Muppets, The

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter (Linz), the world's biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Segel), and Gary's girlfriend, Mary (Adams), from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Cooper) to raze Muppet Studios and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath The Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage a telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the studio, Walter, Mary, and Gary help Kermit (Whitmire) reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie (Jacobson) now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy (Jacobson) is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal (Jacobson) is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo (Goelz) is a high-powered plumbing magnate. (Tricia Spears)

Special features include Scratching The Surface: A Hasty Examination Of The Making Of The Muppets (HD 15:56); "The Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History)" (HD 08:33); "A Little Screen Test On The Way To The Read-Through" (HD 03:19); "Explaining Evil: The Full Tex Richman Song" (HD 02:38); eight deleted scenes (HD 10:01); seven theatrical spoof trailers (HD 09:00); commentary with Jason Segel, James Bobin, and Nicholas Stoller; sneak peeks; and up-front ads. The set includes the Blu-ray Disc™, a DVD, a digital copy, and a downloadable soundtrack of The Muppets.

The 1.78:1 1080p AVC picture is stunningly vibrant, with a richness of color that is absolutely delightful. Colors are fully saturated and really pop on the screen with richness and warmth. Hues are boldly rendered, yet fleshtones are accurately portrayed. Kermit's green, Piggy's pink, Fozzie's brown, and Animal's red treatments are wonderfully vibrant and bright. Resolution also is excellent, with nuanced detail exhibited throughout among the human actors, the Muppets varied fabric textures, and the interior of the historic Muppet Theater. Contrast is well balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. The imagery is pristine, with impressive clarity and sharpness. This is a visual experience that simply delights and will be treasured by all ages. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack is lots of fun. The sonics sparkle with a varied treatment of orchestral sounds, with a segment of sing-along rap with the lyrics flashed at the bottom of the screen. The music energy is abundant throughout and nicely recorded with distinctive instrumental timbre and spatial dimensionality. The Muppet Telethon is absolutely delightful. Dialogue is intelligible throughout, with effective spatial integration. The dynamic impact is terrific, with effective deep bass punctuated through the .1 LFE channel for enhanced impact. All this wonderful energy is enhanced with a spatially dimensional soundfield, with aggressive side and back channel surround envelopment. Atmospherics and sound effects are artfully directionalized as well, with, at times, cross-channel pans. This is a terrific holosonic® soundtrack experience with a varied sonic palette that is wonderfully entertaining and engaging. (Gary Reber)