1) Fart Shoes
As promised in the official movie trailer, Fozzie strapped on a pair of whoopee cushions and marched around the big screen. My family went to the show with a large group of relatives, but I could hear my 8-year-old son’s hysterical laughter halfway across the theater. As a dad, there are few things greater than the sweet sound of my children’s laughter.*
2) Self-depricating humor.
The entire premise of this movie is based on the fact that The Muppets are no longer relevant. And as much as some of us may hate to admit it, 30 years have passed since the original Muppet Show was taken off the air. Very few people/puppets in pop-culture manage to stay relevant for that long. Teenagers these days have no idea who Jerry Seinfeld is, much less Rowlf the Dog. Yet therein lies the absolute beauty of this movie: the Muppets are no longer relevant…but they need to be. This movie did not try to hide the fact that the Muppets are outdated; in fact, they flaunted it. All the while, we are reminded of what we loved most about Henson’s gang: the quirky talent, the corny one-liners, the singing chickens, and the realization that they (we) are all better off when they (we) are together. All in all, The Muppets is a wonderful tribute to Kermit & Friends that any long-time fan will enjoy; and it is funny and honest enough to hook our children for years to come.
3) Cameos
The Muppets wouldn’t be The Muppets without a slew of celebrity cameos, and they certainly didn’t disappoint this time around. Jack Black, Emily Blunt, Zach Galifinakis, Selena Gomez, and many, many more. The appearances were made even more enjoyable when, in keeping with the premise of the film, almost all of the celebrities were either reluctant or confused by their own presence in the film.
4) The Rainbow Connection
You can throw a flag on me or revoke my man card or do whatever you want to do, but I teared up when Kermit starting singing this classic.
5) My daughter walked out of the movie theater singing “Mah-na mah-na”
Nuff said.
___________
* Laughter, after all, is the third-greatest gift you can give someone.
