Movie Review Monday #30 Redo: Muppet Christmas Carol

I've mentioned my love for Muppet Christmas Carol several times now, but I've never given my reasons for the love. Since we're in the Christmas season, here's my top ten reasons for obsessing about those yuletide Muppets:


1. They follow Dickens' classic impeccably. I recall reading A Christmas Carol in high school, and since I had memorized the Muppets' version years before, I had an impressive understanding of the book already.
2. Gonzo and Rizzo were excellent additions to Dickens' work. Gonzo truly knows the book like the back of his hand, and Rizzo...well, Rizzo's basically the best rat in the world. "Hello, welcome to the Muppet Christmas Carol! I am here to tell the story." - Gonzo "And I am here for the food." - Rizzo
3. Sir Michael Caine sings with Muppets. Legit. Also, he somehow sneaks very natural, moving moments in. I think natural acting in the presence of Muppets must equal genius.
4. The Ghost of Christmas Present makes me happy. "You're a little absent-minded, Spirit." - Scrooge "No, I'm a LARGE, absent-minded spirit!" GoCP
5. Beaker flips Scrooge off at one point. Sure, he only has four fingers and some might say that he's pointing. But I say he's flipping off the camera, darn it. 

6. The music is so catchy! I do, however, loathe "The Love is Gone." Why did that girl flare her nose SO MUCH while singing? Out of control. All the other songs are delightful though.
7. Tiny Tim is freaking adorable. So is Bean. So is the singing produce. So are the meeces. I could go on, but I won't.
8. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is terrifying. Still. Which is what they were going for, so good on you, director.
9. One of my favorite moments is when Sam the Eagle says "It's the American way!" and then gets corrected and says "...it's the British way!" For some reason that cracks me up every time.
10. Oh man, I'm at number ten already. I love Fozzie's contagious joy, the heckling from the two old dudes after Fozzie's short Christmas speech, Rizzo climbing over a dangerously high gate then slipping back easily through its bars, Miss Piggy's inability to tell the difference between her daughters, the accounting rats feeling that heat wave that comes at the prospect of unemployment, and Kermit's unwavering dependability. 


Happy Christmas, Lobsters! Again, I offer two fuzzy felt claws up!

Movie Review Monday #29: The Muppets

I would not describe myself as a die hard Muppet fan. I just don't have the encyclopedic knowledge that some people have in order to qualify. I am, however, a die hard Muppet Christmas Carol fan, which passes me off as a solid fan of the Muppets as a whole. 


The Muppets was released (were released?) on Thanksgiving Day, but we were too busy playing pass the baby in California to watch it/them. When we got back to Virginia, I realized that if we didn't see the film soon, I was going to start resenting Eiley and her inability to remain quiet in a theater/babysit herself. So I asked our friends Mike and Sandy if they might be willing to watch her while we indulged in some movie-going. They agreed! 


Observations:

1. The Muppets are so nice. They actually comment on how nice they are at one point in the film, and all you can do is agree. Kermit, you are one stand up frog. (And Fozzie, you are one stand up [comedian] bear. Wocka wocka!) I wish more comedy was this pure, simple, and light.

2. There were oodles of cameos. Jeff, Chadley and I played "guess how many cameos there will be" and I had the highest guess, and I won. I love winning. My favorite cameo was probably Neil Patrick Harris - it was so quick, I couldn't help but think that he and Jason were on the HIMYM set and one day Jason said "Hey, Neil, want to come be in my movie today?" Wait, scratch that. My favorite was the actor they chose to portray the man version of Walter the Muppet. You'll see.

3. Rashida Jones was hilarious. She was the most cynical character in the film, but she was somehow still so cute. 

4. Speaking of cute, I really wish I had Amy Adams' character's wardrobe. It was similar to Emma Pillsbury's, but flouncier.

5. The music was delightful. I loved the opening/closing number, "Life's a Happy Song." Jeff loved - and related to - "Man or Muppet." 
6. 80s robot was one of the characters. Cracked me up every time I saw him. Especially since they called him "80s robot."
7. Jason Segel, you are so brilliant and adorable.


In conclusion, two fuzzy felt claws up, Lobsters!

Movie Review Monday #5: My Top Ten(ish)

Recently, a co-worker and I were checking out some Top 100 Movies lists and I asked him what his personal top ten would be. He of course asked me the same question, and it proved way more difficult than I would have guessed. In fact, just minutes after I emailed this list to him, I remembered that Dan in Real Life should have made an appearance. And maybe The Princess Bride or Goonies. What I give you is my gut feeling top ten, in no particular order, unabridged:

1. Pride and Prejudice (2005) – It’s visually stunning, the music is awesome, it’s funny, there’s romance, there’s intrigue, it’s literary, and there is one of the most amazingly choreographed long shots I’ve ever seen.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer – My first Whedon. Brilliance.

3. Shop Around the Corner – a delightful romantic comedy starring Jimmy Stewart. This choice also includes You’ve Got Mail since they’re essentially the same film and I’m a cheater.

4. Lars and the Real Girl  – an incredibly creative, original film that shows the power of family and community. And the acting is so good that I’m still convinced they found some of the townspeople in a random small town.

5. Center Stage – don’t judge me. I love a bad movie with good dancing, and I have seen this one over 20 times. Okay, maybe you should judge me.

6. Muppet Christmas Carol – The best Christmas movie ever. Hands down. It’s a Wonderful Life can suck on it.

7. Anastasia – wildly underrated, this is one of the best animated films of ever. Although I admit I was having trouble deciding between this and Mulan.

8. Roman Holiday – Audrey Hepburn: Adorable, hilarious, and a total drama queen. And in addition to starring her awesomeness, Rome stands alone in this film.

9. About a Boy – Nick Hornby, who wrote the book on which this film is based and is my favourite novelist and is British which is why I spelled that "favourite," is just a genius. This is such a sweet story about a friendship and how people are capable of change, but it’s not schmaltzy.

10. Two Weeks Notice – I hate to put two Hugh Grant films in my top ten. I’m not really a fan, I promise. I just watch this movie whenever I’m sick, and it makes me feel like I’m hanging out with friends. I can quote the whole thing, really. Not something I’m proud of, it’s just a fact. It’s a shallow, entertaining film.

Man, I never think of myself as a girly girl...but looking over this list, I am a super girly girl. If it helps, some runners up are Zombieland, Speed, and Forrest Gump. And it’s not like I don’t like action/drama/horror/etc. Those films just aren’t my favorites. I can’t watch them over and over again. I’ll stop making excuses now.

Your turn.