The Muppets Movie Review

Director: James Bobin

UK Release Date: 10th February 2012

Running Time: 103 minutes 

Starring: Jason Segal, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones

"The Muppets" directed by James Bobin and starring a cast that includes a mix of How I Met Your Mother and The Office US stars, and also features a huge haul of cameo appearances that has only been rivaled recently by "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" (2013) is a fun and light film that brings our beloved characters back to the big screen. The film is a musical centered around easy flowing comedy but is predictable as with many films of this genre. 

The story follows Gary (Jason Segal) and his brother Walter as they try to bring back together the Muppets to try and save Muppet Studios from Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who is planning drill underneath the studios to strike oil.  With many obstacles along the way and with Gary also trying to celebrate his ten year anniversary with girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), The Muppets are against the clock to save their real home. 

Walter and Gary (Segal) in The Muppets

"The Muppets" is an easy enough film to watch although it does verge on the edge of being cringe-worthy.  This is mainly down to some of the songs and a few of the scenes.  This does not impede on the rest of the film, although it can be found to be slightly annoying when watching.  As the film is a musical, obviously songs are common.  The songs themselves are okay.  They did not really stand out to us but they were at times quite catchy and easy to follow.  To us, all of the songs sounded similar to songs we know but different from each other. In fact one song from the movie, 'Man or Muppet' went on to win an Oscar for Best Original Song.  

The acting in the film is okay and is what can be expected.  Segal and Adams are both enjoyable to watch and are great for the roles.  Both perform well on screen and are soft in nature and funny to watch.  They interact well and the characters are well thought out and fit within the story well.  As usual, The Muppets are excellent. The whole 'gang' is present and provide nice comedy and moments of laughter.  The way the film goes you definitely feel an attachment to The Muppets having grown up with them.  

Mary, Gary and The Muppets

This movie features a huge cameo cast that includes the likes of Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez and Dave Grohl.  It is good to see many familiar faces but in one way we felt that the film relied to heavily on their influence and also that they took away from the story line.  They felt more of a distraction to us rather than something that added extra depth or comedy to the story line.

Overall, "The Muppets" is a good film that is enjoyable to watch.  It has a fun uplifting feel to it throughout and you are bound to know at least some of the cast.  If you are a fan of The Muppets or not, this film is still worth watching and will provide you with good entertainment that does not require much engagement.  The songs are pleasant and even though the film is predictable, it is a good film that brings together some great characters and memories of The Muppets back onto the big screen.

M+F Rating: 7/10

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.