BACKGROUND
Award-winning composer Christophe Beck (The Hangover, The Hangover: Part II, and Waiting For Superman) scores The Muppets, directed by James Bobin with screenplay by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. The film follows three Muppet fans: Gary (Jason Segel), Mary (Amy Adams) and Walter, who reunite the Muppets to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon (Chris Cooper)
The director’s instructions to Beck were to create an orchestral score with a contemporary feel. Another challenge for the composer was to create a score that would seamlessly unite with over a dozen songs from new songs created by Bret McKenzie (Flight of the Conchords) to classics including “Rainbow Connection” by Paul Williams.
REVIEW
”The Muppets” allows Beck to do something special, while working on a challenging project. A lot of people have tried tackling the Muppets and they either fall into two camps. Workable covers or piss-poor imitations of greatness. What Beck does here is to work under the clever hand of Bret McKenzie to craft a new Muppet sound for a new generation.
The numerous short cues don’t allow for many memorable score selections. However, it is a very serviceable comedy music track. I can’t name a particular track that I liked the most, it’s more how it ties into elements of the film. I feel that I’ll be able to better reflect on the material when The Muppets hits Blu-Ray in the Spring.
For now, I’ll stick with my basic assessment. It’s a workable family comedy score that doesn’t have any big moments. But, it’s carried by understanding character motif and how to play against a fast-paced movie. That’s enough for the music students, but I don’t see it wowing the average listener. Still, it’s a noble effort.
