The Muppets - Cheap Thoughts

I was never really that big into The Muppets as a kid, i saw a little bit of several of the films but never actually sat down and watched them in full, but i was always aware of who they were, but it wasn't a massive part of my childhood or anything. This can be something quite important when it comes to The Muppets, because I imagine someone growing up with this franchise would have had waves of nostalgia over this film and have loved it, but i didn't have that...and yet even I loved it.

The Muppets, released in 2011, directed by James Bobin and written by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segal, also starring Segal alongside Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones and obviously, The Muppets. It follows the story of two mega Muppet fans Gary and Walter (Also a Muppet, or puppet technically) who travel to LA with Gary's girlfriend Mary and try and reunite The Muppets to prevent The Muppet Studio from being torn down.

Like i said, this movie probably brings back lots of nostalgia for hardcore fans, almost all of the Muppets make an appearance, several famous songs get revisited, so if you're a fan of the Muppets and haven't seen this film, you'd probably enjoy it a lot. But the film never isolates non-fans, there's plenty of content here for new fans. They do a good job of reintroducing the characters so you get to know their personalities and there are plenty of jokes to get a laugh out of you, especially the fourth wall jokes which i found to be the most entertaining. The songs are also very good, i bought the soundtrack and listen to them quite often, hell, even i know Rainbow Connection well enough that when it played even I got nostalgic, though one performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit felt...out of place. Something about Nirvana and The Muppets just doesn't mix well.

But that's what makes me like the film, what makes me love the film are the emotional moments, because as i've stated, i'm not nostalgic for The Muppets, but you don't have to be, if you're nostalgic for anything from your childhood then you get where they're coming from with this. If Cartoon Network did a big special reuniting all the original Cartoon Cartoons then i'd freak out, so seeing all of the people who were fans of The Muppets as kids come to see them here, i got teary eyed because i've always felt that it's the stuff from our childhoods that no matter what, we're always going to be fans of, and we're always going to be happy to see new content from.

And then there is the ending to the film which is...incredible. It's very mature, fitting and kind of bitter-sweet, The Muppets don't get the victory they wanted, but they get the victory they deserved, no not everything is conveniently gone right for them, but they worked hard and they earned what they did get. Even the big speech that Kermit gives to the other Muppets is really effective. This movie not only appeals to nostalgic viewers and non-nostalgic viewers, but it makes me want to go back in time and become a massive fan, just so i can appreciate the movie all the more, because as it is right now, I'm giving The Muppets a 9/10, god knows what i would have given it if i was already a fan.

-Danny