Draw the line between Man and Muppet

My recliner’s dusty because I was tearing up something fierce during The Muppets.

I know I’m a hardcore softy, but this movie really touched me.

As always, The Muppets tells a self-referential tale. The plot reflects the real-world state of the Muppet tradition.

The last time Jim Henson’s puppets hit the screen was back in 2005, in a movie I’d never even heard of. The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz features Ashanti, Queen Latifah, and Quentin Tarantino—one of the most baffling casts ever assembled in a loose attempt to retell the classic story with a Black ensemble. Clearly, the film bombed.

This new adventure tries to revive the original spirit of Muppet storytelling.

What fascinates me most about this franchise is its narrative style. It draws power from the audience’s nostalgia, and it thrives on self-awareness. The plot—while particularly strong in this entry—matters less than the Muppet experience itself, which always carries the show.

I don’t think we often get to see the full performance of The Muppet Show. By the end of this movie, though, we get the whole shebang-a-bang.

Jason Segel played a major role in getting this film off the ground. He didn’t just star—he also co-wrote the screenplay (second only to Jim Henson in the credits). Henson died in 1990 at only fifty-four, so there’s no chance he helped write this script. Still, it’s a nice gesture that they credit him anyway.

Back in 1969, Henson created a philosophical teleplay called The Cube. It’s sharp, funny, and under an hour long—you can find it online. And he didn’t stop there. He wrote, directed, and produced all sorts of experimental works like The Cube, none of which featured puppets. The man had serious range and left us too soon.

Amy Adams also stars here, and she might be the best actress working today. She’s easily top three (with Jennifer Lawrence and Scarlett Johansson right behind her).

Fun fact: Segel and Kermit recorded a video—also online—personally asking Amy to join the cast. Clearly, she accepted. She’s an absolute delight and even dances (and possibly sings, though I haven’t confirmed it!).

Now I don’t love talking about myself, but I think my Muppet experience is pretty relatable. Before watching this 2011 movie, I’d never seen a Muppet film in full. Sure, I visited the 3D Muppet experience at Disney World a few times, but that’s about it.

So I walked into this one expecting disappointment. That low bar might’ve boosted my reaction. At worst, this is a good movie. At best, it’s great.

But here I am, writing this review days later, and even with a clear head I still believe it deserves all 8 stars.

Seems to land with just about everyone.

I’d like to meet someone who can look me in the eye and say they hate The Muppets. Honestly, I’m not sure such a person exists.

Still, after all that praise, let’s talk about what doesn’t work.

At first, I thought the budget was tight—mainly because they joke about it in the movie. Fozzie Bear even remarks that he’s surprised they could afford an explosion. (IMDb puts the budget around $45M, which doesn’t seem all that skimpy.)

But the Muppet machine involves a lot of moving parts: backup dancers, seat-filling extras, music composition, orchestral recording (presumably), and more.

And once Fozzie made that crack, I started noticing potential corner-cutting. For instance, the “Muppet Man” gag looks oddly cheap compared to the rest of the film. Thankfully, the movie’s hyper self-awareness forgives a few weak spots.

The slowest moments—as usual—come whenever Miss Piggy takes the spotlight. I don’t care what anyone says, Miss Piggy is by far the most boring Muppet.

She always has been. And I don’t get why this problem keeps showing up. People like to explain it to me: “Well, she’s supposed to be an intentionally grating foil to the others. She’s written that way.”

Fine. But that doesn’t change the fact that Miss Piggy remains a drag—no matter what the writers intended. Regardless of whether she’s parodying something or opposing the other characters, her scenes and solos fall flat. So can’t we just give her less screen time?

Sorry. That swine really sets me off.

Generally, I’m not a fan of scatological humor. If you’d asked me beforehand, I’d have said Fozzie Bear’s “fart shoes” would feel beneath the Muppets.

But the gag isn’t cheesy or overdone. In fact, it’s one of the funniest bits in the movie. Which says a lot about the humor throughout: fast-paced and sharply crafted.

Bret McKenzie (from Flight of the Conchords) wrote the soundtrack, and it’s excellent. Even Chris Cooper’s surprise rap—which gets glossed over—works. The best track is easily “Man or Muppet.” It’s clever and genuinely fun.

The cameos? Utterly charming.

I wanted to roll my eyes at “The Rainbow Connection.” I really did. But I caved. Some tears got involved. I don’t want to talk about it.

All in all, The Muppets is a fantastic movie that doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

Give it a shot—you’ll be glad you did.

★★★★ ★★★★

Briefer takes at IMDb & Letterboxd.

Read my review of Muppets Most Wanted.

Much better than The Descendants.