The Muppets (2011)

This is the most feel-good movie of the year. Any audience member can come out of this film with a smile on their face. The Muppets just make people happy.

Walter is a man born a Muppet growing up in Smalltown. His older brother is a human named Gary (Jason Segel). As kids, the two brothers quickly become fans of The Muppet Show and Walter has someone he can look up to. He starts to idolize the Muppets. For his ten-year anniversary with girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), Gary agrees to take Walter along on their trip to California to see the Muppet Studios. On the tour, Walter overhears oilman Tex Richman's (Chris Cooper) plan to destroy the studio and drill for the oil underneath. Distressed, Gary and Walter set out to find the Muppets and tell them Richman's plan. After meeting Kermit, finding the rest of the original Muppets gets easier. Now, they must put together a massive show, with no real funding, to try and raise the money to save the theater from Richman's evil grasp. It's a tall order considering no celebrities will help and the Muppets themselves are no longer thought of as famous. But, come on, it's the Muppets. Of course everything will work out, right?

This was just a fun movie. I can't stress that enough. Any fan of the Muppets or comedies in general should love this film. Not only were the main stories and characters good, but there were so many smaller details that just cracked me up. The main one being whenever Tex Richman wanted to laugh, he'd just say "Maniacal laugh" over and over again. Throw in celebrities from Jack Black to Neil Patrick Harris to Judd Hirsch, and you have the makings of, well, The Muppet Show. Rarely does a flick make me want more, but I could have watched another hour of this and not be upset. Do yourself a favor and watch this. Grade: A-

Despicable Me (2010)

This movie was a lot better than I thought it was going to be, but it was just a good flick. It's a perfect family movie with some great voice work and yet, it falls a bit short for the adults.

Gru (Steve Carell) was once a great super villain. His work, while good, is often expensive and with little payoff to the people who bankroll his evil endeavors. After an up-and-coming super villain named Vector (Jason Segel) gains international acclaim by stealing the Great Pyramid, and the bankroller has decided to back him, Gru has to thwart Vector's new found success by stealing his newly acquired shrink ray. After many failed attempts by Gru, three orphans selling cookies manage to get into Vector's house. What's an evil villain to do? Why, adopt the orphans, of course. He sees them as a means to an ends in getting back the notoriety he once had. However, as time wears on, he finds himself becoming more and more attached to them. Will his evil handywork then begin to suffer as a result of his newly formed feelings?

I really like the idea of an anti-hero hero in kids movie like this but, as an adult, I thought the story was way too fast moving and I have no idea how any of the orphans or Gru became so attached so fast. The audience should be able to feel it as well, and I didn't. That being said, this is a great kids movie. Kids will love Gru's Minions and their nonsensical chattering and I did enjoy the action in the movie. Don't expect anything great, but I do say see it. Grade: B

I Love You, Man (2009)

I never thought I would enjoy a bro-mantic comedy, but I have been proven wrong. Reason being, this movie was absolutely hilarious.

Peter (Paul Rudd) has just proposed to his girlfriend of eight months, Zooey (Rashida Jones). The two are extremely excited until they realize that Peter really has no one to be his best man. Soon after, his mother and brother (Jane Curtain and Andy Samberg) start setting him up on man dates to get a best man. After failing, he happens upon Sydney (Jason Segel) at an open house. It's not too long before they are eating dinner and rocking out to Rush together. Oh yeah, Lou Ferrigno is intertwined in the plot. That should hook you right in.

Rudd is just awkward hilarity at its purest form in this movie. Segel is just as funny as the loner who, as successful as he is, doesn't really want to completely grow up. The supporting cast is top notch as well. Samberg as the "gay, but straighter than his brother" sibling, Curtain and JK Simmons as the parents, and Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressly as the couple who hate each other so much, it's love. They tend to steal the scenes they are in. I highly recommend this.