As a lifelong Muppet fan, I was definitely looking forward to this movie. It’s been quite some time since the last Muppet film, 1999′s Muppets From Space. And unlike many people, I liked that movie. This new entry takes advantage of that time away and makes it the primary plot. And like all Muppet productions, it’s more than happy to poke fun at itself. Overall, a great, fun flick.

Writing: This movie isn’t going to be winning any best screenplay awards. But that’s never a goal of The Muppets. No cliche is off limits. No joke is fruit hanging too low. As always, the cheaper the joke, the better. With star Jason Segel also being one of the writers, it’s hardly surprising that he’s a big Muppet fan. Of course, anyone who’s seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall probably already knows that. Sentiment and nostalgia is key to the success of the movie, so it’s perfect for them to use somebody like Segel who clearly fits the bit.

Production: What can you say about the production of a Muppet movie? The teams of operators that control the Muppet performances are as good as it gets. Sure, the filming isn’t breaking any new ground in particular, but it’s done well. The musical numbers are done with a fun amount of flair. In particular, the “Man Or Muppet” music number is very well done.

Cast: As expected, Jason Segel has a field day with his perfectly cheeseball role. Amy Adams also has plenty of fun with an equally cheeseball character. It’s particularly fun for Adams, as she gets to channel the Disney princess style role at which she’s proven so adept. Chris Cooper works pretty well as the bad guy, though he comes very close to pushing it just a bit too far. The Muppet performers know there jobs inside and out, so of course there’s plenty of fun in their performances. And of course, we get some fun cameo appearances. From Jack Black to Neil Patrick Harris (of course), it’s a fun assortment. I was rather surprised (and sad) that Steve Martin didn’t put in an appearance. There were some fun surprises in the cameo roster, such as none-other-than Mickey Rooney. But bar none, the coup Coup de grâce is the casting of Jim Parsons as the “Man” alter ego of Walter. That was spot on genius.

Music: Christophe Beck does a nice job playing up the melodramatic nature of things. But naturally, it’s the musical numbers by the cast that is the highlight of any Muppet movie. They’re all fun, but the two that I thought worked best were the disco “Me Party” number and my favorite, “Man Or Muppet.”

One last thing that was special about seeing this movie was the perfect audience at the midnight opening night screening I went to. It wasn’t a sold out theater (perhaps 3/4 full), but the audience was perfectly into it. Surely populated by fellow Muppet fans.