COMEDY; 2hr
STARRING: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper
California dreaming: Walter with Adams and Segel
Brothers Gary (Segel, who co-wrote the screenplay) and Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) grew up together in Smalltown, USA, or at least Gary did. Walter, being a Muppety dude with a giant crush on the once-great performing Mups, hit a growth wall at short. With their Los Angeles theatre now derelict, the Muppets are merely a memory, but while playing tourist there with Gary and his schoolteacher sweetheart, Mary (Adams), Walter is nonetheless horrified to overhear snake-in-the-grass oil baron Tex Richman (Cooper) plotting to tear it down.
To save the day, the Muppets must raise $10 million via a telethon. But Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and the gang are scattered all over the place and haven’t seen each other in years. Reviving their act looks like a windmill-tilting dream, so we all know gosh-darn well it has to work. Which, with a heavy shake of self-referential spoofery, a shot of make or break drama and a bracing side serve of absurdity, it absolutely does. And that is fine and dandy with moi.
