The Muppets (2011)

Let's take a look a Disney owned franchise we haven't discussed yet, with The Muppets.

The Movie:

The Muppets is the first movie featuring the title characters since Disney acquired the franchise in 2004.  The characters of the Muppets were first created by Jim Henson in the 1950s, and they appeared on various TV shows including Sesame Street starting in 1969 and The Muppet Show from 1976 to 1981.  They also made their first movie appearance in The Muppet Movie in 1979.  The movie The Muppets in 2011 was the first Muppet film since 1999.  The movie was strongly pushed by Jason Segel, who starred in and co-wrote the script for the movie.  The Muppets was met with critical acclaim.  It was considered a modest box-office success despite being the highest grossing of any Muppet movie.

The Muppets stars Jason Segel as Gary, who along with his brother Walter, a muppet, grew up in Smalltown as fans of the Muppets.  Gary is taking a trip to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Mary, played by Amy Adams, to celebrate their 10th anniversary, and he brings Walter along to see the Muppet studios.  When they arrive, they find the studios are a shell of their former selves.  Also, Walter discovers that Tex Richman is purchasing the studios so he can tear them down and drill for oil underneath.  To save the studios, Walter finds Kermit the Frog, who begins to gather up the old gang so they can save the studios.

The Muppets is pretty much a back-to-basics Muppet movie.  Plenty of jokes, celebrity cameos, and leaning on, and outright breaking, the fourth wall.  It's a fun movie that knows not to take itself too seriously, and you can tell that everyone involved is having a blast.  Plus, Waldorf and Statler crack me up every time.

This movie has lots of songs, both classic and new.  Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords wrote the new songs, and he even won an Oscar for "Man or Muppet," the first Oscar won by any Muppet movie.  And that's really a shame, because of course they bring back "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie, and you have to wonder how that song didn't win when it was nominated back in the day.  The score was written by Christophe Beck, and it's fine, even if it doesn't stand out, mostly because of all the songs.

Presence in the Parks:

The Muppets as characters have a small but significant presence, even though it isn't because of this movie.  Disney had been trying to acquire the Muppets since the 1980s, and they began work on a project with Jim Henson for MGM Studios.  This was one of Henson's last projects before his death in 1990, and it became Muppet*Vision 3D.  This show opened at MGM Studios in 1991.  It was originally planned as part of a larger Muppet area, but those plans were largely scrapped due to Henson's death.

Exteriors of Muppet*Vision 3D, Hollywood Studios, May 2015

Due to closure of much of the surround area for the construction of Star Wars land, the area around the Muppets theater was renamed to Muppets Courtyard, and the former Pizza Planet restaurant was renamed PizzeRizzo.  However, the area is currently listed on Disney maps as Grand Avenue.

Muppet*Vision 3D was replicated for DCA in 2001.  The show was largely preempted for other things during its final years, and it officially closed there in 2015.

Recently, the Muppets have also begun appearing in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom in Great Moments in American History.  This short show began in 2016 and takes place in the 2nd story windows of the Heritage House.