Life is a Happy Song

When I was a child back in the 80s I used to love watching the Muppets. I remember going to my Narnie's place on a Saturday night, and as the house filled with the delicious smells of her cooking I would watch The Muppet Show. Growing up my Mum would constantly sing us the "Cat Came Back" song. If you haven't seen this before check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltlPINPn8UU, So funny!

Now that I'm in my late twenties I thought I'd never again get to experience the joy the Muppets brought me. But then Jason Segel went and made all my dreams come true by bringing them back to the cinema. Last night I went and saw The Muppets and it was nothing short of incredible.

I actually had no idea what the plot was going in, I just knew the muppets were in it and so I bought my ticket without hesitation. The film actually has a sweet and simple plot. Jason Segel plays Gary who lives with his brother Walter (who happens to be a Muppet). It is Gary and Mary's (Amy Adams) 10-year anniversary and they are going to Los Angeles. Gary decides to take Walter along so he can visit the Muppet tour since he is a huge fan. During the rundown tour Walter overhears Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) say that he's going to buy the old Muppet Theatre and tear it down to reach the oil beneath it. This leads Walter, Mary and Gary on a mission to bring the Muppets back together to save the theatre.

I loved how the film played on the fact that the Muppets have been out of the spotlight for so long. The scene where Kermit goes through his old phone list to track down a celebrity is pretty funny since they're all from the 80s. All the Muppets are back. Kermit and Miss Piggy are there, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Rowlf, Swedish Chef, Beaker, Scooter, Statler and Waldorf, and my own favourite Pepe, plus of course many more. Sitting in the theatre it felt like going back to a more innocent time, except of course I was able to understand the adult jokes. The writers Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller are aware that the Muppet fans are no longer children and so the plot caters to our generation as well as to the younger generations who are meeting the Muppets for the first time. There are also some hilarious celebrity cameos because let's face it, it isn't the Muppets without a celebrity host!

Flight of the Conchords member and fellow kiwi Brett McKenzie wrote the main song "Life is a Happy Song" which is a great, catchy tune. I'm pretty sure he wrote more music in the film because one of the songs looks and sounds very similar to "I'm Not Crying" from Flight of the Conchords. "Life is a Happy Song" might just be up for an Oscar nod which is wonderful, I hope the Muppets are invited to the Oscars next year.

I recommend this movie to anybody, any age. Children who have never known about the Muppets will love them and become instant fans. Adults who grew up singing along to them will be able to spend two hours taking a trip down memory lane. It's a harsh world outside the cinema and sometimes we forget that life can be a happy song, so thank you Muppets for reminding me.