps into the memories not only of watching the show, but how the show felt to watch.
The movie's plot follows Gary (Jason Siegel, who helped write the movie) his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) and his brother Walter (a new Muppet), as they make their way to Hollywood to take a tour of the old Muppet studio. When they arrive, they find the theater in a state of disrepair. Furthermore, the theater is about to come into the hands of the ultimate evil--an oil tycoon (Chris Cooper). In order to keep this from happening, Walter devises a plan to get the Muppets back together, perform the old show, and raise enough money to pay off the tycoon and save the theater.
The movie is note perfect. The thing I have always admired about Jim Henson's comedy was its ability to be traditionally entertaining while maintaining a certain air of anarchy. This movie is the first Muppet work in quite awhile to tap into that balance. Also, the Muppets always were able to get some great cameos in their movies, and that spirit is brought into this movie (I won't ruin any surprises). As I sat in the movie theater, the laughter came, and so did the wave of nostalgia that I was expecting. This movie feels like it is leaving right where the Muppets left off when we all lost Jim Henson 20 years ago. While there have been movies that have been made in the meantime (and they are sweet and entertaining, to be sure), those films don't seem to get the tone quite right. This movie hits the mark well, and this is best captured by Jack Black's presence in the movie (not a cameo, so I am not ruining anything). The movie's other strength is the way that it acknowledges itself. The Muppets haven't been popular in quite awhile, and the script does a great job of taking that into account.
A movie like this will never win any Oscars or be held in high esteem (though it did receive very good reviews). I think that reality is kind of sad. True, dramas bring gravity to our lives, as we contemplate humanity and the great issues we all face. But at the same time, to see a work of comedy executed this well is also a marvel. This movie could have been something routine, but it takes its own material and is able to make a unique movie, not just something derivative which cashes in on the popularity of its brand. It would seem that Jason Segal is a big part of this. He was able to cowrite a movie about characters he loves, and he was able to star in said movie. How many people get a chance to do that? Further, it is clear that the filmmakers (Segal included) have a lot of admiration for the brand of the Muppets. Because of that, this movie, in spite of Jim Henson and Frank Oz not being involved, feels like a natural extension of the Muppet franchise. I sure hope there is more to come...
