The Muppets

Jim Henson, that name doesn't ring a bell on some people, but his beloved characters, known as the Muppets, are known by the young and old alike. However, since 2006, Disney had been putting them aside (along with their own flagship characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck) to focus on their tween programming. It ruined their reputation unfortunately, and it wasn't until 2009 that they were able turn their reputation around when they released The Princess and the Frog. But, what about the Muppets? Well fortunately, they're back as well, and the movie marking their return is the best family comedy of 2011.

The film focuses on the Muppet fan Walter (Peter Linz), his brother Gary (Jason Segel), and Gary's lovely girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) as they travel to Los Angeles to bring the Muppets back together again. What they find out is that the evil Tex Richman wants to shut down the old Muppet Studio to drill for oil. So, what do Walter, Gary, Mary, and the entire Muppet gang do? They decide to do a telethon to earn enough money to save the abandoned studio they originally used from being destroyed. Little do they realize that, according to a television executive they talk to, people would rather watch reality TV and Idol competitions rather than a Muppet telethon (which all changes when a currently popular show gets cancelled).

My favorite part of the movie is, well, the whole movie in general. The Muppets were always entertaining, and Disney's recent film featuring Jim Henson's lovable characters keeps the spirit and humor of "The Muppet Show" and the theatrically released musical films of the '80s and '90s. "The Muppets" is guaranteed to give the well-known franchise new fans, and I'm sure more people will take their kids to see this, and those kids will like it better than those stupid Alvin and the Chipmunks flicks.

Final Grade: B+

Hugo

This is the first movie I've ever seen that has been directed by Martin Scorsese, and is also the best I've ever seen. Coming out of the theatre, I can see why a lot of cinema fans like him so much.

The story focuses on Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), a boy who literally lives inside the clocks of a train station in Paris, France. Most of the time, Hugo tries his best to outrun and outsmart an inspector named Gustav (Sacha Baron Cohen). In the middle of the film, he meets a girl his age named Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), whose godfather (Ben Kingsley), who is actually seen in the very beginning of the film as the owner of a toy shop at the train station, is actually the legendary but forgotten filmmaker Georges Melies. What this movie teaches us is how movies were thought to be a fad during the time this film takes place, but is still an art today.

Not only was the movie very excellent, but the 3D was also spectacular. It wasn't used as a gimmick, but it was made to actually make you feel like you're in the movie. This is what a family movie was meant to be. No singing chipmunks, no gimmicks used in the 3D, no fart jokes and/or toilet humor, and best of all, a great experience overall. And good gravy! A story! Characters! A plot! Three things lacking in todays live action family movies, especially the ones that came out this past summer (The Smurfs, Zookeeper anyone?).

I conclude this review with the following words, if you want an escape for two hours from the stresses of preparing for Christmas, and if you're looking for a great 3D experience, I totally recommend Hugo.

Final Grade: A+