I recently took in the new Muppets movie which was written by co-star Jason Segal. It was fantastic! Now, if you’re an adult (ages 18-30) you have to go into this movie recognizing what the movie is…it’s the Muppets. If you are older than 30 chances are you are there with your child and then that means you will probably go in thinking, “I’m just watching this movie for the kid.” Whatever you are thinking when you go into this movie you will come out thinking the same thing as everyone else, Kermit the Frog can still bring it and the Muppet’s still have merit.
Growing up, I was never really a fan of the Muppet’s but I knew of them. I knew Kermit was the leader, Miss Piggy was the tough guy, Gonzo was the daredevil, and Fozzie Bear was the funny guy. Yeah, looking at the Muppet’s from the surface they were just a kid show. They came on the television made kids laugh and that was that. However, this movie represented much more than a kids show. It had LOTS of substance. To the kids in the theatre, yes, they were just a bunch of weird looking characters saying zinger after zinger, performing not stop slap stick comedy but to the adults, aged 18-30, the movie was about forgetting how cool you are and just laughing at Fozzie Bears terrible jokes or Gonzo’s stunts gone wrong. It was about remembering what it was like to be a kid again.
As far as I’m concerned, we need the Muppet’s back. In a world of Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, et all, we could really use a group of characters in the pop culture realm that teach us that it’s okay to be ourselves. It’s okay to laugh and we shouldn’t take ourselves to seriously. And it’s not just the kids who need to learn that it’s okay to be themselves, grown ups need to realize that as well. That sentiment is universal.
To some it was just a Muppet movie. To others it was a little more than that.
peace,
Jimmy
