The Muppets

Tonight, I went to see Disney's attempt at re-booting the Muppets. Few in my generation even know who the Muppets are, but my grandparents showed my cousins, my brother and me a few episodes of theirs when we were snowed in one night and I rather enjoyed it. That, and my parents' nostalgia, led me to the local movie theater.

When the movie first began though, all you see is one puppet- like man who never grows among humans who grow as they age, like normal. The puppet's name is Walter, and the only actual tie to the Muppets is Walter's life-long fascination with them from the other side of the TV screen. He can't wait to see Muppet Studios when he goes to Los Angeles with his brother, Gary, and his girlfriend, Mary.

It turns out that no one frequents or uses the Muppet Studios anymore and the trio and two others are the only ones on a tour of the grounds. Walter slinks away from the group to see Kermit's old office. When someone comes in, he hides and watches as the two critics (I can't remember their names.. I think Statler and Waldorf or something?) give some sort of tycoon-looking fellow a tour.

It is discovered that this tycoon, an eccentric oil dealer named Tex Richman, will own the studios unless the Muppets can buy it with ten million dollars by the time the contract expires in a week. Richman, under the pretense of renovating the studios into a museum, plans  to tear down the studios and drill for oil. Horrified, Walter goes to Gary and Mary to plan on finding Kermit the Frog.

Only, once they find Kermit, they find out Kermit hasn't seen any of the other Muppets in years. To raise the money to save the studios, they'd have to put on a show, but without the other Muppets, that couldn't happen. (Gonzo now has a successful plumbing company, Fozzie has a solo care with a band called the Moopets, Animal is in the nuthouse, Miss Piggy has her own fashion company, etc.) Kermit has tried to ask Riochman for the Studios back, but Rchman, once he owns the name "Muppets", plans to use the studos to promote a darfv cynucal group called the Moopets. (you can argue that this is the same group Fozzie left).

Now, they have to find the old gang through cliched montages and traveling by map to get together and make a show. There are other conflicts, like getting a TV station to put on the show, getting a host for the show, fixing the theater, etc. Mary gets upset with Gary, Piggy is upset with Kermit, etc. Walter is afraid he has no talent. All of these conflicts are resolved in time, with cheesy self-discovery songs ("Man or Muppet", "Rainbow Connection", etc.)

Overall, I liked this movie. From Fozzie's fart shoes, to the breaking of the fourth wall ("This is going to be a very short movie") there was a lot of comedy.  The Muppet show could have stood a Swedish Chef segment, in my opinion. It ends in a "cliffhanger" unless you watch the credits. You have to watch the credits to get the full-circle ending. There's little clips of video as a sort of epilogue.

So, yeah! Go Muppets! I am so tempted to borrow my grandmother's Muppet Show DVD's right now... Read ya later! Bye