The Muppets (2011)

With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.

Director:

James Bobin

Writers:

Jason Segel, Nicholas Stoller,

Stars:

Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper

Won 1 Oscar. Another 9 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Segel	...	Gary
Amy Adams	...	Mary
Chris Cooper	...	Tex Richman
Rashida Jones	...	CDE Executive
Steve Whitmire	...	Kermit / Beaker / Statler / Rizzo / Link Hogthrob / The Newsman (voice)
Eric Jacobson	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam Eagle / Marvin Suggs (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	Gonzo / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Zoot / Beauregard / Waldorf / Kermit Moopet (voice)
Bill Barretta	...	Swedish Chef / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Pepe The Prawn / Bobo / Foozie Bear / Whatnot Farmer / Muppet Gary (voice)
David Rudman	...	Scooter / Janice / Miss Poogy / Wayne (voice)
Matt Vogel	...	Sgt. Floyd Pepper / Camilla / Sweetums / 80's Robot / Lew Zealand / Uncle Deadly / Rowlf Moopet / Crazy Harry (voice)
Peter Linz	...	Walter (voice)
Alan Arkin	...	Tour Guide
Bill Cobbs	...	Grandfather
Zach Galifianakis	...	Hobo Joe
Ken Jeong	...	'Punch Teacher' Host

Storyline

When 3 Muppet fans learn that Tex Richman wants to drill under the Muppet Theater for oil, Gary, Mary and Walter set out to find the Muppets who have been split up for years so that they can put on one last show and save the Muppet Theater. Kermit the Frog now lives in his own mansion depressed in Hollywood, 'The Great Gonzo' is a high class plumber at Gonzo's Royal Flush, Fozzie Bear performs with a tribute band called The Moopets, Miss Piggy is the plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, and Animal is at a celebrity anger management rehab center in Santa Barbara.

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Plot Keywords:

the muppets | tribute band | oil tycoon | modem | evil laughter | 

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Taglines:

They're closer than you think.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Musical

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild rude humor

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Greatest Muppet Movie Ever Made

Filming Locations:

Old Westbury Gardens - 71 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$29,239,026 (USA) (18 November 2011)

Gross:

$88,625,922 (USA) (30 March 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kermit's difficulty in finding a guest star for the reunion show parallels the real life history of The Muppets. Until Rudolf Nureyev's appearance in The Muppet Show: Rudolf Nureyev, it was very difficult for the producers to find celebrities willing to appear on The Muppet Show.

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Goofs

When Walter is practicing at the piano at the Muppet Theatre, the book moves from the left side of the piano (in the first shot) to the right side (subsequent shots).

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Quotes

[Tex and Uncle Deadly are atop the Muppet Theater with a pair of boltcutters about to shut off the power]
Tex Richman: To the end of the Muppets!
[Uncle Deadly grabs the boltcutters to stop Tex]
Tex Richman: Deadly! What are you doing?
Uncle Deadly: Enough! Just because I have a terrifying name and an evil English accent, does not preclude the fact that, in my heart, I am a Muppet, not a Moopet! Looks like it's I who will have the last laugh!
Tex Richman: What does that mean?
Uncle Deadly: It's an idiom, you idiot, because you cannot laugh! Ha ha!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The credits feature the cameo celebrities singing "Mahna Mahna" with their Muppet co-stars.

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Connections

References Scarface (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
Written & Performed by Paul Simon

User Reviews

Meh....

Now, I love the Muppets, as my username clearly implies, and was hyped when I heard there was going to be a new theatrical release two years ago. All I can say is that I'm glad I waited until I could see it on HBO to finally see it.

Now, as a movie, it's not horrible. But my problem with it is that it doesn't feel like an actual Muppet movie. It seems more like an ascended fanfiction. I guess that was sort of the point, but it's supposed to be a movie first. The songs are forgettable, most of the human actors range from overly cutesy to completely wooden, the story is cliché, to say the least, the humor falls flat, and it lacks the general wackiness that makes the Muppets what they are. Several other reviewers have commented on how emotionally manipulative the movie is, and they're all correct. The very premise operates under the assumption that the Muppets are some forgotten entity ("not famous anymore") that no one cares about anymore. The older Muppet films (both those before and after Jim Henson's death) were much more subtle than this.

Bottom line, fans, skip this film. Or watch it once. ONCE. Otherwise, go watch any of the three Henson-era films, or Christmas Carol or Treasure Island.