And Two New Muppets Fans Are Born

I'm not generally a sucker for nostalgia flicks. But I have to admit being beyond giddy and excited about the new Muppets movie. That even with criticism from the Muppet old guard, who are reportedly upset with the story line and have quibbles about the potty jokes.

So when a friend offered free tickets to a special pre-release private screening of the movie, I jumped at the chance. School night? No worries. One late evening was worth what I expect will be a rough morning trying to rouse the kids out of bed.

I go into movies like this (kid-friendly) with extremely low expectations. Top that with the negativity from the purist old guard and, really, there was nothing left to do except enjoy the evening.

And enjoy the evening I did.

We all did. I laughed out loud and until tears rolled down my cheeks throughout the film. So did Sim and the kids. So did our friends and the rest of the audience.

The movie was silly, old school and thoroughly entertaining, especially for Gen-Xers and their children. The kids followed the story line, seemed to get most of the jokes, loved the cameos of celebrities they recognized and repeated one-liners all the way home.

Here's what I didn't miss: sexual innuendo and over-the-top special effects so common in many supposedly kid-friendly movies I've seen lately. My kids didn't miss any of that either and fell instantly in love with the characters.

My daughter wanted to watch a "re-run" before we made it into the house. I'm fairly certain she'll be scanning library shelves and Netflix for Muppet movies of olde.

The Muppets was a delightful way to spend a couple hours with the family. I expect it's going to do quite well this holiday season after its official release Nov. 23.