Saturday, November 26, 2011

Movie Review: The Muppets (PG)

The Muppets are back! In the same style of the old Muppet shows, Disney brings us an all new movie in theaters just in time for Thanksgiving. Lovers Mary and Gary venture off to Los Angeles for their 10th anniversary. Gary brings along his brother, Walter (who happens to be a puppet), so he can visit the original Muppet Studio. But here's the catch: The Muppets haven't been together for years, and the studio is abandoned. Walter is determined to get the gang back together and restore the studio. They must raise $10M or else an evil oil driller will tear down the studio and get oil. Can the Muppets raise enough money? Or will the studio be torn down for good?

Filled with plenty of Muppet style jokes, songs, and action, Disney puts together a film that many will enjoy. As for me however, the cons well outweighed the good parts. I love Amy Adams, and have fallen in love with her through movies like "Enchanted" and "Leap Year." In "The Muppets," however, I don't think she got enough screen time. She has such great charisma and charm about her, and Disney didn't give her enough time to show it off. She does get a solo song, though, which was very enjoyable. Jason Segel gives a very lacking performance. His character (Gary) had zero chemistry with Mary. As I watched the dialogue roll off their tongues, I cringed as it seemed like they were reading a script. For something as professional as Disney, I was very disappointed with Jason Segel's performance.

As a Muppet fan, I had high expectations for this movie. I went to go see a matinee showing on Thanksgiving Day, 2011.


Pros


Fun songs to get your feet tapping
Great puns and jokes for the adults in the audience


Cons


Poor plot
No chemistry between main characters (except Miss Piggy and Kermit of course)
Very poor performance from Jason Segel
Got boring at points
One of those movies you keep expecting to get better, then never does


Conclusion


It's worth a $1 rental from Redbox, but not a $9 purchase from your Box Office. If you're a diehard Muppet fan then you'll probably like it. As for the rest of us, it was okay.


★★✯☆☆

Monday, November 14, 2011

Movie Review: Puss in Boots (PG)

Dreamworks presents "Puss in Boots" and it's NOT Shrek 5. Some may say the company is milking the Shrek phenomenon for all it's worth, "Puss" however is a whole new movie. No references to our favorite green ogre are made. Antonio Banderas pulls off the perfect voice for our feline friend known as Puss... IN BOOTS! As he and his friends Humpty Dumpty and Kitty Soft Paws embark on a magical journey to steal the magic beans from outlaws Jack and Jill, they find that humor, love, and forgiveness goes a long way. Dreamworks did a fantastic job with the humor, timing, and characters. 


PROS
No Shrek references
Charming and funny

CONS
Little over the top with bathroom humor, but not too bad. It made the smaller kids in the theater laugh, but that's all. 


★★★★☆