The Muppets is an infectiously happy tribute to and rejuvenation of Jim Henson’s signature creation, given new life by Jason Segal.

Picture the scene: a theatre of sleepy eyed film critics knocking back coffee and grumbling at the early morning scheduling of an exclusive screening of The Muppets. Cue two hours later and the same critics are now bright eyed and chirpy, as they practically dance out of the cinema.

This is the effect which The Muppets movie has. 12 years have passed since the likes of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear last appeared on the big screen in Muppets from Space, and in that time family entertainment has been the territory of computer animation studios such as Pixar and Dreamworks.

But there is a timeless quality about these puppet characters. It is a spirit, heart and eagerness to entertain. “It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights” was their cue that a spectacular show was about to begin, and through the obvious love of actor/writer Jason Segal a spectacular movie is also delivered.

Segal stars as Gary. He lives in Small Town with his puppet brother Walter (voiced by Peter Linz). The pair along with Gary’s kind hearted and ever patient girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) take a trip to Los Angeles to visit the famed Muppets studios.

It is there they learn that a greedy business magnate (Chris Cooper) will tear down the studios and drill for oil, unless The Muppets raise $10 million to buy the deed back within a week. With the clock ticking the trio spring into action, yet there task in much harder than originally thought. The Muppets have gone their separate ways and it’ll take some soul searching and forgiveness to “put the band back together”.

As a result, The Muppets is a movie primarily about relationships. There is the romances between Gary/Mary and Kermit/Miss Piggy, the friendship between Kermit and Fozzie, and in the middle is poor Walter searching for his place in the world.  

Through song and dance these personal journeys are played out, and hopefully these toe tapping compositions (both original and covered) will get some love come Oscar time.

A steady stream of celebrity cameos also feature, ranging from Jack Black to Emily Blunt to Jim Parsons (all hilarious), adding to the great lead performances by Segal (who continues to prove himself as a comedy renaissance man), a bubbly and cute as pie Amy Adams, and Chris Cooper who is sure to surprise as a slick dealing, rap spewing baddie.

And of course there is the great puppetry and voice work that makes The Muppets still an entertaining troupe, despite the absence of regulars Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson.

An anti-thesis of the crude programs which pass themselves as “entertainment” (Family Guy, The Simpsons), The Muppets proves that wholesome, family oriented entertainment is not only relevant but will also lift your spirits.