The Muppets - Blu-ray Review

4.5 Stars (out of 5) - Rated

Synopsis

When Kermit the Frog and the Muppets learn that their beloved theater is slated for demolition, a sympathetic human, Gary, and his puppet roommate, Walter, swoop in to help the gang put on a show and raise the $10 million they need to save the day. (Buy Now $22.99)

Starring:

Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Sarah Silverman, Emily Blunt

Director:

James Bobin

Blu-ray Release Date:

March 20, 2012

Subtitles:

English SDH, French, Spanish

Rating

Overall rating weighted as follows:
Audio 40%, Video 40%, Special Features 20%, Movie - its just our opinion so take it with a grain of salt

Audio 4.8 Stars (out of 5)

Dolby and DTS Demo Discs used as basis for comparison

• Subwoofer – 4.0 Stars
• Dialog – 5.0 Stars
• Surround Effects – 5.0 Stars
• Dynamic Range – 5.0 Stars

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX

This DTS-HD presentation puts on a pretty good show and gave me more than I expected for a Muppet movie. The dialog and songs sound great and the musical numbers utilize all speakers. The subwoofer has a decent amount of activity and packs a punch during thunder storms, explosions, and a low irritating rumble is heard every time the bad guy is seen. The rear speakers offer something in every scene, and surround you with sounds of rain, clucking chickens, applause, and Fozzie’s fart shoes.

Video  4.8 Stars (out of 5)

Spears & Munsil Benchmark Blu-ray Edition used as basis for comparison

• Color Accuracy  - 5.0 Stars
• Shadow detail – 4.5 Stars
• Clarity – 4.5 Stars
• Skin tones – 5.0 Stars
• Compression – 5.0 Stars

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC, Resolution: 1080p, Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1, Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

I never thought I would be impressed by looking at the texture of felt, but somehow the clarity of this Blu-ray brings out the finer details of the beloved puppets. Colors are warm and showcase Animal’s wild bright red hair, Kermit’s green hue, and the lush red stage curtain. Skin tones on the human actors are natural and shadows rarely lose any details.

Bonus Features 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

• Filmmakers Audio Commentary: With executive producer/co-writer/actor Jason Segel, executive producer/co-writer Nicholas Stoller and director James Bobin.
• Scratching the Surface (HD, 16 minutes): A behind the scenes short called "Hasty Examination of the Making of The Muppets".
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 10 minutes): Eight deleted scenes are available; "Walter's Nightmare," "Life's A Happy Song Missing Verse," "A Hero in Hollywood," "Credit Card Club," "Muppets in Jail," "Bowling for Beaker," "The Strip Mall Awards" and "The Complete Muppet Telethon Opening & More" most of these deleted scene include even more celebrity cameos.
• Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song (HD, 3 minutes): Explains the back-story behind Richman's hatred of the Muppets.
• The Longest Blooper Reel Ever. At Least In Muppet History... We Think (HD, 9 minutes)
• A Little Screen Test on the Way to the Read-Through (HD, 3 minutes): A few of the Muppets are performing screen tests on their way to a script reading.
• Theatrical Spoof Trailers (HD, 9 minutes): "Rise of the Muppets," "Never" "Green with Envy," "The Fuzzy Pack," "Being Green," "The Piggy with the Froggy Tattoo" and "Green with Envy, the Spoof Spoof Trailer."
• Full-Length Original Soundtrack: Available via a digital download code. (Only available in the Wocka Wocka Value Pack version of the Blu-ray)

Movie – 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Review

I loved the Muppets when I was a kid. I tried to watch the original movies with my kids, and let me just say, time has not been kind to the old movies. Because of that experience, my kids weren’t interested in watching this one. As soon as we started to watch this reboot, we had a blast. The Muppets is a clever, relevant, and funny family film that rekindled the magic Jim Henson created over 30 years ago. I laughed out loud several times, and loved how the jokes and gags were aware of the Muppets unpopularity. The amount of celebrity cameos are amazing and surprising. I didn’t even know Mickey Rooney was still alive, and my kids went nuts when Selena Gomez showed up.

Even though this movie is funny, it’s not perfect. Most of the musical numbers were entertaining, but some were awkward and strange. Lots of time is spent trying to make you remember how popular the Muppets used to be, instead of breaking new ground and becoming relevant today. This film does have its shortcomings, but its sense of humor and charm go a long way and makes the movie work as a successful reintroduction to the Muppets.

Comments

[Thomas]

Regardless of its merits as an entertainment vehicle, apparently this is yet another anti-business propaganda flick targeted at the impressionable young minds of children by the neo-Marxists at Disney. Plot summary: rich, greedy oil mogul "Tex Richman" wants to tear down The Muppet Theater so he can drill under it for oil. Bad, bad, evil, mean man!

I am sick and tired of these stupid, sophomoric caricatures of legitimate and essential businesses coming out of Hollywood. Petroleum is a wonderful product that brings so many good things into our lives and makes our lives safer, healthier, and easier. The people who explore, extract, transport, and refine it into useful products are average hard-working people with families to support who are providing an essential service to the economy and humanity with their efforts. The investors - including any of us with a 401k or a pension plan - provide the working capital and deserve the returns that will help them put their kids through college and enjoy a secure retirement.

I'm waiting for an oil company to make a movie about angry, irrational, hate-filled leftists at a movie company who are obsessed with destroying the free enterprise system and the engine of prosperity that has made this the greatest country the world has ever known.

[Jo]

Thomas - It's a movie, lighten up!

[Thomas]

The purpose of this web page is to provide commentary on the movie. Why should I laugh off this kind of open insult to the American free enterprise system baked into an ostensibly innocuous piece of cultural ephemera like a children's film? I find it outrageous and maddening in the extreme. Would the Left laugh it off if the movie portrayed a corrupt liberal city alderwoman who pulled strings at the Building Department to get the facility condemned for not meeting fire code, so the city could exert eminent domain, in order to sell the property off for $1 to her cronies at the Park-A-Lot city-franchised parking monopoly in exchange for generous campaign contributions and free parking? This kind of stuff happens all the time in real life in liberal-dominated American cities, unlike the absurd proposition that a greedy rich guy named Tex Richman (get it, huh, get it?) would put the place in peril just to satisfy his endless money-lust.

I have not seen and will not see the film, but based upon what I know: if The Muppets really cared about the old place, why did they all drift off their separate ways and let the place go to wrack and ruin? They don't care about it until they get wind that somebody might stand to make some money off the old property that has since become a leaking, roach-infested crack house. Oh no! We certainly can't allow productive economic activity in America in the year 2012!

How about this for an alternative plot: let's say an oil company leases the mineral rights from the owner of The Muppet Theater, then uses modern technology to drill from an adjacent vacant lot to tap into the oil reservoir below. The proceeds of the oil lease could then be used to restore, maintain, and operate the theater for the benefit of underprivileged children and left-leaning performers and musicians. The Muppets could show up for the grand re-opening. The End.