I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, but there have been a lot of things going on in my life. A marrige to a wonderful woman, a honeymoon, and work, work, work. Anyway, it was my day off today, and a buddy of mine called me up and asked me if I wanted to go see a movie. Needless to say, we found ourselves at our local theater, trying to figure out what to see. We didn't know it would be such a hard decision (insert your own sarcastic remark here).
There is something that might be seen as strange about two grown men watching a Muppet movie, but honestly, I don't really care. I have been a fan of the Muppets for as long as I can remember, so if that makes me strange, then so be it. I can remember watching them on Saturday mornings with my little sister. We would laugh until our sides hurt. I found myself thinking about that as the movie started. I hoped this would be a trip down memory lane.
It was just that.
The beginning was a bit slow, but it picked up when our main character and newest muppet, Walter, his older, human brother Gary (Jason Segel), and Gary's girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams), head to Los Angeles for vacation. Walter is the world's biggest muppet fan, and he is so excited to finally get to see Muppet Studios for the first time. When they get there, though, they find it dilapidated and on the verge of collapse. Walter sneaks into Kermit the Frog's office to look around, and that is where the plot is revealed. The two old codgers we all remember as the hecklers from the Muppet Show balcony, Statler and Waldorf, are leading a tour of their own. They are followed by an oil tycoon, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who tells them he plans to make a museum out of the place. However when they leave, He tells his two companions that he plans to raze the building because there is a huge oil deposit underneath it. Keep in mind that Walter is still in the room and overhears everything. That is when the hillarity truly begins to ensue.
The Muppets went their seperate ways years ago, so Walter, Gary, and Mary have to track them down one by one. The first one they find is, of course, Kermit. Walter tells him about the plan to destroy the building, and that the only way to save it is to raise ten million dollars. Kermit suggests a telethon to raise the money, and then, just like the Blues Brothers, they "get the band back together". Aided by their 80's robot, they start their trek to find Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, Animal (my personal favorite), Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang.
I am only going to tell you about the place they find Animal, though the others are found in some pretty bizarre places. They find Animal in a support group with people for anger issues. His sponser is none other than Jack Black. That little tidbit will come in handy for them later in the movie. Hint: the Muppets need a celebrity guest host for the telethon. It turns out that Animal's anger issues stem from the "D-word" (drums). They tell him that he can never drum again (yeah, right).
As in all Muppet movies, there were many cameo appearances. This one featured people you would not expect. People like Mickey Rooney, Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, and so on. It was not lacking in the music department, either. Everything from a chicken-clucked version of C-lo Greene's "Forget You" to the ever popular "Rainbow Connection". This soundtrack is one I might have to buy.
I was pleasantly surprised with the newest Muppet installment. I would highly recommend it to anyone that has children, or are just looking for a trip down memory lane, like I was. It has a wonderful message as well. I wouldn't be surprised if I went to see it again with my wife. It is well worth the money.
Until next time, (and it will be a LOT sooner than ten months)
Music Man
No comments:
Post a Comment