The Muppets (film): Difference between revisions
Some polishes, along with updated information on the sequel.
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(Some polishes, along with updated information on the sequel.) |
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{{quote|''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}4dgpkHqZKYM&feature{{=}}related Life's a happy song, when there's someone on your side to sing along!]''}}
''The Muppets'' is a 2011 feature-length film from [[Disney]], and the first theatrical film to feature [[The Muppets|the eponymous characters]] since 1999's ''[[Muppets from Space]]''. Unlike the 1990s and 2000s films, though, this film sets out to reinvigorate interest in the Muppet brand and characters, and return them a bit to their original variety-show days. It is written by [[Jason Segel]] and Nicholas Stoller (''[[Forgetting Sarah Marshall]]'') and directed by James Bobin of ''[[Flight of the Conchords]]'' fame, with fellow ''Conchords'' alumnus Bret McKenzie in charge of the music. It is the first Muppet film not to feature Jerry Nelson,<ref>See [[The Other Darrin]] below.</ref> and the first theatrical Muppet film not to feature Frank Oz. It won an [[Academy Award|Oscar]] for Best Song ("Man
The plot involves Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary ([[Jason Segel]]) and Gary's girlfriend Mary ([[Amy Adams]]) from Smalltown, USA, going on a vacation to Los Angeles. There the trio discover the nefarious plan of oilman [[Shaped Like Itself|Tex Richman]] (Chris Cooper) to raze the [[The Muppet Show|Muppet Theater]] and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10-million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. [[The Cameo|Celebrity cameos]] and [[No Fourth Wall|fourth-wall-breaking]] [[Hilarity Ensues|ensue]]. ...and dancing chickens. {{spoiler|...and [[Jack Black]].}}
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The first trailer can be seen [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CloKbXtD28 here]. {{spoiler|[[Trailer Spoof|Be aware that it deliberately misleads you into thinking it's a romantic comedy]]. It becomes [[Off the Rails|blatantly obvious]] by the end}}. There's also the [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_movie_news extensive Muppet Wiki page], which gives you a good idea of what you're in for.
Not to be confused with ''[[The Muppet Movie]]''.
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* [[Bittersweet Ending]]: Ultimately subverted at literally the last second, {{spoiler|and for the better, too: Tex Richman finally finds the gift of laughter, pulls a [[Heel Face Turn]], and returns the theatre and the Muppet name to the Muppets, much to the ire of the Moopets}}.
* [[Bland-Name Product]]: The Moopets.
* [[Born in the Wrong Century]]: Some of the Muppets appear to be completely unfamiliar with trends and styles in [[The New Tens]], especially Kermit, who uses ''the same card carousel he used in 1981'' to find a guest star for the telethon, thinks Jimmy Carter is still the President, and keeps 80's Robot as a butler, and Dr. Teeth, who plays Starship'
** '80s Robot himself. He uses extremely [[Hell Is That Noise|loud and annoying]] dial-up modems and thinks that people still like Tab and New Coke.
* [[Brick Joke]]: "Travel by map."
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** [[The Muppet Show|The original Muppet Theater]] is a central location. The deed to the theater and studio are included within the original [[The Muppet Movie|Standard "Rich and Famous" Contract]].
** Several [[Chuck Cunningham Syndrome|previously forgotten]] Muppets like [[The Big Guy|Thog]] and [[Nightmare Fuel|Uncle Deadly]] are back!
**
** A collection of [[Foreshadowing|very familiar banjos]] can be seen in Kermit's office.
** [[Muppets Tonight|Bobo]] is playing the sidekick<ref>well, one of them, anyway</ref> to a bad guy [[Muppets from Space|again]].
** The main characters singing
** At one point, Walter, Gary and Mary are trying to motivate Kermit. They use the first three lines from ''The Muppet Show'' intro during this. The actual intro itself is played again at the start of the [[Show Within a Show]].
** A photo of Kermit and Piggy from ''[[The Muppets Take Manhattan]]'s'' wedding scene appears, [[Tear Jerker|torn in half after The Muppets broke up]].
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* [[I Wish It Was Real]]: Walter dreams about Kermit and the gang literally popping out through his TV screen and inviting him to join them in ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. It promptly devolves into a nightmare when he can't go into the television.
* [[Imagine the Audience Naked]]: Played with. They're only half-naked!
* [[Imagine Spot]]: Mary's solo in "Life's
* [[Impairment Shot]]: Walter gets one of Mary, Gary, and Kermit coming into focus as he wakes from fainting. Upon being told he's in Kermit's house, he passes out again.
* [[Intermission]]: The Blu-Ray will start one up if you leave the movie paused for more than 3 seconds.
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* [[Population X and Counting]]: The population sign for Smalltown reduces by 3 as the main characters leave.
* [[Post Modernism]]: Like so many Muppet productions before, you'd better believe this film is as meta as possible.
* [[Product Placement]]: Billboards for ''[[Cars
** A sign for ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live]]'' is prominent, as the exteriors of the Muppet Theater are those of the Disney-owned El Capitan Theatre, near where ''JKL'' tapes.
** [[In-Universe]]. The cooks try to put the line "Life's a filet of fish" into the song "Life's a Happy Song", leading to an awkward moment when the characters can't find a rhyme for it.
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* [[Shout-Out]]: Camilla and the other chickens sing "Forget You"... just like they did with Cee-Lo during the 2011 Grammys.
* [[Sound Effects Bleep]]: A fairly funny example when the barbershop quartet are singing [[Nirvana|"Smells Like Teen Spirit"]] and avoid the lines "a mulatto" and "my libido" by having [[The Unintelligible|Beaker]] sing them.
** They use a similar trick (having it be sung by the chickens) to get away with including "F**
* [[Spontaneous Choreography]]: Pops up as Gary and Walter walk to the school to pick up Mary, then as the three walk to the bus stop.
** Evidently this is exhausting in-universe. When Mary looks out the window at Walter after saying it is fine that he's coming to LA you can see the townspeople who danced along with them lying around, exhausted. Then once they leave town, everyone collapses.
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* [[Totem Pole Trench]]: "Muppet Man".
* [[Travel Montage]]: Invoked ("We should travel by map!") and subverted.
* [[Triumphant Reprise]]: Of "Life's
** This gets mocked (and [[Lampshading|Lampshaded]] by Tex: "Would you please stop singing, you've already sung this song!"
* [[Uncomfortable Elevator Moment]]: For the trailer. In the car, the classic "Mahna Mahna" tune (the version from [[The Muppet Show]]) plays on the radio.
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