I think the parents will enjoy this more than their kids. But we are its target market, not them. The film was smugly self-aware (a trait that can either work well, or be annoying. But the Muppets have always broken the 4th wall, haven't they?), and yet somehow it remained centred in Kermit's basic decency. They wisely made the film more about how the Muppets are a relic of the simpler time, and then peppered it with 1970s/80s references and intentionally cheesy song-and-dance numbers (two at least were pretty good/funny). The plot was essentially a rehash of the Muppet Movie, really ('let's get the gang together'), but by setting it in the old Muppet Theatre, they took us back to the show itself, allowing us to see it in a more expansive way (strangely, they never had a shot from the perspective they ALWAYS had in the show ' Kermit by the loudspeaker, calling the next act on stage).

The biggest potential pitfall was Kermit's voice. But it worked well. At times he sounded like Kermit. And others, he didn't really'..but his mannerisms and personality were all bang-on. There were other distractions (like the fact the puppets had clearly been rebuilt. Fozzie, in particular looked too new). And too much of the 'new' characters (a human couple, and a new muppet'.who was a convenient plot device, but should be jettisoned if they ever do a sequel. He's a less interesting version of Scooter). As usual, they took up valuable screen time from the existing characters'..it's really only Fozzie, Piggy and Kermit who get any time. Gonzo is my favourite, and we don't see him much'.but he does have a very cool opening sequence, where they find him as a magnate of a successful plumbing business (isn't that how we first met him?). When they come to get him, he's all prepared, including having wired his entire plumbing factory with explosives (Why? Well, because, he's Gonzo).

I think it was probably all a bit too slick and disposable. Not sure it has any staying power. It's certainly not the classic the first film is. But it was entertaining, and a darn site better than Henson's last Muppet film, 'The Muppets Take Manhatten'.