Muppets

I can remember as a kid watching THE MUPPET SHOW with my family, and we all liked it for various reasons, but no matter the age difference, we all laughed and loved the creations of the dear departed Jim Henson and Frank Oz. During the late 70's and into the early 80's, The Muppets were heavily ingrained in pop culture, with the show and with the feature films THE MUPPET MOVIE, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER and THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN, where Oz made his directing debut. But in the years following, something happened. The further away from the lovable characters we were, the less we thought of them. After a few attempts to bring the Muppets to the big screen again after the passing of Jim Henson, with films like A MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL and MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND, nothing really became of them. The Muppets went from being universally beloved to "Out of sight; out of mind" in just one generation.But leave it to the creative minds of co-writer/co-star Jason Segel, and THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS Bret McKenzie and director James Bobit to not only reintroduce The Muppets to a whole new generation, but to also remind those of us who had forgotten the great wonder and joy that we experienced watching The Muppets. Like some of the greatest of the Disney/Pixar films, they transplant the ideology of that company which is to always aim for the smartest person in the audience and allow the rest to be taken in by the joy of the spectacle.But in their genius, Bobit, Segel and McKenzie actually engage us with these characters again, but not with a reboot or a reimagining or a sequel. They actually recognize, as does the film itself, that The Muppets haven't been a thing for quite some time, and their efforts to save their studio from demolishing by the diabolical villain of the piece, oil baron Tex Richman (played with tongue firmly planted in cheek by Chris Cooper) are shot down at nearly every turn by television executives who find they can get more mileage out of lowest-denomiator abusive reality TV than a program that is intelligent and charming (the film works on several levels; one of them being biting satire). As a writer, Segel sells his humor well, as well as the director Bobit, who directs the film with great verve and smarts. The songs by McKenzie are outrageous (the Oscar-Winning "Man or Muppet"), infectious ("Life's a Happy Song"), and surprisingly poignant ("Pictures in My Head"). Also working her many charms here is Amy Adams, the perfect girl-next-door schoolteacher who can also fix a V-12 engine and is Segel's character's girlfriend of 10 years.Also along side the many fuzzy characters (obvious returns by Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rolf, Animal, Beaker, and the indomitable Miss Piggy among many many others) is the new character of Walter, Segel's younger brother, who, along with Segel, finds his destiny with the help of The Muppets.What could literally be the most telling moment of the whole film is as members of the Muppet cast sing an abridged and incredibly amusing version of Nirvana's eponymous classic, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" in the presence of an angry Jack Black, calling them out as ruining one of the greatest songs of all time. This would probably be lost on most audience members the first time around, but when I rewatched it again just a few days ago, I saw there was something more going on. The song itself is considered the ultimate song of teen angst and volatile cynicism, but the way that the song is performed is outrageous, filled with lively humor and vacant of the vitriol of the original song. This is essentially the message of the film, and I'm paraphrasing Joss Whedon here: "The ultimate expression of defiance is joy." The film basically tells us all to deny what the societal norms are of cynicism, derision and snark and embrace the things that give us the greatest happiness; the things that are free of all of what our culture has become. For this reason above all, THE MUPPETS is a film for the ages, young and old.

When I first saw the trailers for the new Muppet movie simply titled THE MUPPETS, I was worried. Let's just say the Muppets haven't had the best track record since switching over to Walt Disney Studios ownership. Or for that matter, since the beloved Jim Henson passed away. And while THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL and MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND were decent pictures, they really could never match the magic of the 1979 THE MUPPET MOVIE or THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER even. And as the years passed from the abysmal MUPPETS FROM SPACE, I wrote off any future Muppet releases ever being good again.Until I finally caved and went to see THE MUPPETS with a friend. And I am so glad I did. Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller have really delivered an amazing script that takes viewers back to what Jim Henson had always hoped the Muppets would bring: that wonderful happiness melded with a childhood nostalgia that really doesn't fade away after the credits roll.The story begins with bright eyed Gary and his Muppet brother Walter who are planning a trip with Gary's girlfriend Mary (played by Amy Adams) to Los Angeles. While there, Muppet fan Walter plans on visiting the Muppet Studios. But when the threesome arrives, they discover the entire place is completely abandoned and rundown. But that's also when they discover that an evil oil baron, Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plans on destroying the Muppet Studios and drilling for oil. What ensues is a wild romp to regather the Muppet family and put on one last show to raise ten million dollars and save the Studios.The best part of this entire venture is how the Muppets can get away with poking fun at themselves while remaining completely innocent in doing so. The best jokes come from moments where we find out what has happened to all the Muppets -- and the constant poking at not being in popular culture any longer. It's absolutely perfect. I found myself laughing harder than any kids in the audience as small moments popped through referencing previous films and THE MUPPET SHOW itself. From the wonderful 1980's Robot using its modem to the offbeat "Moopets" -- replacements for the original Muppets -- the humor is spot on.The music is spectacular. It really harkens back to what Paul Williams used to do not only on THE MUPPET SHOW, but also in THE MUPPET MOVIE. The dancing and singing is well executed and I kept feeling amazed at the song lyrics. Not only are they great musically, but the writing was smart and never cliché. And as the opening number, "Life's A Happy Song" begins, I could not stop smiling. I knew it from those first moments: the Muppets I knew and loved were back. And hopefully this time for good.Acting is top notch -- as Amy Adams and Jason Segel play bright and cheery adults who never come across as being cornball. It definitely has a hair of camp factor, but Adams and Segel pull it off brilliantly. The cameo performances are perfect -- never overwhelming, and always at the right moments. Some are definitely highly laugh-worthy, such as while Walter sings through his conflicts, a human version of himself appears in the mirror played by THE BIG BANG THEORY's Jim Parsons.Be warned: there are not only numerous moments of laughter, but also some tear-inducing moments. Such as when Kermit walks around his empty mansion and reminisces on the past. THE MUPPET MOVIE inspired me as a kid in so many ways, and THE MUPPETS has the power to do that for a whole new generation of kids. And I know that this is exactly the sort of film Jim Henson would be extremely proud of. I know I am. And for all the lovers and dreamers who grew up on The Muppets, this is not a film to miss.

Second only to the sequel (Muppets Most Wanted).

Excelente.La entrega fue muy rápida, todo muy coordinado y cumpliendo con el tiempo de entrega.Esta película la busque durante mucho tiempo y no la encontraba.Lo mejor fue que es que la encontré en combo de Blue-ray y DVD,Feliz con mi compra en Amazon.com!!!

The grandchildren are on the other side of the world so being able to send stuff via Amazon is great. I understand they loved the DVD. K

はやい。安い。最高。

Come descrizione, io L ho preso X la mia bimba di 4 anni X farle vedere film in inglesePerfetto