2011 was the year of nostalgia, and for college-aged students like myself there was no movie more nostalgic than “The Muppets.”
And even though the movie is notoriously self-aware, in awe of its own nostalgia and acts as a love letter to a group of fans I do not subscribe to (I have a much greater penchant for “Sesame Street’s” Grover), “The Muppets” is the sort of insanely irreverent, goofy and goodhearted movie that belongs in our pop culture lexicon.
They also deserve to be performers at the Oscars, even though that’s for sure not happening. “The Muppets” has the sort of random, viral video presentation that would make it perfect for an awards ceremony.
Often, those moments are gob-smackingly bizarre, like Chris Cooper as an evil oil tycoon belting out a villain’s sing-a-long. And at others they’re adorable, like Amy Adams over-enthusiastically performing a one-woman show.
That said, such occasions are overflowing in “The Muppets.” The songs are off the cuff, guest cameos are bursting out of the frame, movie clichés are lampooned at will, and smiles abound as the film milks every reference for all its worth.
Kermit the Frog is the sort of character that can lovingly sport a black, beatnik turtleneck in a Paris love scene with no hint of cynicism. Miss Piggy is the sort of character that can cue a kung-fu exploitation montage and make it seem purposeful. Jason Segel is the sort of actor and screenwriter that can allow himself to be a kid in a candy store and encourage an audience to feel the same.
What’s more, “The Muppets” is the sort of film that can feel knowingly dated and campy and make you laugh as though no movie has ever acknowledged the ease of a montage, travelling by map or saying something as literal as “maniacal laugh.” It does so by Mickey Mousing (or Kermit the Frog-ing) its score and cinematic elements at every turn.
And speaking of Mickey Mouse, The Muppets as seen here are not even modern incarnations of themselves. Mickey Mouse has gotten cuter over the years since “Steamboat Willie,” and Kermit is still cut from the same bad green felt with ping-pong ball eyes.
It’s Kermit’s innocence that makes him so loveable, and “The Muppets” has its fair share of dopey innocence too.
3 stars