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The start of summer saw the release of four Muppet movie trailers. The tone of those trailers, though they contained many of the same scenes, taught us a lot what the new Muppet movie will feel like.
Isn’t that any diehard Muppets fan’s biggest complaint: that most of the Muppet movies released in the 1990s didn’t feel like Muppet movies? Something about them didn’t contain that unique Jim Henson sense of humor.
It’s not that we expect they could, since Henson’s passing. That raises the question, however, of whether Muppet movies should continue if they couldn’t remain true to their roots. Not having any more material from the beloved puppet entertainment troupe was sad, but preferable to having poor imitations like “Muppets from Space.”
Previously I’ve examined the career of forthcoming “The Muppets” writer and star Jason Segel, and the shorts from the Muppets Studio posted on YouTube, to try to piece together whether this November’s film will hold muster to its lauded predecessors. I’ve been cautiously optimistic, because until any footage from the movie was actually released, all my opinions were all just guesses.
These four trailers give me a little something to go on. I know it seems strange, but let’s look at the last one first. It confirmed the earlier released synopsis of the movie, presenting a story wherein the Muppets must reunite and put on a show in order to save their old film studio. They face opposition from a cranky and greedy studio oil magnate, and support from bumbling lifelong Muppets fan Gary and his girlfriend Mary.
The plot feels right, putting the focus on the group as a family, something that was always at the heart of the Muppets. Glimpses of the action show reveal more classic Muppets fare: zany antics, celebrity cameos, an earnest but sometimes down-trodden Kermit seeking to reunite with Miss Piggy.
In some ways it feels like the writers were ticking boxes off of a checklist, but we can’t really tell how that will play out until the film is released. Let’s look at something of which we got a better idea from the trailers: the sense of humor.
The previous three Muppets movies trailers were of a different ilk. The first seemed to advertise a schlocky romantic comedy called “Green with Envy,” until towards the end the proverbial record scratched and the Muppets appeared.
The other two trailers were more specific parodies: the first for “The Hangover” and the second for “The Green Lantern.” The Green Lantern trailer landed better than its predecessor, setting up Kermit as the titular Green Hero who would save the world and ending with a fantastic film joke starring The Swedish Chef.
What these additional trailers tell us is that the Muppets’ sense of humor may have shifted somewhat. Though it was always a little present, par for course given the sheer number of famous guests the Muppets attracted, pop culture parody was never the main focus for the Muppets, despite the odd “Pigs in Space” sketch.
However, such parody isn’t left field Muppets fare, as acknowledged above. Humor has shifted somewhat since the 1970s and the Muppets should try to evolve with it. A movie that’s little more than an homage to previous films can’t hold much of its own weight (see “Superman Returns” for reference).
So far it seems to me that The Muppets have evolved ever so slightly to fit with the times, while still retaining their essential heart. We’ll see for sure in November, but for now I’m still feeling good about their return.
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*(This image by cliff1066™ is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
