Movie Review-----THE MUPPETS

One of the great movies that I can watch over and over and still laugh out loud is the original THE MUPPET MOVIE. Come on....it's fabulous, right? That incredible musical score, all those terrific celebrity cameos, and a really smart screenplay. It is and always will be a Classic! This new Muppet movie called THE MUPPETS is a pretty successful attempt to revitalize the franchise for a whole new generation. I would say it's about 98% successful. No score could possibly compare to the original that contained such gems as THE MAGIC STORE, MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG, and of course THE RAINBOW CONNECTION. And the score to this new Muppets film is the real negative to the production. But it's a pretty big negative. There isn't one memorable song in the entire score. The best song in the film is when THE RAINBOW CONNECTION is revived. So, even though one of the songs won the Oscar for Best Song this year, of which there were only two nominees, for me, the really weak musical element took away from some of the enjoyment of the whole product. BUT....there are so many other reasons to truly recommend THE MUPPETS. It's a clever script that puts Jason Segal and Amy Adams in charge of gathering the estranged Muppet clan together for one final show in an effort to save The Muppet Theater, which is about to be bulldozed by villainous Chris Cooper. There are lots of celebrity cameos including Jack Black, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Silverman, and even Mickey Rooney makes an appearance. The nostalgia factor is so huge in this movie that it's almost more fun for Adults who grew up with THE MUPPET SHOW than for kids who are just now being introduced to Kermit and The Gang. I'm convince that kids won't get half of the "in" jokes. When the whole cast assembled to sing THE RAINBOW CONNECTION, I was ridiculously choked up. If you have fond memories of the TV Show and especially the original films, you will greatly enjoy THE MUPPETS. But honestly, nothing can beat the memory I have of sitting at the Village Square Cinema with my father hearing Kermit sing those words for the first time....."Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, for lovers, the dreamers, and me."