What to Watch

(Re)meet The Muppets: Kermit and friends are back in theaters in Jason Segel'sspot-on comedy

Jason Segel and Amy Adams amidst a sea of new friends in The Muppets.
Jim Henson and his amphibian alter ego, Kermit the Frog.
The collected cast of the original Muppet Show.

Nothing can break my heart faster than seeing a sad Muppet.

When Kermit the Frog's felt-covered face somehow conveys nostalgia, regret and loss over the memories of bygone days, you can't help but be affected. That's impressive without the benefit of eyelids, tear ducts or special effects. (Take that you angsty, cross-eyed Twilight vampires!)

This universal humanness — captured in felt and foam — is the enduring magic of the Muppets. And once again, now and forever, they're back in a big way.

In the most important contribution to the Thanksgiving cinema offerings this year, Jason Segel's new visitation of the now Disney-owned franchise is an update on the loveable characters. A "Where are they now?" sort of film, in this version of the Muppets' reality, they kept living their lives after disbanding The Muppet Show that aired during the '70s and '80s.

(In this reality, the excellent and infinitely re-watchable The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan also exist. But apparently, we're supposed to ignore those less successful movie ventures like The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppets from Space, and, sigh, Muppet Treasure Island.)

When the story's key protagonists meet up with Kermit, the Muppets have been separated for years and gone on to live their own lives. For example, Miss Piggy is now an editor for Vogue Paris, Fozzie is doing stand-up in Reno and Gonzo is a very successful toilet tycoon.

It all makes perfect sense for their characters, and the montage that reveals what the rest of the Muppet gang is doing is one of the funniest bits in the movie.

The screenplay could not be any better for such a challenging and monumental project. I mean, who has the audacity to think they have something impressive enough to say about the Muppets that Jim Henson and his crew didn't already say and do thirty years ago?

The Muppets eventually reunite for the purpose of a televised benefit show to save the old Muppet Theater, which is under threat by oil tycoon Tex Richman (played brilliantly villainously by Oscar-winner Chris Cooper), who plans to raze the theater and drill for oil. (In the middle of L.A., no less!)

Rashida Jones plays a television exec who begrudgingly gives the Muppets the opportunity to raise the funds, but warns Kermit and crew that they have to find a celebrity host to accomplish their task.

In classic Muppet movie style, droves of celebrities show up in cameo spots. Sarah Silverman, Donald Glover, Zach Galifinakis, Alan Arkin, Emily Blunt, Jim Parsons and Kristen Schaal are just a few of the major comedy names you'll see popping up in delightfully unexpected places. But the actual celebrity "guest" of the benefit show is the amazing and perfectly utilized Jack Black, who clearly knows a thing or two about acting with non-human stars.

Segel and Amy Adams play the primary non-Muppet protagonists, Gary and Mary, along with Gary's fraternal Muppet twin, Walter (voiced by longtime Muppeteer Peter Linz). Their personal storylines quietly underscore the primary conflict of the movie, never stealing the spotlight from the real stars of the show.

It's a smart update to introduce the sensitive every-Muppet Walter into the hand-operated fold, and the character's journey toward self-discovery is heartfelt and sincere.

Luckily, Segel and writing partner Nicholas Stoller's script is the perfect blend of loving tribute and meta comedy: clearly the work of genuine fans who saw an opportunity and stepped into it fearlessly.

Director James Bobin (known primarily as a comedy TV writer and director for shows like Flight of the Conchords and Da Ali G Show) highlights the subtle, intimate movements that give the Muppets their human qualities. Kermit's whole head still constricts during his signature hard swallows, and a nervous Muppet will still exhibit a full-body quiver. No comic moment is ever missed, and the human players are just as malleable and hysterical as the already advantaged Muppets.

Segel showed his talent for puppet musical numbers in the Dracula song he wrote for the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Nothing came of that project, but it laid the groundwork for the catchy, danceable numbers in The Muppets involving hundreds of human and puppet performers.

The closing number was a bit over-the-top for my tastes, but I appreciate the statement it makes both as a reprise and as a comment on the enduring nature of the Muppets' popularity.

Amazingly, as if by magic, the movie somehow dodges the sheen of over-commercialized product placement and Hollywood schmaltz. I never once doubted the sincerity of the characters or their message about the value of being yourself, being an underdog or relying on your friends.

These were the messages that I took to heart as a kid watching The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and Muppet Babies. And I just got a memorable reminder from some of my favorite friends that, even though I've grown up, these notions hold true.

While Kermit's voice may have changed a bit, and their influence has become less immediately apparent, The Muppets establishes Jim Henson's characters as eternally relevant and comically profound. It probably feels pretty good being made of green felt, after all.

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Movie Review

Safe cracking takes center stage in new heist movie Tuner

Photo courtesy of Black Bear

Leo Woodall in Tuner.

Of all the ways that movies depict people trying to steal money and other valuables, safe cracking is among the least exciting. By design, it’s a laborious process that only those with a very certain set of skills can do. While clever editing and the right music can enhance scenes of safes being cracked, there’s a reason that the method is among the least used in heist films.

In the new film Tuner, Niki (Leo Woodall) has a job and a condition that just happens to lend itself well to committing that specific crime. He works as an apprentice piano tuner for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), usually doing the hard work while Harry schmoozes the client. Niki is well-suited for the job because he has a rare condition called hyperacusis, which makes him both sensitive to loud noises and able to hear subtle things that others cannot.

When he runs across a trio of criminals trying to break open a safe at a house where he’s tuning a piano, he helps them more out of frustration than avarice. But when Harry goes into the hospital and racks up huge bills, Niki decides to join the group to make some quick money. They soon want more than he’s willing to give, and he must find a way to extricate himself from them without losing himself completely.

Written and directed by documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (making his narrative feature debut) and co-written by Robert Ramsey, the film has a nice pace to it despite there being relatively little action. Roher and Ramsey spend the first third or so establishing Niki, Harry, and Harry’s wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) as characters, letting the audience understand their relationships and how they interact with each other.

The time they devote to the personal storytelling pays dividends when Niki starts to descend into crime, as his divided loyalties — not to mention the danger of the thefts — insert tension into the plot. That stress is heightened even more when Niki starts a relationship with piano student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), as getting closer to her necessitates a series of lies.

There comes a point, though, where the plot stagnates to a degree. Niki’s end goal, if he has one, is never clear, and it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before things start to fall apart. After starting strong in their character development, Roher and Ramsey take shortcuts as the film rushes toward its conclusion. This is most notable in a weird argument scene between Niki and Ruthie that comes out of nowhere and seems to serve no purpose in the story.

Woodall, who had a memorable turn in season 2 of The White Lotus, is on the cusp of breaking out, and this understated-but-compelling lead role should help him become an even bigger name in Hollywood. Hoffman has a small role, but he remains as interesting as ever despite the lack of screentime. Liu (Bottoms) is also an up-and-coming actor who should become a star with more roles like this one.

Tuner is a low-key thriller that succeeds because of the way the filmmakers approach the under-used method of robbery. Even if it doesn’t quite reach its potential, the film maintains a high quality throughout thanks to its storytelling and acting.

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Tuner is now playing in theaters.

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