Segal both stars and co-wrote the script with Nicholas Stoller, both graduates of the Judd Apatow school of theatre.The Atlantic calls it a "wondrous movie" that's "among the best films of the year."

"The film is an utter delight, a tidal surge of joyful nostalgia cunningly repackaged and updated,'' writes Christopher Orr. "Take your kids, take your parents, take a friend or someone you'd like to become one. But by all means take yourself."

The flick reunites Jim Hensen's furry friends in an effort to save Muppet Theater from the greasy paws of a rich oilman who's discovered there's oil underneath their beloved playground. Rotten Tomatoes' "Tomatometer critics" unanimously agree that Disney's latest family fare is a winner. The Washington Times reviewer opines the movie "reunites the whole gang...for a film about the virtues of silliness and self-reference, and the triumph of the good, the weird, and the lovable." TimeOut Chicago declares that it captures "the classic, magic blend of sublime silliness and unabashed sentimentality" of Hensen's original Muppets. And ABC's David Blaustein asks: Is this the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational Muppet movie ever made? The answer: sure!" I definitely want this as my Thanksgiving dessert.

Also on the menu this weekend is revered director Martin Scorsese's 3-D Hugo, an adaptation of the bestselling children's book, The Invention Of Hugo Cabret, about an orphan boy who seeks to repair an automaton owned by his deceased father. The movie also tells a story within a story about early 20th century movie-making pioneer George Méliès. The New York Times calls the movie "serious, beautiful, wise to the absurdity of life" and a "well-lubricated machine, a trick entertainment and a wind-up toy" that "springs to life instantly." The Boston Globe calls it "an intricately imagined gift" and "an exhilarating tale of magic, machines, memories, and dreams." And Rotten Tomatoes calls it " an extravagant, elegant fantasy with an innocence lacking in many modern kids' movies, and one that emanates an unabashed love for the magic of cinema." And the San Jose Mercury News declares that the movie "majestically celebrates filmmaking" and "awaken[s] confidence -- not just in the power of film, but in our own dreams."

Lastly, Sony Pictures' animated feature Arthur Christmas opens today, Nov. 23, "at last reveal[ing] the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole," according to Rotten Tomatoes. The movie review website calls the movie "a clever and earnest holiday film with surprising emotional strength." The OttowaCitizen declares the movie "wildly original — the filmmakers can’t seem to stop themselves from throwing in more perils until the thing consumes 97 minutes, which feels stretched — and cleverly constructed." And SlashFilm says the film "drags you into the holiday spirit through sheer force of will,'' yet fails to reach the "level of the best holiday classics." But time will be the final judge of that.