While there seems to be universal agreement that the marketing campaign for Disney’s The Muppets was nothing short of brilliant, it’s difficult to not be a little concerned that the final product won’t live up to all the hype.
However, advanced buzz from those who’ve already seen The Muppets return to the big screen has been extremely positive so far. Combine that with the entertaining clips that’ve popped up online and it seems like this really could be one of those (coveted and rare) occasions where a hotly-anticipated movie really does live up to expectations.
Today, we have another short clip from The Muppets, revealing an excerpt from the film’s opening musical number, “I’ve Got Everything That I Need.” If this footage is any indication of what’s to come, this movie will very much be the throwback to the sort of cheery, old-fashioned, and family-friendly entertainment that made Jim Henson’s puppet creations the icons they are today.
Enough buildup – check out the latest Muppets clip below:
Are the Muppets‘ song lyrics and dance choreography on display here anything really that revolutionary? No, and that’s (clearly) part of the point behind this film: just because something is vintage or “out of date” doesn’t mean it’s worthless. The Muppets isn’t aiming to reinvent the wheel; rather, the film looks to provide the wheel with a nice polish and thus demonstrate that some oldies really are goldies, so to speak.
Muppets co-screenwriters Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel (who’s also one of the human stars) crafted a storyline – one which sees the Muppets reunite, in order to save their old studio from being demolished – that likewise embraces the idea that classic material can still be worthwhile, when treated properly. In an age where Hollywood seems all the more obsessed with recycling entertainment, it’s comforting to see a movie that renovates (rather than reboots or remakes) an older property.
Besides – how can you refuse a film that features (among other things) bears wearing fart shoes, singing chickens offering their own rendition of Cee Lo Green tunes, and impromptu dance numbers with human and felt-made characters alike?
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The Muppets make their way into theaters around the U.S. on November 23rd, 2011.
