The Muppets

[number8]

Two people I really like in a terrible looking rom com. Watch the trailer to see how fucking awful this looks.

http://bitcast-a-sm.bitgravity.com/slashfilm/wp/wp-content/images/ZZ4DE6424B-550x802.jpg

6CloKbXtD28

[EyesWideOpen]

That's awesome.

[Irish]

Ok .. I didn't understand that at all. I kept trying to figure out why it looked like a period piece in some shots, but modern in others.

As for the Muppet thing ... what the hell? Is this a muppet movie or a rom com?

[Dukefrukem]

Did I just get rickrolled?

[Sven]

Cool. I might not hate Amy Adams doing Disney-cute, but Enchanted proved me wrong there. But my fingers are crossed. Hooray for puppets.

[Irish]

Did I just get rickrolled?

Apparently, I've been stymied by .. Kermit the Frog.

Not my proudest moment.

[eternity]

Apparently Kermit the Frog is hidden in the poster.

[Lasse]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204342/ :lol:

[Dukefrukem]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204342/ :lol:

Holy cast list Batman!

[EyesWideOpen]

Apparently Kermit the Frog is hidden in the poster.

About an inch above Amy Adams head and to the left.

[Dukefrukem]

About an inch above Amy Adams head and to the left.


Ah Upside down

[Mara]

I am looking forward to this with, like, violence.

[EyesWideOpen]

I'd like to thank number8 for being the only forum/website I go to that didn't ruin this for everyone by starting the post/article with "NEW MUPPETS MOVIE".

[Ivan Drago]

Greatest. Trailer. Ever.

[Wryan]

That's a fantastic teaser. Some serious dedication. When's the last time we had a good Muppets movie?

[Lazlo]

When's the last time we had a good Muppets movie?

http://images.wikia.com/muppet/images/b/be/Mxcposter.jpg

[Mara]

Rate 'em.

The Muppet Movie 8/10
The Great Muppet Caper 8.5/10
The Muppets Take Manhattan 7/10
The Muppet Christmas Carol 6/10
Muppet Treasure Island 5/10
Muppets from Space 6.5/10

[Mara]

This salute to Ethel Merman doesn't ever get old.

4UUQTbwqX5Y

[EyesWideOpen]

Rate 'em.

The Muppet Movie 8/10
The Great Muppet Caper 8.5/10
The Muppets Take Manhattan 7/10
The Muppet Christmas Carol 6/10
Muppet Treasure Island 5/10
Muppets from Space 6.5/10

No Muppet Wizard of OZ?

[Mara]

No Muppet Wizard of OZ?

I'm only counting theatrical releases. Also, I haven't seen it.

[Sven]

I'd switch your Carol and Island scores and plus another point-point-five to your caper score, but otherwise I rate them identically. My dislike for Carol has earned me no friends.

[Mara]

I'd switch your Carol and Island scores and plus another point-point-five to your caper score, but otherwise I rate them identically. My dislike for Carol has earned me no friends.

You have me, mon ami. You have me.

Muppets attempting to recreate classic literature... not a great epoch for the muppet movie. They need to stick to paying homage to the classic film mores.

[Raiders]

WTF? I LOVE Muppet Christmas Carol. Y'all whack.

[Mara]

WTF? I LOVE Muppet Christmas Carol. Y'all whack.

It's not awful or anything, but not particularly strong, either. The humor feels strained and reaching. The muppets are relegated to supporting roles, which sort of defeats the purpose of a muppet movie.

Also, and there's no other way to say this, the music is bad. Just, bad. Particularly egregious is the terrible song sung to Scrooge by his lost love. Not a single song in the film compares to the muppet greats, like "A Rainbow Connection" or "Movin' Right Along" or "Happiness Hotel" or "Hey, A Movie!"

Or "I'm Gonna Always Love You" which is so freaking infectious that I'm going to be singing it the rest of the day just from typing it out.

[Raiders]

"One More Sleep Til Christmas" and "Marley and Marley" are great songs.

[Mara]

"One More Sleep Til Christmas" and "Marley and Marley" are great songs.

Okay, I've watched them again on YouTube. "One More Sleep Til Christmas" is okay, but seems a little forgettable. "Marley and Marley" is great, though. I'd forgotten about it.

Why does Netflix pretend this film doesn't exist, by the way?

I might make a little goal to revisit all the Muppet movies before the new one comes out. Nothing but joy can come from it.

[Henry Gale]

I don't know if I've sat down to watch any of the movies since I was 10 or so (except for maybe the first half hour of Christmas Carol on TV late last year) but it still seems very wrong to see The Muppets Take Manhattan rated anything less than a perfect score. To me, that's always going to be this new one's biggest competition.

[Henry Gale]

Oh my gaaad, yes. I hope we get one of these every week.

zCw-tiKbU7M

Ahahhaha Trejo.

[number8]

Ridiculously weird marketing for this so far.

But I guess all this makes sense considering who's writing and directing this film.

[Ezee E]

Doubt I'll watch it, but Segal/Adams are good enough to make this work, as evidenced in the trailer. In fact, I'm glad Adams is going back to cutesy comedy because her dramatic side isn't nearly as good.

[Watashi]

Doubt I'll watch it

What the fuck?

[[ETM]]

Ridiculously weird marketing for this so far.

But I guess all this makes sense considering who's writing and directing this film.

And who's working on the music.

[Ezee E]

What the fuck?
Haven't seen any Muppets movies actually.

[Ivan Drago]

Haven't seen any Muppets movies actually.

Wow. Your childhood must've sucked.

[Mara]

Haven't seen any Muppets movies actually.

Please just watch the first one. Please.

[Sven]

Please just watch the first one. Please.

Or the second one, where Charles Grodin plays a burglar who falls for Miss Piggy.

[Mara]

Dude. Sven. Spoilers.

;)

[Mara]

Oh, man, I'm rewatching The Muppet Movie and I'm crying from laughing so hard. Also, it's astonishing how many celebrities I saw for the first time in this film as a child. I mean, for years Orson Welles was "that guy from The Muppet Movie."

[elixir]

Oh, man, I'm rewatching The Muppet Movie and I'm crying from laughing so hard. Also, it's astonishing how many celebrities I saw for the first time in this film as a child. I mean, for years Orson Welles was "that guy from The Muppet Movie."

Orson Welles is in this? Maybe I'll watch it soon. I've never seen any of them.

[Mara]

Cameo list from just the first one:


Edgar Bergen - Himself, Voice of Charlie McCarthy
Milton Berle - Mad Man Mooney
Mel Brooks - Professor Max Krassman
James Coburn - El Sleezo Cafe Owner
Dom DeLuise - Bernie the Agent
Elliott Gould - Beauty Contest Compere
Bob Hope - Ice Cream Vendor
Madeline Kahn - El Sleezo Patron
Carol Kane - Myth
Cloris Leachman - Lord's Secretary
Steve Martin - Insolent Waiter
Richard Pryor - Balloon Vendor
Telly Savalas - El Sleezo Tough
Orson Welles - Lew Lord
Paul Williams - El Sleezo Pianist

[Henry Gale]

Cameo list from just the first one:

Wow, it's definitely been too long since I've seen it.

Speaking of cameos, the list of people who show up for this 2011 movie apparently includes (and yes, this should be considered spoiler-y):

Neil Patrick Harris
Zach Galifianakis
Ben Stiller
Lady Gaga
Ricky Gervais
Billy Crystal
Emily Blunt
John Krasinski
Ed Helms
Eric Stonestreet
George Clooney
Alan Arkin
Jack Black
Mila Kunis
Donald Glover
and Dave Grohl (in a drum battle vs. Animal, no less)

[EyesWideOpen]

After I finish my Fast and Furious film viewing on tuesday I'm gonna watch through the Muppet movies. I haven't seen any of them since I was maybe 10 years old.

[number8]

Wow.

DUUcOmgYEhY

They even got Ryan Reynolds to record that.

[Fezzik]

They even got Ryan Reynolds to record that.

I thought that sounded like him. Mad respect.

I loved the text at the end.

Not in Swedish....we promise

Can't wait for this. :pritch:

[number8]

I wonder how they worked that out. Muppets is Disney, Green Lantern is WB. WB owns DC and Disney owns Marvel. Why is Disney promoting Green Lantern? Wait. Maybe it's the other way around. Fuck it, it's funny.

[Lasse]

I loved the text at the end.

Not in Swedish....we promise

I wonder what they're going to do if they dub it in Sweden. "We promised it wasn't in Swedish... we lied!"? :P

[Henry Gale]

QHqLcEtt368

Hahaha maybe the best one yet. Even changed the colour-timing on the footage to seem more like the other movie.

[number8]

That is amazing.

[Ezee E]

That is pretty awesome.

[Mara]

Early reviews are excellent. I'm totally wondering if I can swing actually seeing this opening weekend. In a theater. Like real people do.

[MadMan]

Muppets Dragon Tattoo trailer>the real one.

I think this looks pretty good, although I'll admit I've only seen parts of other Muppet movies previously.

[[ETM]]

Nice NYT piece on Brett McKenzie and his experience writing music for the film. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/magazine/bret-mckenzie-muppets.html?_r=3)

The picture is awesome:
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/11/20/magazine/20muppets1/20muppets1-popup.jpg

[Henry Gale]

Still holding onto a 100% Tomatometer with 53 reviews, just when I couldn't look forward to it more.

[number8]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes.

This was bloody fantastic. It made me spectacularly happy and I walked out of the theater skipping and hopping like a giddy child. God, yes yes yes.

I want to kiss Segel in the mouth for this.

[number8]

I also love how this is really just The Blues Brothers with Muppets. Fucking perfect.

[Watashi]

This movie thinks it's way too clever than it really is.

[Watashi]

To expand, my main problem is that it takes its selfawareness to extreme where it almost becomes parody. The Adams/Segal plotline just falls flat halfway through. Adams musical number in the diner is beyond cringe-worthy. The film basically became a 98 minute plea to love the Muppets again.

[EyesWideOpen]

I'll agree that the Adams diner musical number along with the Chris Cooper rap are easily the weak points.

[Dead & Messed Up]

...the Chris Cooper rap...

:|

[Gizmo]

was good, but did parody itself a bit much as opposed to coming around with a new movie. Still very enjoyable.

[megladon8]

Did anyone else here adore Follow That Bird! when they were younger?

I'm wondering if that movie holds up at all at an older age.


And yeah...I really want to see this.

[Mara]

I'm so sad I haven't seen this yet. There's no way I'll have time until Friday or Saturday at the earliest.

[Mal]

To expand, my main problem is that it takes its selfawareness to extreme where it almost becomes parody. The Adams/Segal plotline just falls flat halfway through. Adams musical number in the diner is beyond cringe-worthy. The film basically became a 98 minute plea to love the Muppets again.

Basically. It feels desperate to be charming.

[Sycophant]

I most likely can't get to a theater for another three weeks or so due to end of semester insanities, and that bums me out big time.

[EyesWideOpen]

I forgot to mention the Toy Story short that aired in front of the film which was fantastic also.

[eternity]

Meta for the sake of being. Too many Cars 2 advertisements plastered throughout it too.

Still, though. Funny. Chris Cooper can('t) rap.

[number8]

Seriously? Have you guys never watched the first Muppet movie? How is this any more of a self parody than that? Being meta and self-referential and breaking the fourth wall are exactly their thing.

[number8]

Shit, in the first movie, Electric Mayhem figured out how to rescue the others by reading the screenplay of the movie they're in. Nothing in this movie is anywhere near as meta as that.

[Spun Lepton]

I haven't seen it, yet, but, yeah, 8's right. Self-referential humor has been a part of the Muppets since they began.

[Watashi]

I'm all for self-referential humor as long its clever. A lot of the gags just don't emit any laughs from me. A lot of the jokes were just obvious and something I would see in a Naked Gun movie (travel-by-map, montage, etc). The movie feels like a long trailer for a better movie.

Here's a negative review from a pretty big Muppets fan that I can agree with. (http://blogs.indiewire.com/pressplay/jason-segels-the-muppets-proves-its-time-for-kermit-co-to-pack-it-in)

[number8]

Also, I bought the soundtrack (as I was walking out of the theater, actually--god bless iTunes) and the Chris Cooper rap is like 2 minutes longer on it, which includes an additional verse and an opera section talking about his childhood flashback scene.

So... Be thankful for that.

[number8]

That's a fair review. It is a very nostalgic movie, but I feel like it does so deliberately to combat the years of the Muppets being treated as stand-in puppets rather than characters themselves, as the review pointed out. I think it's a hysterical movie, and they made some really clever choices by only using hipster irony when appropriate, like when they're addressing the fact that Fozzie's jokes are awful.

I also agree with this bit:


I’m not sure what the shelf life is for the cover of Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You” by about a dozen chickens, but I do know it’s precisely the kind of mischief Henson would be up to if helming The Muppet Show today and that it inspired much of the packed crowd at my screening to break into gleeful rhythmic clapping.

I was in a maddening fit of laughter throughout that whole cover, and it definitely got the biggest laugh out of the crowd I saw it with.

[Spun Lepton]

Did anyone else here adore Follow That Bird! when they were younger?

I brought my little sister to see it when I was in high school. It was a convenient excuse to see the movie myself, since I loved Sesame Street as a kid. I remember really enjoying it.

[Mara]

We had both Follow that Bird and Big Bird in China on VHS when I was a kid. I don't remember them very well.

[number8]

I watched Follow That Bird as recently as a year ago. It's on Netflix streaming.

[number8]

I'm rather flabbergasted that Disney didn't take the opportunity to re-release the first Muppet movie on Bluray, but I guess this is a recurring problem with them.

[Watashi]

How is Muppet Babies not available on DVD?

[Sycophant]

This is how (http://www.platypuscomix.net/kidzone/comingtodvdnever.html). Basically, the rights issues are numerous and all over the place. The show won't be on home video, it seems, until everything pre-1990 is I'm the public domain. Or unless VHS experiences a revival.

[number8]

Soundtrack is on sale on Amazon for $4.99 to those who haven't bought it.

[ledfloyd]

Shit, in the first movie, Electric Mayhem figured out how to rescue the others by reading the screenplay of the movie they're in. Nothing in this movie is anywhere near as meta as that.
but that was funny, and most of the meta jokes in this were cloying.

i'm bummed i didn't care too much for this, as i was really excited going into the theater.

[Fezzik]

I'm not gonna say much because I don't feel like getting into a debate but...

I loved every minute of this. I was in or near tears for a lot of it and I found most of the self-referential humor at least amusing.

I literally gasped and covered my mouth in shock when...


They started Rainbow Connection, as that is my favorite movie song ever

So...I'm not going to be able to look at this objectively and I'm not going to try.

I adored it, and wanted to hug it to death after it was over.

I can't wait till I can own it.

[Watashi]

This is how (http://www.platypuscomix.net/kidzone/comingtodvdnever.html). Basically, the rights issues are numerous and all over the place. The show won't be on home video, it seems, until everything pre-1990 is I'm the public domain. Or unless VHS experiences a revival.
Eek the Cat! and Bobby's World too? Fuck that shit.

[Henry Gale]

It's not a perfect movie or even a consistently great one, but it possesses enough of a raggedy charm even when it's spending time on counterproductive scenes that the whole thing ultimately comes out as a win for me.

If some reports I heard are right and things like the "Me Party" number were in fact re-shoots and cameos from people like Ricky Gervais, Billy Crystal, Mila Kunis, and Jean-Claude Van Damme were cut out for an original ending then it's quite possible that there was a much different version of this movie before the studio may have felt it needed to punch some things up. There's definitely at least a few major deleted scenes since in one of the first trailers we saw the Muppets behind bars (with Wanda Sykes and Danny Trejo) that's nowhere to be found in the final film.

I think the more surreal it went in a way similar to how Flight of the Conchords' musical numbers often felt, particularly with Walter's dream and Kermit's number with the Muppet portraits, was some of the stuff I liked the most. Too bad it was a bit front-loaded with that type of thing, but there's a lot of variety here, and maybe it should have stuck to a handful of things to strengthen like many of other Muppet movies do when parodying or working within a single genre or style instead of just trying any and everything like it does, but this just seems like a movie that's impervious to actual efficient nitpicking.

Much like the Muppets themselves, the movie is best when don't view it to dissect it for flaws just as you shouldn't try keep reminding yourself that these characters' faces are maneuvered by a puppeteer's hand (though you could argue the Muppets are performed much better than this movie is scripted or directed). It's best to just bask in the child-like wonder and joy it embodies so purely. And despite how self-aware and cynical it often tries to be, it still can't undermine its genuine, naive spirit.

Overall, I'm most comfortable saying that it's simultaneously a really fun and really flawed movie, which is still a lot better than most other major releases this year.

[Sven]

Wa-wa-what?! No Danny Trejo?

[eternity]

Seriously? Have you guys never watched the first Muppet movie? How is this any more of a self parody than that? Being meta and self-referential and breaking the fourth wall are exactly their thing.
Well, yeah, I know that. It's just not done in a particularly clever way. It's fine and it works, but it could have been done better. It has been done better.

[eternity]

Can...can we talk about how terrible and awesome Chris Cooper is at rapping?

[ledfloyd]

i was cringing during that entire scene. worst scene in the film.

also, i agree with bellamy inre: rainbow connection. the best stuff the film has to offer is primarily nostalgic. which leaves it feeling a bit empty.

[number8]

I was listening to the rap again on my commute this morning, and it occurred to me that as awful as it is, I do admire the fact that Cooper plays it straight through the whole song instead of playing up the "haha I'm old and not black" factor like Steve Martin and Robin Williams did in other movies. Confidence is key, and Cooper's rap is closer in spectrum to Les Grossman territory.

[Fezzik]

I was listening to the rap again on my commute this morning, and it occurred to me that as awful as it is, I do admire the fact that Cooper plays it straight through the whole song instead of playing up the "haha I'm old and not black" factor like Steve Martin and Robin Williams did in other movies. Confidence is key, and Cooper's rap is closer in spectrum to Les Grossman territory.

I was wondering whether they had Richman rap because its a more "modern" musical style and therefore the antithesis of what the Muppets stood for...it kinda villainized him even more.

In an odd way, he's Saruman, and the Muppets are Hobbits.

[monolith94]

This movie made me cry.

[eternity]

I was listening to the rap again on my commute this morning, and it occurred to me that as awful as it is, I do admire the fact that Cooper plays it straight through the whole song instead of playing up the "haha I'm old and not black" factor like Steve Martin and Robin Williams did in other movies. Confidence is key, and Cooper's rap is closer in spectrum to Les Grossman territory.
Exactly. Cooper handles it perfectly, and it's the one scene in the film where you can really see the Bret McKenzie influence.

[monolith94]

Nah, I felt the Bret influence in Muppet or Man as well.

[Henry Gale]

Nah, I felt the Bret influence in Muppet or Man as well.

Yeah, as it was happening I was definitely thinking of this:

ZGes7FDmHAM

[Dillard]

That song "Man or Muppet" has inspired a hair metal/power ballad craze I didn't know I had in me. I've never liked that music!

[eternity]

Nah, I felt the Bret influence in Muppet or Man as well.
Yeah, that too, definitely. My mistake.

[Mara]

FINALLY saw this. Not every moment worked, but enough did that I really found it enjoyable. I already have a crush on Segal, but if I hadn't already, boy howdy.

Let's assume I loved everything and point out a few nitpicks:

*Adam's song in the diner was weak. In fact, I wonder if she was miscast. Why does she always get singing parts? Her voice isn't great. She is good at wide-eyed charm, though.

*Piggy's voice was all wrong. They did everyone else pretty well (especially Kermit) but I found her voice jarring.

*I understand that, given the marketing and great behind-the-scenes story of this film, Segal needed to figure in prominently. However, if he had to be a star, then I think Walter was a bad idea. There shouldn't be TWO characters getting more screen time than Kermit.

If you were to point a gun and ask me my favorite moment-- it might be Animal's angel and demon. Great stuff.

[NickGlass]

*I understand that, given the marketing and great behind-the-scenes story of this film, Segal needed to figure in prominently. However, if he had to be a star, then I think Walter was a bad idea. There shouldn't be TWO characters getting more screen time than Kermit.


This.

I love the Muppets--don't get me wrong. I just wish, you know, I saw more Muppets in The Muppets and less flat, repetitive (passed off a "modernized") meta-jokes. Why spend a majority of the film justifying why The Muppets need to get back together--Jason Segal must've binged on Toy Story 2 and 3 recently--when there's so much more joy in the sheer anarchy of madcap Muppet mania. I didn't realize all of this, and what was off, until the Muppets actually performed together at the end. Ugh, stupid humans. Feels more Apatow than Henson.

[number8]

I thought Walter was a smart idea. I think Segel is enough of a fan to realize that it would be blasphemous for him to be the star of a movie called The Muppets, so he created a new Muppet character that would share his spotlight. I liked that Gary and Walter serve a single purpose and are complimentary of each other as protagonists. The song "Man or Muppet" is more or less about this, that despite having different desires, their arcs are intertwined.

[number8]

In not surprising news, Fox Business News calls the movie a communist propaganda unfairly demonizing the oil industry.

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201112020036

They even took the time to name Captain Planet as another example of Hollywood left brainwashing kids against corporate America.

[NickGlass]

I thought Walter was a smart idea. I think Segel is enough of a fan to realize that it would be blasphemous for him to be the star of a movie called The Muppets, so he created a new Muppet character that would share his spotlight. I liked that Gary and Walter serve a single purpose and are complimentary of each other as protagonists. The song "Man or Muppet" is more or less about this, that despite having different desires, their arcs are intertwined.

I understand all of this, and yet the whole time I kept thinking, "Ok, I get it--now give me some Muppets."

I did like Walter's fascination when discovering reruns of the Muppets; at the moment of Walter's identification, I turned to my friend and said, "That's what it was like when I was introduced to Charles Nelson Reilly via Match Game on Game Show network."

[number8]

Oh, that makes plenty sense.

[Mara]

I hope that, despite a lukewarm box office, there will be a sequel that can focus more on the gang. Everyone knows Segal's involved-- he can stump for the film all he needs.

Not that I don't love Segal. I do. But we need more Muppets!

[Kiusagi]

I had a great time with this, despite having no nostalgic connection to the Muppets. Sure, some moments didn't work, some were even cringe-worthy. But why bother nitpicking when I had that much fun? The self-referential humor may have been forced at times, but I still laughed. Fourth wall breaks rarely fail to amuse me for some reason.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I've been singing the "Life's a Happy Song" number all day. And this is pretty much the last place I expected to hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

[Spinal]

Assorted thoughts on this film ...

1. Perhaps nothing speaks to Jim Henson's genius more than the fact that he built up so much goodwill in his lifetime that a film as shitty as this can be released 20 years after his death and still be met with almost unanimously positive reviews.

2. This is a film that is ostensibly both a comedy and a musical and yet everyone involved, human and muppet alike, seems utterly depressed. Did Kermit go off his medication or what? The frog I know is a ball of energy, waving his arms around and leading decisively. We never see that Kermit. Instead we're stuck with Sylvia fucking Plath. The characters spend so much time bummed out about how much they have been forgotten and how poorly things are going that the film is never any fun.

3. The film has two comedic strategies. The first is to steal ideas from the past and then recreate them to lesser effect. The second is to be self-referential and explicitly point out plot points and exposition.

Actually, come to think of it, that second strategy falls under strategy number one. Never mind.

4. This is a film that has several cameos but no idea how to do a cameo. When you have a cameo, give that person something to do. Something funny to say would be nice. The Muppet Show was masterful at allowing celebrities to showcase their talents, often talents we didn't know they had.

5. This is a film in which Jack Black has two cameos. He is clearly playing two different roles that were intended to be celebrity cameos. He's playing himself in both of them, but they have no connection to each other. It makes his kidnapping unsurprising and unfunny.

6. This film further strengthens my Whoopi Goldberg rule for watching films, which states, "If Whoopi Goldberg appears anywhere in a film, it is most likely not going to be a good film."

7. Do you give a shit about Gary and Mary? Do you really think ... sigh .... Tex Richman is any sort of threat? Would you rather see another movie featuring Walter or punch the Walter puppet in the face? A standing ovation for whistling? Compare and contrast with the utterly beautiful moment of personal growth and discovery in Happy Feet 2.

8. It would be one thing if it were just a shallow excuse to let The Muppets go nuts. These Muppets are not zany. They are pale shadows of half-remembered memories from 30-something writers who have grown up and retained the nostalgia, but have no understanding about what gave those characters their soul. Most of the characters are reduced to a couple of lines or moments. They do not truly function as an ensemble.

9. The film does not have very many jokes that are funny. I could probably count them on one hand. But my favorite was the throwaway line from the teacher that got punched.

10. This is not just a disappointing film. This is not just a bad film. This is the worst film I have seen this year. It's a freaking Muppet movie! How is that even possible?

I'm sure more will come to me when I read the thread.

[Morris Schæffer]

I've not seen this, but It cannot be a good sign when Spinal must resort to harsh words such as "fucking."

[Bosco B Thug]

Man. Coincidentally, I also watched it tonight like Spinal, and, like Spinal, it massively didn't work for me.

[ledfloyd]

i agree with most of spinal's points but didn't think it was the worst film i saw this year. 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 all stand out to me.

[TGM]

Can't say I disagree with any of Spinal's points, other than it being the worst film of the year. I guess all of those negatives just didn't bother me nearly as much.

But yeah, I really only laughed once, at the joke when the dog rejoins the group. And I got a kick out of the Jim Parsons cameo, but the rest were, like you said, pointless.

I dunno, the film really was an un-focused mess, but it had its moments here and there. Enough to where I can't say I hated the movie.

[dreamdead]

I think my favorite bit was at the Anger Management group, where Kristen Schaal actually has a little bit of material to work with. I'm not as down on the film as Spinal, but I sympathize with many of his points. Maybe the older Muppets films have this much winking (rewatches would have to be in order to verify), but this felt too unserious regarding its own plot-points for me to get behind wholeheartedly.

[Watashi]

5. This is a film in which Jack Black has two cameos. He is clearly playing two different roles that were intended to be celebrity cameos. He's playing himself in both of them, but they have no connection to each other. It makes his kidnapping unsurprising and unfunny.


I agree with a lot of your points, but they made a clear connection between his two appearances considering Black recognizes Animal when they kidnap him.

[Spinal]

I agree with a lot of your points, but they made a clear connection between his two appearances considering Black recognizes Animal when they kidnap him.

Yes, I suppose you're right. I still think that when you learn that the Muppets need to kidnap a celebrity that it kills the joke to go back to a celebrity we've already seen do a cameo.

[Bosco B Thug]

Whoa. What the f***. I enjoyed it this time around. I think this is one of the biggest-feeling flip-flops in my life (regarding movies). I'll concede that maybe the joke-processing part of my brain was flipped off during my first viewing.

But I can't ignore how miserable that first viewing was. I think I could pinpoint my annoyance with the film to two major things:

1) The "faux-musical" schtick. Musical numbers filmed like ironic jokes, and the whole (500) Days of Summer aesthetic that needs to die slowly and painfully. That said, I now want to own "Life's a Happy Song."

2) The scope of this thing is just so damn small. It is firmly of the age of the internet video, and the movie just feels like a long, Muppets spin-off College Humor video. Has the art of puppetry died, or is the never-ending stream of Muppet-high medium shots an aesthetic choice?

Now that I knew the film had nothing more to offer the Muppets universe in terms of scale other than hipster humor, I was able to sit back and process the jokes, the narrative arcs (that I felt were non-existent the first time around, although of course they're about a man-child, and "fitting in"), and the detail of Segel, Bobin and co.'s loving & comprehensive recreation of the Muppets and allusions to their most endearing bits.

But the scope thing really boils it down. There isn't a real movie around this thing. It's a lip service movie, and you can analogize it to an SNL sketch spin-off movie that fails to make it movie-sized. It's all cute jokes and tribute, no narrative edge, and so it manages to have too much story and too little story at the same time. It's watching the 70s-originating Muppets in this somewhat-acceptable 2000s Muppet movie (with the lamest cameos ever, and other Spinal-points) that really makes one miss the dirty 70s.

[Robby P]

I generally enjoyed this but I think Spinal makes some great points. I was not interested in Jason Segal's love life or Chris Cooper's rap skills. I wanted Muppets, damn it, and I don't feel like I got that until the last thirty minutes.