: Jason Segel Talks “Gulliver’s Travels”, “Muppets”

Just in time for the holidays, Jack Black stars in an adaptation of Jonathan Swift’s 18th-century classic, “Gulliver’s Travels,” with a contemporary spin added to the source material. One of his co-stars, Jason Segel (of “Forgetting Sarah Marshal” and CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” fame) recently spoke to CBSNews.com’s Ken Lombardi about this new family-friendly film, and revealed details about his starring-role in the upcoming “Muppets” movie (due out in late-2011) and about his next collaboration with frequent comedic partner, Judd Apatow. Ken Lombardi: While watching the film, I thought to myself, ‘his neck must have hurt so much’ from constantly having to look up at a giant-sized Jack Black. In this iteration, Jack Black’s Gulliver is a stunted mail-room jockey at a newspaper. If only the Lilliputians could have figured out how to keep the one-note comic actor in restraints, and maybe jab him now and again with pointy sticks. But I did do a fair amount of looking up.

JS: We shot most of the scenes separately. Spurred on to make a change, Gulliver accidentally signs up for a writing assignment from the travel editor, his crush Darcy (Amanda Peet). Jack Black’s persona has always been larger than life, so in a way, he’s the perfect choice for an adaptation of ” Gulliver’s Travels .” But while Black ably carries the movie on his super-size shoulders, Rob Letterman’s slacker take on the Jonathan Swift classic is easier to like than respect. Unless you consider transforming Lilliput’s elegant 18th-century grand plaza into a tacky Times Square commercial strip, or having Gulliver battle a towering Transformer-like robot, doing something.

Black says the special effects were a chance to use his imagination — to come up with the entire world of the film. A dual motion-controlled remote control camera…that’s the real name. To find out why I didn’t enjoy Gulliver’s Travels , just read more. He can’t even summon the nerve to ask the travel editor he has a crush on – Darcy Silverman (Amanda Peet) – on a date. So we could just hear each other. It’s there he finally becomes the big man — literally — he’s always dreamed of.

The only skeptic is displaced General Edward ( Chris O’Dowd ), who hates the attention this giant interloper is earning. Where did he come from? Screenwriters Joe Stillman and Nicholas Stoller have done good work before (” Shrek ,” ” Get Him to the Greek “). This is a naive innocent face intimates a quizzical facial gesture. One of the small potatoes in a big man’s world.” Black’s own insecurities helped him relate to Gulliver. Like a lot of clowns, Black says he’s often shy in real life. He gives the exact same performance we’ve seen, and been charmed by, a zillion times before.

I’ve warned you: don’t take this trip. And, “The Muppets,” which comes out next year, will also be PG. They could have buried him in the sand. So, I’m riding the family wave for a minute. KL: Do you like that? I also have a hard R-rated comedy called “Bad Teacher,” coming out next year. Are you going to eventually transition to more dramatic performances? With blue tinsel, of course, and a Star of David on top. “That would be taking it too far.”