Lifes Still A Happy Song : Why I Love The 2011 Muppets Movie

 At the time of this blog post, the Muppets are set to return with a brand new episode of the classic show. It seems that once again it's time to play the music, time to light the lights and so on, with a promise of more to come based on how well this new outing performs. This reminded me of a cinematic outing, starring Jim Henson's lovable characters, that releases on the big screen in 2011.

I need to familiarize myself with more of the Muppets' work, only seeing this, Muppets Treasure Island, and Christmas Carol, which I love, and Muppets Now, a streaming show, and Muppets Most Wanted, which I cared less for. Also, a couple of episodes of the Muppets sitcom on ABC, which was geared towards older audiences, which I need to finish, and still don't know what to feel about

 The Muppets have had a rough go at it lately, park attraction closings, shows and movies being placed on streaming with minimal to no fanfare, and mostly appearing at the Game Awards at the end of the year, truly a sad fate. Their current standings reminded me of one of my favorite movies, "The Muppets," which came out in 2011, featuring Amy Adams, Jason Segal, and many, many celebrity cameos, such as Rashida Jones, Jack Black, and more. 

The plot of this movie follows Gary, played by Segal, and his brother Walter, a Muppet, even though it is never really acknowledged, as they go on a grand adventure to LA with Gary's longtime girlfriend Mary, played by Amy Adams. The movie has many plot points,  including reuniting the Muppets, saving the Muppets brand, navigating love, relationships, cameos, and of course, tons of songs. The plot points about the relevance of the Muppets and saving their show do ring true to today and still hold up. The storyline about following dreams, trying to belong, and finding what one is good at is also nice. 

This movie is full of emotional moments that work, those moments that make the viewer feel good, myself included, and emotional points that can be very relatable. Even with the many plot points which does make the movie a little messy, it mostly works. The movie is very funny; it is packed to the brim with great visuals and spoken jokes, which leave me chuckling every time I hear them. 

The songs are so catchy. I listen to the soundtrack of this movie often, so many of the songs blend comedy and are just great songs in general. Many of the songs fit right into place with the world of the Muppets, and some of the classic songs fill me with those good feelings, as I mentioned. "Man or A Muppet" alone is a comedic and musical masterpiece, but I love "Life's A Happy Song", "Me Party", and of course this films rendtion of "Rainbow Connection" is nothing short of wonderful, being so sincere. There isn't a song in this movie, no matter how short some of them are, that I don't want to hum along with or that puts a smile on my face. Some of them even have longer versions on the album, which keep some of the jokes in, and even the extended versions have some great additional jokes and lyrics. "Pictures In My Head" is incredibly moving, has only aged well, and has some of the best emotion I heard in a song of this style. 

This movie has so much heart, even the jokes or moments that don't work, I still feel just happy watching it. The presentation and visuals are so warm and inviting, from the Muppets themselves to the costumes being worn by them and the sets housing their human co-stars. This movie keeps many of the elements I love about the Muppets and puts them in a great setting, with plot points that oddly sometimes mirror today. It keeps the jokes, charm, and, of course, the great songs, while also giving plenty of moments both nostalgic and new. With jokes that I still think about to this day, from the first time I heard them. The ending especially not only putting a giant smile on my face, but being especially touching. 

This is a movie I highly recommend. Even after watching it, I want to watch it again, reminding us why we still love the characters Jim Henson poured his heart into, part of his amazing creative legacy. This movie gives the audience the third greatest gift in the world, laughter, with a ton of heart mixed in, and music that is worth playing just one more time when listening to it. Life's a happy song, especially with this musical movie, singing along.