Elton John was almost eaten by crocodiles, Sylvester Stallone torn apart by a lion and Christopher Reeve karate-chopped by a pig. Yet still the stars kept on coming; Gene Kelly, Steve Martin, Racquel Welch and Bob Hope. But The Muppets Christmas Carol movie was a lifetime ago (1992). So, why are they back, what can they offer and, who will turn up?
The renaissance started taking shape back in began back in 2007 when lifelong Muppet fan, actor and writer, Jason (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) Segel had an idea Disney liked. What if the Muppets got back together? A farewell performance from the original cast? Disney agreed Segel got writing - addressing the issue of relevance head on - and casted himself as the leading man, Gary.
His story was simple. Segel and a new muppet, Walter - inexplicably cast as a brother - start reconstructing the team; Kermit (touchingly voiced by Steve Whitmire) from a crumbling mansion, Animal (Eric Jacobson) from an anger management clinic and, most appropriately of all, Miss Piggy (Jacobsen again) from Paris, now the editor of Vogue. Soon everyone is back from Rowlf the dog still on the piano, Fozzie cracking (bad) jokes, the unforgettable Swedish chef doing and saying who knows what and Camilla and her Chickens with a wonderful rendition of Cee-Lo Green’s, “Forget You”.
The gags are still funny - “We had to sit through it,” complains Statler to Waldorf (the old men), “the least folks could do is to share our pain” - the music is great with a wonderful new ballad, Pictures in my Head by Brett McKenzie, from Kermit – and the message - that whoever you are or how different you may seem, there's always a place on the team – as clear as ever. Plus the guest stars are all there - Jack Black (albeit unwillingly), Whoopi Goldberg and Mickey Rooney – and the actors not bad - Academy Award winner Chris Cooper as the baddie, Tex Richman, and (three times) Academy nominee, Amy Adams as Mary, Segel's girlfriend.
Director James Bobin does a wonderful job with a tried and tested formula but when Selena Gomez asks Kermit "are you a ninja turtle”, she hits the nail on the head; how many will remember them and how many will show up?
Give it a try. 8.10 DM
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