Is This Another Muppets Trailer Parody?
The Moment: The build-up to The Muppets was marked by a series of trailer parodies, from rom-com Green With Envy to superhero-themed Being Green , where Jason Segel wryly acknowledges, "why don't we just show a real trailer?"
Muppet Magic: If The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo didn't want to make you want to watch the film... Well, frankly, you're reading the wrong feature.
Pedal Power
The Moment: Jim Henson raises the bar by taking the Muppets on a totally convincing bike ride, using elaborate wire rigs, in The Great Muppet Caper .
Muppet Magic: 'Couldn't We Ride?', the lovely Kermit/Piggy duet that accompanies the set-piece.
Road Trip
The Moment: Kermit and Fozzie hit the road in The Muppet Movie , singing 'Movin' Right Along' ("in search of good times and good news") but getting so lost they meet Sesame Street 's Big Bird.
Muppet Magic: The map says to "turn left at the fork in the road." Sure enough - there's an actual, giant fork in the road.
Feels Like Christmas
The Moment: The Ghost of Christmas Present - a giant, ruddy-faced Muppet - provides a jolly counterpoint to Ebenezer Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol .
Muppet Magic: The Ghost's song, 'It Feels Like Christmas', deserves to be a Yuletide standard - "A part of childhood we'll always remember / It is the summer of the soul in December."
Insta-Grow
The Moment: Showdown in a Western-style ghost town during The Muppet Movie , as Kermit faces off against the villainous Hopper (Charles Durning) with his friends.
Muppet Magic: The day is saved by Animal, who has been turned into a giant by Bunsen Honeydew's Insta-Grow tablets.
Sing Along
The Moment: The opening sequence of The Muppets revels in the warm-hearted goodness of growing up with Jim Henson's gang, as Gary and Walter sing 'Life's A Happy Song'.
Muppet Magic: As the metaphors get more surreal, two fishmongers suggest "Life's a fillet of fish," and Gary and Walter take in their stride by answering, "Yes it is!"
Yoda, You Seek Yoda
The Moment: In The Empire Strikes Back , Luke Skywalker realises that the funny green Muppet he's met on Dagobah is actually fabled Jedi master Yoda.
Muppet Magic: The greatest use of Muppet wizardry outside a Henson production, as Frank Oz lends voice and puppeteering to create one of the Star Wars universe's most indelible characters.
Eezer Good
The Moment: Ebenezer Scrooge wakes up at the end of The Muppet Christmas Carol with a 'Thankful Heart,' and organises a feast for everyone.
Muppet Magic: Beaker helps Scrooge to keep warm by lending his scarf. Aw bless.
A Very Manly Muppet Song
The Moment: The Muppets went one better than previous films by winning the Oscar for Best Original Song, thanks to 'Man Or Muppet' by Flight Of the Conchords ' Bret McKenzie.
Muppet Magic: The double-duet between Jason Segel, his Muppet double, Walter and the 'human' Walter played by The Big Bang Theory 's Jim Parsons.
Someday We'll Find It
The Moment: As the Muppets finally start to make The Muppet Movie , the roof explodes to let in a rainbow, cueing up the final, rousing rendition of the gang's signature song, 'Rainbow Connection' - squaring the circle started by Kermit's solo version at the start of the film.
Muppet Magic: The arrival of Sweetums, who has been trying to catch up with his pals for the entire duration of the film.
