Film Review: "The Muppets" (2011).

"Muppet domination" in The Muppets. This musical comedy film directed by James Bobin, in his directorial debut, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. It is the seventh theatrical film featuring the Muppets. The film centres on three fans, Gary, Mary and Walter, who set out to reunite the Muppets to save the Muppet Theater from annihilation. But first, they must find each one of them as they have disappeared into obscure jobs.

In March 2008, Walt Disney Pictures first announced the film via Variety, after Segal and Stoller pitched a concept for a Muppets film to Disney executive vice-president of production Karen Falk, with Segel and Stoller penning the script and to direct. In June, the first draft was completed under the original title The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time!!! However, in January 2010, Bobin was hired to direct. In Summer 2010, it was announced that the film was set for a Christmas 2011 release date. By late October, Segal would star with Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Jack Black, Zach Galifianakis, Jim Parsons, Ken Jeong, Alan Arkin, Bill Cobbs, Kristen Schaal, Donald Glover, and Sarah Silverman were cast with Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel and Peter Linz. Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson would be absent. Emily Blunt, James Carville, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Dave Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, Judd Hirsch, John Krasinski, Rico Rodriguez, and Mickey Rooney provided cameos. At the same time, principal photography commenced, and took place throughout Los Angeles, California, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada, Paris, France, and Zürich, Switzerland. The filmmakers decided to use only old-style techniques for all the Muppet effects, such as remote control and battery operated puppets rather than computer animation in order to keep with the original style and charm of The Muppets. A majority of the Muppet characters had to be completely rebuilt for the film. The film utilised extensive blue-screen shots and matte backgrounds. The end result complete removed the puppeteers from the final shot. Look Effects provided the visual effects. In December 2010, the release date was moved to Thanksgiving 2011.

The film stars Segel, Adams, Cooper, Jones, Black, Galifianakis, Parsons, Jeong, Arkin, Cobbs, Schaal, Glover, and Silverman, with Whitmire, Jacobson, Goelz, Barretta, Rudman, Vogel and Linz. Terrific performances were given by both the human and muppet cast. They do a fairly nice job of trying to be all things to all people. Which is not an easy job.

The Muppets is a winner, with a script by Segal and Stoller incorporates the zingy one-liners and bad puns that have become the teleseries' trade mark, but also develops the Muppets themselves as thinking, feeling characters. As you might well expect, it is hip, funny, technically ingenious, fast-moving, melodious, richly produced, contemporary and equally and utterly beguiling to grown-ups and small persons. The film demonstrates once again that there's always room in movies for unbridled amiability when it's governed by intelligence and wit. It is surely one of the summer's most entertaining films.

Simon says The Muppets receives: