The muppets (2011) review

I saw this film when it first came out, in the cinema, and I have to admit that I enjoyed every minute of it. The setting, the cast and the plotline just worked together really well in this film and I am so glad- mostly because I'm a huge fan of the muppets in general and was a little worried that this film might not live up to my expectations of it.

The characters

Walter (our protagonist) is a muppet, voiced by Peter Linz- who has been pupeteering since the age of 3. His is the traditional "coming of age" story, but with the twist that he is a muppet boy who grew up in a human household- though he has seen other muppets, on the TV. Walter has a human counterpart, played by  Jim Parsons- Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.

Tex Richman (the bad guy) is played by Chris Cooper, who I didn't really know of until this movie- though he has been in a fair few films that I've watched. His acting is quite memorable in the film. I do enjoy his reactions in this film and would say that they're a billion times better than Moulin Rouge's Duke of Monroth simply because, unlike the Duke, Mr. Richman actually attempts to stop the good guys winning even after all of his better plans have failed.

Gary (one of the good guys and Walter's brother) is played by Jason Segel, the guy from How I met your mother. In this film, Segel's talents really shine and are put to good use. His career has tended to push him down the path of "guy who loses girl and whines about it" but this film is more "guy who almost loses girl but gets her back". His singing is also brilliant in this film, alongside other actors. He also has a muppet counterpart, voiced by Bill Barretta who voices many of the muppets.

Mary (Gary's girlfriend) is played by Amy Adams, who played Amelia Earhart in Nightmare at the museum II. She doesn't really have a major role, other than in being Gary's girlfriend, but does play it well.

The plotline

Basically, the muppet studio is out of  business and all of our much-loved friends have taken up different occupations. Walter and his family visit the now dilapidated muppet studios to find that they won't be there for much longer. This leads to them wanting to find the muppets and raise the money to buy back the old studios. This ends up testing many relationships, including that of Walter and Gary.

The review

Muppet (2011) staging

Now, this is a combination of both modernity and the old stuff muppets fans know and love. The staging and decorations are practically identical to that previously used (see above) and with the return of old faces, along with the introduction of new ones, everyone is sure to find something they like. Comedy, romance and drama fit together seamlessly within the film and, to be honest, it's hard to find a fault with any of it.

If you like the muppets then this is a must-watch. If you've never seen any muppets films, this wouldn't be a bad place to start. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is better than Muppet's Treasure Island and I certainly wouldn't say it's better than A muppet Christmas carol, but it is definitely one to put on your list of top 5 muppet films.