C’mon Hollywood #201

… get going with the new Muppet movie already!
by Sturdy

A few years ago, I did a Muppet movie marathon where I watched the several Muppet movies (I skipped the Christmas movie) and it reminded me of how great the Muppets are. It also raised the question; where did the Muppets go? With all the crap that’s getting remade and re-imagined, how is it that we’ve gone four (if the MUPPETS’ WIZARD OF OZ even counts) years since we saw a Muppet movie? Or, maybe the question should be; how is it that we’ve gone 25 years since we saw a great Muppet movie?

Luckily, one of the most popular, talented and young comedic actor/writers around right now has taken on the responsibility of making the next Muppet movie a reality. An early draft of Jason Segel’s GREATEST MUPPET MOVIE EVER MADE has gotten some early and mixed reviews, but at least it seems he’s on the right path. I don’t know if that’s exactly the direction I would take with it, but everything is different when it’s said by a Muppet. Plus, you throw in a couple of “wacka-wacka’s” and I’m going to laugh no matter what.

It’s been too long since we’ve seen the Muppets.

Even though it looks like Segel is doing things right, there are a few of things I’d really like to see in a new Muppet movie. First, we have to have the song “Movin’ Right Along”. There are not many people over the age of 20 that can hear that song and not instantly be transported back to their childhood days. Plus, it’s a catchy song. But don’t ruin it with some American Idol reject singing it. It has to be sung by the Muppets! Next, I’d like to see Statler and Waldorf make an appearance at some point. They don’t have to have a lot of screen time, but if used in quick doses, they can be hilarious. Oh, and we have to have Steve Martin involved somehow. I don’t know why, but I always associate Steve Martin with the Muppets and not having him appear in the film just wouldn’t seem right.

But the key for a Muppet movie is to ground it in reality. We need to avoid MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND and MUPPETS FROM SPACE. Although, I didn’t think MUPPETS FROM SPACE was that bad. But we have to get back to the “Muppet world” where Muppets are famous and interact with real people and celebrities and no one cares. This is something Segel has said from the beginning he wants to do and another reason he’s perfect for the gig. The subtle comedy with realistic events and a couple of musical numbers is what made the Muppets what they are. It’s a Muppet movie, so there will be a push to fill the movie with a ton of cameos, but if the cameos are actors actually acting and not playing themselves, I think we’ll be okay. Judging by the early review, Segel’s script might suffer from “over-cameo” syndrome, which is never a good thing.

Steve Martin and the Muppets go together.

I’m glad there’s already a new Muppet movie in the works, but I’m eager for it to get going. After FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, I have full faith in Jason Segel’s writing ability, but the Muppets are a favorite franchise of mine and I really want him to hit a home run with the next movie. I’d like to bring the Muppets back to mainstream America and hopefully the film will be good enough to spawn a few sequels.