Warm, charming and funny, just like the Muppets I remember from my childhood. I'm not often one for musicals, but this one - aided by the brilliant combination of fuzzy puppet singers and Flight of the Conchords composition - hits all the right notes. It's funny without nudging into blue territory, a talent that's becoming more scarce by the minute, with a heartwarming reunion storyline that slowly reintroduces the cast and reminds us why we grew to love them in the first place. Loaded with unexpected cameos and sly winks at the troupe's long history, it's clear that a lot of love went into the making of this picture; the screen positively resonates from beginning to end. Though I was hesitant to revisit this old territory at first, by the final act I was grinning warmly and nodding right along, utterly entranced.

The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper are classics, Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets Take Manhatten are great, Muppets from Space was okay but disappointing compared to what came before it, It's a Very Muppet Christmas Movie and Letters from Santa were mediocre and Muppet Wizard of Oz was terrible. So as a fan of the Muppets of course I'd see this movie, and it was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Sadly, it turned out to be one of my most disappointing. It does have good things. The movie does look good, it is well shot and with colourful scenery. The first 10 minutes were very moving, at this point I thought to myself now this is going to be a good movie with lots of heart. Walter was generally endearing for all his character flaws, allowing for some very sweet and heartfelt moments, and Chris Cooper was a funny and suitably nasty Scrooge-like villain, though the maniacal laughter was overdone. Animal had some funny moments, like with Jack Black, and two songs are good, if not on the same level as Rainbow Connection, First Time it Happens or Professional Pirate. Life is a Happy Song put a smile on my face and is very catchy and Man or Muppet was really quite poignant. The use of Rainbow Connection was also delightful, for a movie that felt too much like a Jason Segal vehicle it was lovely to have something to connect us to the Muppets we know and love.

There are unfortunately too many things wrong with The Muppets(2011).

The rest of the songs, one would argue that there are too many for a start, are forgettable and have no energy, Me Party and Cooper's rap song were just cheesy and just weren't needed. The writing was disappointingly lazy, the satire was not sharp or witty enough and a lot of it was too cynical and immature, the fart shoes were embarrassingly unfunny especially. The story had great potential as seen with the first 10 minutes. But is let down by a soppy underdeveloped love story between Segal and Adams, draggy pacing and the fact that it seemingly wasn't sure whether it was aiming at adults reminiscing over their childhood and nostalgia or at children newly-introduced to the Muppets. The Muppets(2011) is further let down by too many humans, not enough Muppets, I wouldn't mind if the characters were interesting but everybody including the Muppets seemed flat. Amy Adams' character was severely underwritten, Jason Segal's is annoying, Miss Piggy was the least funny she's been and Kermit is dull as dishwater. Animal is the only one who's at least amusing. Even the acting was lacklustre, the celebrity cameos, except for Jack Black and Jim Parssons, were come-and-go quality with seemingly no reason for being there, Amy Adams tries to do something with her underwritten character and ends up mugging it while Jason Segal's performance is awkward and over-compensated. Some of the Muppet voices seemed off too, especially with Fozzie, who almost sounds like a woman which was somewhat weird-sounding.

All in all, has good things but underwhelming. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Gary (Jason Segel),Mary (Amy Adams),and Walter try to reunite the Muppets for one last show to save the Muppet Theater from Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) drilling for oil under the Theater.

Jason Segel and Amy Adams make for a super cute couple. The songs are fun. It's a cute musical. It's part musical, part road movie, but the oil storyline isn't that funny. It feels too serious and too awkward. I'd prefer something much more lighter. Overall, it's a cute fun movie. In short, it's a great Muppets movie. And it's nice to see the group back together on the big screen.