[Movies] Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

I really like the Muppets. I cant totally explain why, but I do. And I'm a bit of a sucker for the various Muppet movies, so you can imagine how happy I was when the franchise found new life with its 2011 revival with the movie, The Muppets. And I have to admit that it wasn't a totally amazing movie - but I was still glad to see them back in circulation.

And so now we have Muppets Most Wanted acting as the sequel to that movie - but really all Muppet movies since The Muppet Movie back in 1979, but that's besides the point. And it's nice to see that the whole 2011 experiment is sort of paying off - at least in terms of additional movies going forward. Or so we hope.

And while the "first" movie just sort of came out as okay for me, I have to admit that I rather enjoyed this movie more. And it's rare for that to happen with any sequel - even a self-aware sequel that goes as far as to state that sequels tend to be bad. Maybe that just put me in the right mindset to be appreciate and fun the movie could generate, or something like that.

But I still had a lot of fun with it.

[Games] My Muppets Show (Android)

After the hit game that is My Singing Monsters, it came as no surprise to me that a major franchise brand decided to work with Big Blue Bubble to create a themed version of their game. And after the likes of Temple Run: Brave, it looks like Disney decided to take an interest in this game.

Like many geeks my age, I'm quite the fan of The Muppets - those adorable puppet creations from the great Jim Henson. They've seen a sort of resurgence thanks to the 2011 movie, The Muppets and I couldn't be happier to see them out and about again. And now this game is yet another step towards ensuring their continued longevity - that and a new movie coming out rather soon.

And while a lot of these franchise clones of popular games tend to feel like cheap shots at times, this one's fairly decent. Not amazing, but still decent.

[Movies] The Muppets (2011)

One of the bigger challenges of living in the Philippines is how our local movie distributors make decisions based on their perception of what the average Filipino movie-goer is willing to go out of his way to watch at the theater. Then you add in how the US studios also make certain decisions when it comes to international markets and thus even places like the UK can get totally shafted by a delayed release of a popular US movie.

I especially felt my frustration with this fact when the news about this movie came around. In the US the movie debuted during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. However for us in the Philippines, we only got to catch this movie in theaters this March. In other words, the movie was finally released just as the DVDs where being released back in the US.  Frustrating!

And I really, really enjoy the Muppets. I've been a fan most of my life ranging from their appearances on Sesame Street to their television variety shows to their various movies. And to finally have them return to the bring screen, well, it was certainly an event that I didn't want to miss, but had no choice given the delays in its local release.

[Movies] The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

I have a soft spot for the Muppets - then again, I'm sure most people do, too. And I am proud of the fact that I've most if not all of the Muppet movies in my lifetime including some of the TV movies like The Frog Prince, which we used to have on a beat up VHS tape.

I've been slowly re-watching the various movies in an effort to help myself disentangle my childhood memories of each movie from the other. Believe me, it's a lot easier than you think to get them all mixed up.

The Muppets Take Manhattan wasn't necessarily my favorite of the first wave of Muppet movies, but it was notable for its introduction of the Muppet Babies into the public consciousness. Now there's a cartoon that I got oddly hooked on to the point that I died to get those silly Happy Meal toys they came out with for cartoon based on the one scene in this movie.

Muppet movies are always rather weird on the comedy spectrum since they generate appeal for the very young and the not quite so young. They're witty and yet campy at the same time, and I suppose that's part of their appeal. And of course, they also have to have major song and dance numbers.

[Movies] The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

I tend to think of the Muppets as one of my "guilty pleasures" of sorts. It's something like Archie Comics - I can't imagine anyone who hasn't spent some time reading at least one Archie digest completely, but it's also not the kind of comic book that you tell friends that you read. It's just sort of there in our collective history and when you actually try to confront someone about it, they'll admit to it having read it in the past if not until today.


It's not like I'm not proud of my Muppet fandom, mind you. It's just sort of there and it's not quite the first thing that I ever rush out to tell other people about. It just doesn't come to mind for some reason until you get into one of those conversations with your friends about them. Then suddenly you're all going ecstatic about what you consider to be one of your favorite Muppet moments or dance routines or whatever.


And this movie definitely features one of my favorite Muppet sequences of all time. Sure, it's not quite the most complex routine ever depicted in a Muppet film but it's the one that I love the most above all others. Yes, I'm campy that way.

[Movies] The Muppet Movie (1979)

If I were to invite you to watch a movie where most of the primary characters are played by puppets, you'd probably assume that I was bringing you to a children's movie or something. It's only in recent years with animated movies have started to target more than just the younger audiences but when you get down to it, these guys did it first. 


Oh, and how silly of me to assume that these are just your run-of-the-mill puppets that we're talking about. These are the Muppets after all, a different brand of puppets all together. They're so unique that these days they even have their own YouTube channel. 


These crazy critters have been entertaining both children and adults for over 50 years now, depending on how far back you decide to trace their origins. Why exactly Muppet shows and movies have generally worked is a bit of a mystery when you try to think about things logically, but then it all becomes clearer as you watch more and of these adorable critters. At least that's my theory.

[Videos] Muppet Multi-Music

What is it with the Muppets trying to make some sort of internet comeback? First there was that video they posted around the 4th of July, and now we have this classic with one of my favorite Muppets - Beaker!


#10 - Ode to Joy

If you liked that, then try this one then! It has chickens!


Classical Chicken

But wait, time for more Beaker!


Habanera

[Viral Video Chart] Stars and Stripes, FOREVER!

Currently topping the Viral Video Chart is this timely video from those ever-lovable Muppets - a short piece in time for the US Independence Day celebrations on July 4.

Frankly, I just love it when the chickens join in.


#1 - Stars & Stripes FOREVER!