The Muppets

Even if the majority of Muppety mayhem occurred before the present-day Warwick student’s lifetime, Jim Henson’s colourful creations have become so engrossed in popular culture that no 1990s childhood would have been complete without some time spent with Kermit and the gang. And now they’re back on the big screen for the first time in years, and it’s a welcome return indeed.

When slimy, scheming oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) buys the dilapidated Muppet Theatre for his own greedy purposes, lifelong Muppets fan Gary (Jason Segel), his girlfriend (Amy Adams) and his Muppet brother (Peter Linz, and yes, you read that properly) desperately resolve to raise enough money to buy it back. And so, the trio set out to reunite the scattered Muppet team for a fundraising show, though naturally, not everything runs smoothly en route.

Put simply, The Muppets is one of the most joyful, exuberant and downright bizarre films to come out in recent memory. Sugary it may be in places, but if you can’t watch this film without a big childish grin on your face, you must be either Statler or Waldorf!

Running the gamut from slapstick to pop-culture pops to bad puns, the Muppets are top-notch comedic company. There may be classic moments here which you have witnessed before, but their power to charm still remains intact, and there is more often than not a twenty-first-century twist on a lot of the gags rolled out here (yep, that’s Dave Grohl!). Segel and Adams have tremendous fun amid their fuzzy cohorts, and when sparks fly between Kermit and Miss Piggy, prepare yourself for some nostalgic hilarity.

Unleash your inner child, but don’t feel you have to compromise your adult sense of humour: The Muppets manages to tick all boxes for a sunny slice of feelgood fun.