I enjoyed the first new Muppet movie, but I don't disagree with any of your criticisms of it. It was definitely safe, and I don't recall any of the music numbers. That said, I thought Jason Segel's affection for the Muppets franchise was evident and that he did it service. I'm looking forward to this new one, I'm a fan and will ever be. As a kid, the Muppet show was an event in our household, complete with bowls of popcorn and sitting cross legged on the floor -only 2 feet from the television. That opening number of the show is amazing and has never been matched in television history. I have a question for you, would it be appropriate to take a three and a half-year-old to this movie? I have a request as well, I think you should record yourself playing the ukulele and let us hear you do that song :) As for songs from a Muppet movie, surely nothing can touch the original version of Rainbow Connection with Kermit picking the banjo in the swamp. Awesome stuff!
Ahoy-hoy! It's hard to beat the originals, especially the simple power of Kermit in a swamp strumming out "Rainbow Connection" on his banjo. It's such a great image that they keep referring back to it in the new ones, and rightly so. The songs from the new movie are big and jazzy and catchy and I love them to death, but nothing is ever going to trump how simple and iconic "Rainbow Connection" is. The other song they keep riffing off is the Muppet Show theme because it's equally good. I think they do a Spanish version in the new movie called "El Muppet Show"! And of course there's the evil frog who studies Kermit's old tapes to try and mimic him but gets it all wrong: "The lovers, the dreamers, and cheese. Heh, nailed it." The first new Muppet movie had its moments, but in the end it wasn't enough to get it off the ground for me, at least. If you enjoyed it then I hope you'll enjoy the new one even more. And if not I want to hear why! I think a 3.5-year-old can hack the new Muppet movie. There isn't any violence, and of course they steer clear of any obviously adult jokes. It's got some action scenes that might be a bit intense, but they put action scenes in everything nowadays, don't they? Hah, as if the world didn't have enough problems, they don't need to hear me sucking at playing the ukulele. Still, I've been wanting to record a new video… Damn you and your good ideas.
Was just reading elsewhere about the film and they mentioned a key factor that will definitely get me to see the film... Danny Trejo. The guy is a bonafide bad ass. Interesting life story.
Howard Stern had a pretty great interview with Machete recently.