The Muppets (2011) Directed by James Bobin. Starring: Amy Adams, Jason Segel and Chris Cooper. IMDB says: “With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.“

The Muppets was a little different than I was expected going in to the theater. I guess since it was written by Jason Segel, I thought there would be a little more adult humor mixed in to the script. There were a few jokes that were a little tongue-in-cheek, but nothing outrageous. Maybe I wasn’t expecting this to be geared toward an older audience in general, but it was clearly made with children in mind.
There was a lot of singing in The Muppets. I figured they’d have some musical numbers in the show they put on, but there are a number of songs through out. They were okay, nothing special. As someone who doesn’t enjoy musicals, I would have liked it better if they only had the numbers in the show rather than the whole movie. 
I did enjoy the movie overall. I used to watch reruns of the show when I was younger and it was entertaining to see the Muppets approached in a way that made them seem realistic. It was also funny to see the Segel and Amy Adams playing ‘simpler times’ roles. I think if I was a lifelong fan of The Muppets I would be satisfied by this update.

I’m curious to see if young audiences will respond to The Muppets as well as I did. I mean, I already know the Muppets of course, growing up watching them on the tube as a kid. But this is a whole new generation, used to 3D characters and talking CGI guinea pigs. However, the latest Muppets film is so full of life, color and good vibes, I think it would be quite difficult to not enjoy. Jason Segel really hit the mark with bringing the Muppets back to life for another wondrous on screen adventure. The script harbors a familiar plot but is filled to the brim with hilarious wit and genuine emotion.  It shows that he is a true fan and is completely aware of the audience.Unfortunately, Segal seems mildly out of place in his Muppet-verse, never quite fitting in as well as the rest of the cast. But there’s no real cause for concern because Amy Adams makes up for any misgivings with her delightful performance as Mary. Adams is a multi-faceted actress that continues to delight. I urge you to take your kids out to see this one. Opt for a real bit of nostalgia for yourself and fun new memories for your child. The Muppets is a singing and dancing funfest that will leave you smiling. 

The Muppets is one of those movies that come together perfectly without much room left for griping. The writing and humor were of such a high quality, combined with a perfect updating of the Muppet characters without losing any of their personality. The nostalgia factor had a great deal to do with the enjoyment of the film, but even for someone who wouldn’t consider herself a huge Muppets fan, the charm and wit are enough to win over anyone who’s on the fence as well as new audiences. Jason Segel did an impressive job with this update and unlike Lindsay I didn’t necessarily see him as unfitting in the role. His adoration for the Muppets is obvious so I can’t really see anyone else having quite as much enthusiasm. He was probably just as excited to be working with the Muppets as his little brother Walter is in the movie. Amy Adams does stand out more than Segel as she captures her role perfectly (I cannot get over how versatile of an actress she is!), as well as Chris Cooper who commits unabashedly as the villain. The songs are pretty awesome as well and another impressive feat for Segel who is obviously quite talented. This film proves that The Muppets were definitely ready for their comeback. 

 
FTS SCORE:
78%

The Muppets opens in theaters Thanksgiving Day.