Gary (Jason Segel) and Walter (a muppet) have been inseparable best friends for their entire lives, and two of the biggest Muppets fans in the world. When Gary plans an anniversary trip to L.A. with his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), Walter decides to tag along and fulfill his dreams by visiting The Muppets studio. To his dismay however, he finds the studio in shambles, and overhears the sinister cacklings of an evil oil baron (Chris Cooper, excellent) who plots to demolish it and drill for oil underneath. Now Walter, Gary, and Mary must get in contact with Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal and the rest of the estranged Muppets to stage telethon at the old theater before its too late. "The Muppets" is an affectionate and true to form rendition of the beloved franchise, and what must have been a pet project of Segel, who cowrote the screenplay. With sunny musical numbers, a self-aware script (a little too self-aware), the expected celebrity cameos, and the wonderful Jim Henson created personality, reverence has been shown to the material. While Segel continues to bother me as an actor, Amy Adams is a lovely as ever and her contribution to the film is great. I felt the movie to be a little long. The finale dragged and I don't really need to be in the theater for two hours watching Muppets. Still, this is a genuinely funny and nostalgic film that perfectly embodies the spirit of its subjects.
note: the movie opens with a very humorous short starring the "Toy Story" characters entitled "Small Fry"
