Movie Review: "The Muppets"

Synopsis: Walter, a lifelong fan of Kermit, Miss Piggy and crew, dreams of visiting the Muppet studio.  When he, his brother Gary, and Gary's significant other, Mary (Amy Adams), finally make the trek over there, they discover that it's been largely abandoned.  Worse yet, Walter overhears an evil tycoon's plan to buy the Muppet studio only to dig up the oil reserve beneath it.  The only way the nefarious scheme can be stopped is if Kermit and friends can raise ten million dollars.  Kermit assembles the old crew together to put on a benefit...but, that nefarious oil baron will stop at nothing to be the owner of the Muppet studios.  Will Kermie prevail in the end?
Features appearances by Jack Black, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Selena Gomez, Emily Blunt, and several other celebrities.

The Good: After Jim Henson died, the Muppet franchise went into a downward spiral.  Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets from Space were pretty good...but, after the mediocre and somewhat crude It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, the absolutely horrible The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and the inane A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa, things seemed bleak for Kermit and crew.  Well, I'm happy to say that this film brings back the Muppet magic.  It's a serious throwback to a time when movies were made to simply be enjoyed, not picked apart for hidden meanings.  Humor abounds; the musical numbers were great; the heroes were likable; the villain was utterly despicable; and, there's many a cute moment.

The Bad: Unfortunately, the makers felt the need to add some occasional crude bits, though it's nowhere near as egregious as in the other Muppet flicks mentioned above.  Without them, this movie could have scored a "G".

Conclusion: I grew up watching the Muppets in various forms: movies, both older and newer; Muppet Babies; Muppets Tonight; and, yes, even Fraggle Rock.  That may make me a bit biased, but, I still had a blast with this movie.  Say what you will about Disney; they brought back the Muppets to their former glory.  Whereas the movies from the 2000s would have made Jim Henson turn in his grave, this would have made the late Muppet creator proud.  Let's hope the next movie, Muppets: Most Wanted, continues this trend.

Score: 4.5/5