THE MUPPETS (PG)
Starring Kermit the Frog, Jason Segel, Miss Piggy, and Amy Adams
Released by Walt Disney Pictures

The Muppets is a sunny, joyful cinematic experience that proves you can in fact go home again. In clever fashion, screenwriters (and avid Muppet fans) Jason Segel and crew pen a story that works as a follow up to both the original Muppet Movie and the old TV series. In The Muppets, our beloved friends have been out of the public eye for many years. But thankfully, they're persuaded to come out of retirement by new Muppet Walter and his human brother Gary (disarmingly played by Jason Segel). Together, this unlikely team put together a telethon designed to save their run down studio and keep it out of the hands of an evil land developer (played wonderfully by a villainous Chris Cooper--his "maniacal laugh" bit and brilliant rap number are amongst this film's many highlights). The Muppets includes a cavalcade of celebrity cameos and while some of these familiar faces aren't given very much to do (I'm looking at you Zach Galifianakis) they don't distract from the overall warmth and joy of this winning film. The Muppets is a nostalgic rush to the system and I found its lack of cynicism refreshing. This movie is full of characters who are quick to forgive one another and this is but one of the many qualities I so loved about it.

There are certainly flaws here. The pacing is a bit off and I hoped for a more sufficient payoff where Cooper's antagonist was concerned, but in the grand scheme of things, these are minor quibbles because the majority of this picture gets it right. From the re-creation of the Muppet Show opening, to the grand re-introduction of these legendary characters (through a plot structure that reminded me of The Blues Brothers--"We're putting the band back together."), to the creation of the wonderful world in which the Muppets inhabit, to a rousing and heartfelt speech delivered by Kermit in the film's awe inspiring finale, I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I had a big, dopey grin on my face throughout this picture. And I haven't even mentioned the wonderful musical numbers. If "Am I A Muppet or A Man" isn't nominated for an Oscar, I think I'll skip the telecast all together. The tunes in this picture are just terrific. They reminded me of the unforgettable songs Trey Parker and Matt Stone put together for Team America and South Park only without the dirty parts. This is a family film through and through. What else can I say about The Muppets that hasn't already been said? Is this as good as Jim Henson's original film and t.v. show? No. But Segel and crew have come closer to emulating the spirit of that old Muppet magic than I possibly could have imagined.