'The Muppets' is Nostalgic, Feel-Good Romp

Around this time of year I start dreaming of a white Christmas. A white Christmas, coupled with a mug of hot apple cider, enjoyed in my fleece pajamas, by the fire, and – just for good measure – the promise of mac ‘n’ cheese for dinner and Belgian waffles for breakfast.

In short, I want warm and cozy. And now I know that if there were a movie equivalent of that ooey, gooey, lush feeling of cosseted bliss, it would be “The Muppets.”

That’s right, after a 12-year hiatus from the big screen, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear and the rest of the gang are back in this delightful, fun-for-the-whole-family comedy. It’s sure to bring back floods of memories for anyone over the age of 18, and it’s that nostalgia that makes this piece sing.

And sing they do, those dear Muppets.

My cheeks hurt at the movie’s end. For 90 delicious minutes, I was a goofy, grinning 7-year-old caught up in Beaker’s antics and The Swedish Chef’s schtick. And I loved it.

Much like the toys of “Toy Story,” the Muppets have long been forgotten amid Bieber fever and computer-animated everything. This is where our story begins.

At first, we meet Walter and Gary, best brothers for life, who have everything in common - except for the small fact that Gary, played by “Muppets” co-writer Jason Segel, is a human and Walter is ... well, he doesn’t quite know for sure, but he positively loves (and resembles) the Muppets.

Good brother and friend that he is, Gary invites Walter along on his 10-year-anniversary trip with cute-as-a-button girlfriend, Mary (played with “Enchanted” princess charm by Amy Adams), so that Walter can experience the excitement of Muppet Studios live and in-person. But when the trio arrives in Los Angeles, they learn that the rundown haunt of the motley stars is about to be destroyed by Tex Richman, an evil oil tycoon (Chris Cooper).

Oh, no! Will the Muppets be able to raise enough money to save what is rightfully theirs? Or will they fade into oblivion, another dated pop-culture blip.

The subsequent cinematic adventure is brimming with the star-studded cameos (Zach Galifianakas, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Neil Patrick Harris, James Carville, Selena Gomez, and so on) and tongue-in-cheek humor the Muppets do so well.

It really makes you wonder: Why have the Muppets been gone so long? Let's hope they're here to stay.

Catch it at:

* The Regal Cinema at 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:20 p.m., 7:50 p.m., 10 p.m.

*  in South Whitehall at ‎‎1:20‎ p.m., ‎4:20‎ p.m. and ‎7:30 p.m‎.

* The  at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley at ‎12:10 p.m., 1:05 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9:45 p.m.