Released by: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Released onto DVD on 11th June 2012
Priced: £10.00 or less
JOHN MOSBY MEETS THE MUPPETS...
There’s a certain buzz in the air at the May Fair Hotel in London – there are some very special guests on the premises. Well, there’s at least one. Kermit is here, eager to talk about the new muppets movie (handily entitled, The Muppets), but his on-screen partner (and, perhaps ,off-screen too – but let’s not gossip) is apparently off doing research/shopping. The world’s most famous frog insists she’ll be along shortly.
Despite being away from the screen for a long time, there’s
no denying the muppets have a multi-generational appeal. Kermit speaks to the fact that while he
enjoys the rising trend in 3D, CGI outings, he still prides himself in coming
from an era where things were real. Maybe that’s why they’ve taken their time,
making us miss them.
“We’ve never been interested in becoming background guys who
are turned into CGI. We’ve always wanted to be real in a real world. Let me give you an example… if you were
talking to me and I was Woody from Toy Story… THIS would be your interview...”
he says, ducking under table leaving an empty space to look at. “I think it’s
probably a lot to do with staying true to who we are, but yet we try to evolve
with the times. If we knew the answer to
that, we’d have been back before twelve years!”
He admits that with the success of the original Muppet Show,
his famous eMCee-duties and leader of the disparate gang of plush-skinned
punchliners, fame has been a double-edged lily-pad and that he may have been
pigeon-holed (frog-holed?) by the industry. Is that frustrating?
“Well, frankly, a little bit,” he shrugs. “I’ve tried out
for a couple of other roles over the years that I didn’t get. There was Yoda. Right body-type, wrong ears.
There was The Incredible Hulk… right colour, wrong body-type. It’s tough.”
“Oh, yeah… WE’RE sooooo dangerous! No, it’s a funny thing. (Fox News) were concerned about us having some kind of prejudice against oil companies?? I can tell you that’s categorically NOT true. Besides, if we had a problem with oil companies , why would we spend the entire film driving around in a gas-guzzling Rolls Royce?”
At this point, Miss Piggy enters, enjoying the fashionably-late
diva-status that has endured for decades and admits her secret is that she
simply decided to stop ageing... and voila. “I love the screen legends,” she gushes. “
Garbo, Munroe, Dietrich. I feel that I am continuing that legacy…”
The new film is arguably one of the muppets’ best. It
manages to be sweet without been sickly, positive without being banal. It’s
like a spoonful of your favourite desert, invoking the best memories of better
times, but feeling timeless rather than dated. The story sees the characters scattered to the
wind, the heydays of their variety acts now long gone (unless you count Fozzie’s
tribute band The Moopets). When uber-fan Walter overhears that the plan to buy the old
theatre/studios and turn them into a Muppet Museum is actually a front for Tex
Richman (Chris Cooper) to get his hands on an underground lake of oil far
beneath the premises, Walter decides to track down his heroes and get them to exploit
a loophole – if they can raise $10 million, they can stop the sale. Walter’s
flesh-and-blood brother Gary (How I Met
Your Mother’s Jason Siegel – who also co-wrote the film) and Gary’s very
patient girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) are there to help- though Gary, Walter and Mary also need to make
some serious decision about what they want out of life as well...
Yes, everyone loves the movie. Well, perhaps not everyone.
Fox News’ Eric Bolling declared that it was part of a dangerous liberal-agenda that is brainwashing children
against capitalism. After all, he pointed out, the villain of the piece is a
rich oil baron with a maniacal laugh.
Kermit can barely stop his ping-pong eyes from rolling...
“Oh, yeah… WE’RE sooooo dangerous! No, it’s a funny thing.
They were concerned about us having some kind of prejudice against oil
companies?? I can tell you that’s categorically NOT true. Besides, if we had a problem with oil
companies , why would we spend the entire film driving around in a gas-guzzling
Rolls Royce.?”
“It’s laughable. It’s as laughable as accusing Fox News of
being… news,” Miss Piggy agrees.
“Boy, that’s gonna be ALL over the internet...” Kermit
acknowledges.
For the moment, though, they’re just happy to be back on the
entertainment radar. One of the key songs from the film ‘Man or Muppet’ was nominated for an 'Oscar'. There was even talk, when Eddie Murphy
pulled out, of the muppets taking up the presenting reins at the Academy Awards in February. Instead they went with Billy Crystal. The muppets weren't perturbed.. Well, perhaps La Pig was a little miffed...
“ I don’t know. I just doesn’t feel right being part of
an institution that continues to ignore the contributions of pigs and frogs! For
some reason the Academy does not
recognise any other species than humans as being actors… as ARTISTES… as
talent!” Miss Piggy tosses back her golden locks.
Fortunately the rest of us do. The Muppets franchise
continues and it would take the most hard-hearted person to deny that it’s
great to see them back. This latest film is simply superb entertainment for all
ages and its cast as entertaining as ever.
The cast are clearly glad to be there, with Siegel, Adams, Cooper et al perfectly
cast and exceptionally fun – not to mention the obligatory array of cameos that
pop up throughout.
It may not be easy being green, but it’s worth it.
5/5
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