The last few years have seen so many different revival projects for old franchises that it gets easy to just brush them aside and ignore them, but that would be a mistake when it comes to “The Muppets.” Proving that the old crew can be fresh and entertaining even today, the film manages to bring in a healthy dose of nostalgia for older fans and an even bigger dose of comedy for everyone.
The Muppets have been forgotten, and it seems the only people who miss them are Gary (Jason Segel) and his brother Walter (A Muppet). When Gary takes his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) to Los Angeles for their anniversary, he brings Walter along to see the Muppet Studios.
During the tour, Walter manages to overhear a dastardly plot by Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to bulldoze the studio to drill for oil unless the Muppets can raise $10 million to buy it back. Walter and Gary set out to reunite the scattered Muppets to put on one last show to save the studio.
One of the great things about the Muppets formula is that while it may not be the most original, it’s still entertaining. Really, saving the old theater by raising money with a last minute show? It’s been done to death, but with the classic Muppets formula incorporating huge numbers of guest stars, witty laughs and heart-warming moments, it’s easy to forget the unoriginality. Plus it certainly doesn’t hurt that the Muppets themselves are remarkably self-aware and poke fun at their own slightly tired storyline.
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While there are plenty of jabs at old school humor, “The Muppets” takes aim at modern entertainment too. The number one show in the universe is called “Punch Teacher” and is hosted by Ken Jeong (The Hangover). The show consists of, well, punching teachers. Even Tex Richman provides a tongue in cheek joke when he brings in his own team of Muppets called the Moopets, who he calls a “hard cynical act for a hard cynical world.”
The film is also chock-full of cameos. From old timers like Mickey Rooney to newer stars like Selena Gomez, “The Muppets” brings in more celebrities than you can shake a stick at. My personal favorite cameo was from Jim Parsons.
All in all, “The Muppets” is a heart-warming movie that’s great for viewers of all ages and perfect for the holiday season, even if it’s not a Christmas movie.
Luke Bohannon
LAKERS’ ROAD TO PLAYOFFS IS PUT OT THE TEST GAME AGAINST NUGGETS IS THE KIND THEY NEED TO WIN TO BECOME READY.(Sports)
Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) April 7, 2006 Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer DENVER – The streak is not just that Phil Jackson’s teams are a perfect 14-for-14 in reaching the playoffs during all his years as an NBA coach. More than that, Jackson never has had a team fail to reach the second round as well.
If these Lakers are to join all the previous Jackson teams, they will have to find a way to win on the road in the first round as one of the Western Conference’s bottom seeds.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Lakers got their first chance to win the kind of road game they will have to Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets at Pepsi Center.
The Lakers went into the fourth quarter trailing 85-77 as Bryant hit a tough shot in the lane. Bryant scored 15 of his 30 points in the third quarter but the Lakers barely dented the Nuggets’ halftime lead.
Bryant was bidding Thursday to break Elgin Baylor’s franchise record of 40-point games in a season. Baylor had 23 40-point games in the 1962-63 season, a mark Bryant equaled with 43 points Sunday against Houston. site driving test game
The Lakers came into Thursday capable of heading either direction in the standings. A victory would solidify their hold on seventh and give them the chance to entertain thoughts of possibly moving up to sixth and a first-round date against Denver.
Or the Lakers could have slid closer to Sacramento and the eighth spot, likely bringing a first-round series with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
The Nuggets lead the NBA in fast-break points and showed the Lakers why in the first quarter. Lamar Odom and Smush Parker each went to the bench with their second fouls and every miss by the Lakers seemingly turned into a dunk or layup atthe other end.
The signature play of the quarter came as Bryant missed a tough jumper over Ruben Patterson only to have Patterson shovel the long rebound over his head with both hands to Carmelo Anthony for a fast-break dunk.
By the time Jackson called timeout with 3:18 left, the Nuggets had a 31-13 lead. The only question was whether Denver would give it all back the same way they did Tuesday in losing a game to the Clippers they led 77-57 at halftime. go to site driving test game
Sure enough, Denver let the Lakers back in the game. The Lakers got as close as 49-47 with two minutes left in the second quarter but went into halftime trailing 58-49.
The final play of the half could not have gone worse as Sasha Vujacic had Kwame Brown open underneath for a pass. The lane also was also open for Vujacic to drive, the option the second-year guard decided to take.
But Vujacic failed to get off a shot before the 24-second clock ran out with 1.4 seconds left in the half. He was steps away from the basket as the horn sounded.
Vujacic and Luke Walton also were part of an ugly turnover late in the third quarter. Jackson yelled for Walton to give the ball to Vuajcic to bring up. Walton did so a step after he crossed midcourt, with Vujacic still standing in the backcourt.
It also was Bryant’s first game against the Nuggets since they acquired Patterson from Portland at the February trade deadline. Bryant had a good line at the morning shootaround about Patterson, the self-proclaimed “Kobe stopper.” “He keeps throwing that bait out there,” Bryant told reporters, “and you guys keep taking it.” ross.siler(at)dailynews.com Ross Siler, (818) 713-3610 CAPTION(S):
photo, box Photo:
Denver’s Greg Buckner, left, Kobe Bryant in the fist quarter.
David Zalubowski/Associated Press Box:
LAKERS at PHOENIX – Ross Siler
