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.

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Taglines:

Muppet domination

---

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Musical

---

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

Jason Segel promised comedian Craig Ferguson a cameo in the movie, which Craig was excited for, but Jason never pulled through.

---

Goofs

When the protagonists retrieve Animal from the anger management therapy and the patients start fighting each other, one of them (the tall man with short, white hair standing behind the therapist) is clearly not hitting anything, as his punch misses his opponent by at least one foot. Yet, we hear the punch and the other man falls down.

---

Quotes

[from trailer]
Statler: Is this movie in 3-D?
Waldorf: Nope! The Muppets are as one-dimensional as they've always been!

---

Crazy Credits

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

---

Connections

References The Muppet Show: Harry Belafonte (1978)

---

Soundtracks

"Man or Muppet"
Written by Bret McKenzie
Performed by Jason Segel, Peter Linz, Jim Parsons, and Bill Barretta

User Reviews

The Most Sensational, Inspirational, Celebrational, Muppetational

The Muppets is essentially flawless. I know this is a weird way to start a review, but I feel I should just forego formalities and cut to the chase. This year has been a fairly disappointing year for movies, but The Muppets just about makes up for it all by itself. It's an absolutely life-affirming tribute to beloved characters and memories that should have never been allowed to fade into obscurity, and if you care at all about movies you need to see this, as soon as possible.

Jason Segel, along with co-writer Nicholas Stoller and director James Bobin have made a film that is just absolutely bursting at the seams with affection towards the Muppets, and that love and passion has instantly rocketed this movie to the very top of the list when it comes to long history of Muppet shows, movies, and even viral videos. The film is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time and accomplishes this without being crass or cynical; it's smart, witty, and most importantly, completely heartfelt. Jason Segel with his obvious and undying love for the Muppets is, by all accounts, the most deserving person to be given creative control of the Muppets since Jim Henson himself.

The original Muppet Movie will always be a timeless classic, and it's charm and legacy will likely never be topped by another Muppet movie. However, The Muppets is the closest it has ever come, and, due to the timeliness and poignancy of the story, I would argue that right at this moment it is more relevant and moving than even the 1979 classic. I was unable to stop smiling during the entire running time of the movie, even while tears were coming to my eyes.

I know I'm not really reviewing the movie right now, and I'm more just beaming about how much I loved it, but really, I feel it would be a disservice to go into details about this movie. Simply put, you need to see it, and if you don't you're robbing yourself of a truly extraordinary film experience. This is the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational movie of the year. Go see it. Right now. I mean it, go buy tickets for this weekend, and you can thank me later.

A+