Today is the day! Today is the day The Muppets finally hits the big screen for the world to see. And see it you should!
Mini Review: It’s fantastic! I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more, but boy did I cry.
This movie was so good, I can’t even put into words how good it was. Seeing the entire cast again made me cry. Kermit singing “Pictures in my Head” had me bawling. Rainbow Connection duet with Kermit and Miss Piggy — I was done. Not to mention the nods to the original Muppet Movie, the clever breaking of the fourth wall and seeing Jim Henson’s picture randomly throughout. Practically perfect.
Unfortunately I still have minor reservations. I felt like the first musical number came too soon (though the song is fantastic!), I don’t know if I liked the rap Chris Cooper performs halfway through the film and Jack Black, really?! I’m not even sure if I cared if Amy Adams and Jason Segel were part of the movie at all, as they didn’t really add much to the story. Hopefully when I go see it a second, third and fourth time my opinion might change, but for now these are why it wasn’t perfect.
Finally.
Before seeing the film I wasn’t sure how I felt about Walter, the newest Muppet, he didn’t seem kooky or zany or weird enough, but he wasn’t suppose to be. What he was, was me. He was the reflection of how I feel about these characters made of felt and fuzz. How its ok to hold on to something innocent and hopeful even when you’re an adult. Now a plush of Walter sits proudly on my self surrounded by Kermit, Fozzie, Rizzo and Pepe where he belongs.
Whether you grew up with them or this is your first experience with the Muppets go see this movie! But before you do, here are a few more Muppets I’d like for you to know.
Camilla
Gonzo loves chickens, but none more than his girlfriend Camilla.
Though she didn’t appear often in The Muppet Show, only three times beginning in season 3, she has become a staple in the Muppet family and has since appeared in four films and a number of TV specials. She even gets showcased in The Muppets doing an all chicken rendition of “Forget You” by Cee Lo Green. (I was actually hoping they’d title the song “Cluck You”, but alas no.)
Bobo the Bear
Bobo is a newer member of the Muppet family, having been created for Muppets Tonight in the mid-nineties. Unlike most of the newer muppet creations Bobo has managed to stay relevant by continuing to appear in newer Muppet films — Muppets from Space, The Muppets: Letters to Santa and The Muppets.
Oddly, though Bobo is very kind-hearted he tends to be on the side of the villain. But I also think he’s not smart enough to realize he’s siding with the villain.
Bean Bunny
The adorable, but timid Bean Bunny debuted in his own TV special Tale of the Bunny Picnic in 1986 (which can be viewed above) then became a staple on The Jim Henson Hour. Because of his popularity Bean was given a staring role in the Disney attractions Muppetvision 3D and Walt Disney World: Here Come the Muppets.
Originally Bean was positioned to become part of the core Muppet group — along with Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and Fozzie — but when his performer Steve Whitmire took over for Kermit after Jim’s death Bean was left to obscurity.
I was actually sad he didn’t appear at all in The Muppets. I think I need to start a People for Bean Bunny campaign to bring him back!
1-2-3-4 Bean Bunny deserves more!
5-6-7-8 Bring him back before to late!
(needs work)
