The Muppets: A Fresh Serving of Muppetational Spectacle

Just as hate might find the source of its progression in fear, despair might find its roots in nostalgia. No wonder, then, that Hollywood finds such a powerful figure in the aging star wilting without the sunlight of celebrity. The emotion is strong enough for any drama, but holds particular resonance for an industry in which fame is fleeting, prone to fickle public tastes and subjected to the never-ending parade of Next Big Things. Thus, films featuring characters reacting to the loss of a glorious present to the irrevocable past in ways ranging from the psychotic break of a Baby Jane Hudson (as memorably played by Bette Davis) and Gloria Swanson’s seminal Norma Desmond to the creeping melancholy of a waning magician in last year’s animated feature and reflective Jacques Tati tribute L’Illusioniste.

Of course, the lesson that the fading star embodies for all of us – the nature of change – isn’t Hollywood’s sole concern. In the hands of the studio production machine, nostalgia also serves to commoditize our cultural memories. Consider the regular attempts to resuscitate old television series. But before revving up a condemnation, also consider that the studios’ reasoning isn’t unsound. Given the expense of making movies, it’s sensible to choose films with a predictable chance of getting a good return on the investment – like films based on successful TV series with a proven fan base. The question is, to what extent the effort mixes in some heart with the dollar bills or merely consists of a reductive attempt to make money from fans hit upside the head with a marketing department’s cudgel.

This is why when The Green Hornet was released last year, I resisted the pull to revisit a series I enjoyed as a youngster. Michel Gondry’s lashing out to critics didn’t inspire confidence that his direction was motivated by a genuine affection for a 1930s character that spawned comic books as well as radio and television programs. Says he: “I usually identify with the nerds but these ones just reinforce the social rules. Their values are fascistic. All those people marching around in capes and masks and boots. The superhero imagery is totally fascist!…When you step into this genre, they feel it belongs to them. They want you to conform, or they won't like you. They want the conventional. But it's fine. The movies have been doing very well, I think, whenever we've screened it to normal people.” To the contrary, his prickly, defensive posture led him to confuse conformity and convention with a reasonable expectation of faithfulness, a measure of integrity. Far from being the straightforward, relatively serious-minded character of pulpy days gone by, Gondry’s reinvention of Britt Reid aka the Green Hornet– co-written by the film’s unlikely and controversial star, Seth Rogen –presented in the trailer a goofy, parody version of the character, transforming Britt Reid from a dedicated crimefighter to an inept frat boy. This is just the sort of reinvention that gives film adaptations of TV series a bad reputation, despite notable successes like the Addams Family who, in fact, manage to reinvent while staying true to the Addams spirit. Some films can be excused for sincere intentions but flawed results, like the recent big-screen version of The A-Team. But sometimes you have to recognize ego and cash grabs for what they are. Perhaps a future viewing of The Green Hornet will challenge my impression of the film so far, but that’s a big “perhaps.”

So what are we to make of this attempt to put the Muppets back on stage? Much like Monty Python, Jim Henson’s iconoclastic 1950s creation ingrained itself in the cultural consciousness with a mix of memorably colourful characters, zany humour, and catchy songs. Its characters, especially Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy though every Muppet fan has his/her favourite, achieved the status of icons. Ironically, the Muppet Show itself could be viewed as the offspring of nostalgic feeling for vaudeville, but the hopeful lesson is that the best of the past often lives on, transformed perhaps but nevertheless still with us. Not that this was the lofty lesson to be had. Like all entertainers, the Muppets aimed to entertain, to bring laughter and joy to viewers. That they became such a beloved part of our entertainment culture is testament to their happy effect and enduring legacy.

Twelve years after their last film adventure in Muppets From Space, however, it seemed as if time had at last caught up with our muppety friends, consigning them to the bin of cherished memories. Only people who truly love the Muppets could successfully dust them off. And only people who truly cared about being faithful to what made the Muppets connect with audiences could blend a fond reminiscence of their golden age with a forward-looking revival – and subsequently deliver a genuinely Muppetational spectacle. These people, interestingly, turn out to be Jason Siegel and writer-director Nicholas Stoller (both having previously collaborated on Forgetting Sarah Marshall), along with director James Bobin (co-creator of Flight of the Conchords). Proving yet again the perils of pigeonholing, the result of their efforts is part nostalgic love letter and part celebration, ultimately reminding us about why we loved the Muppets in the first place.

Segel and Stoller bring us into the story via a charming new Muppet named Walter, brother to Jason Segel’s Gary, who is content with life until it becomes clear that he can’t really fit into the human world. On discovering the Muppets, he becomes the adoring fan who aspires to join his idols, thus winding up the events that lead to the disbanded Muppet troupe reuniting once more to save their theatre from greedy oil tycoon Tex Richman. As befitting a Muppet production, there’s romance, poignancy, singing, dancing and gags aplenty including all sorts of meta-fictional tomfoolery. The cast, which includes ever-adorable Amy Adams as Gary’s girlfriend, hilariously chewy Chris Cooper as Richman, and a smorgasbord of inspired cameos, throw themselves into the movie with such gusto that they can’t help but take us along with them. The end result is a triumphant return filled with both hilarity and tender emotions, and a song pondering the existential dilemma of choosing to be a man or a Muppet. Welcome back, Kermit and friends. You were missed.

The Muppets. Written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, based on Jim Henson's Muppet characters. Directed by James Bobin. Walt Disney Studios. Starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and more. 98 minutes. Rated PG (for some mild rude humor).


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