Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

I enjoyed The Muppets: Most Wanted, it's the Muppets and I am a passionate fan after all. I am protective of them though, and it's tough for me to admit this but the new film isn't without its failings. How to I criticise one of the things I love most in this world? Well, I'm going to try... Firstly, the beginning sequence is brilliant, I still have the opening song in my head; "We're doing a sequel..." is a very knowing song, making light that the last film did very well so another film has been commissioned but also makes light of the fact that sequels aren't generally as good as the first. This would have been funnier had it not been true. I'm not sure the film ever gets as good as the great beginning sequence but it does have some wonderful touches. I think the biggest problem is that there are too many humans. Kermit and his evil lookalike Constantine get most screen time over the rest of the Muppets, the human actors get the rest leaving the rest of the Muppets, many of our favorites, with very little at all. They make light that they didn't include many old favorites from the first film and they make up for this with probably my favorite cameo of the film, the inclusion of Robin. This wasn't really good enough though, Pepe and Rizzo seem to be regarded as new characters and so are left out even though they've been around for 18 years (Pepe) and 30 years (Rizzo) and yet characters like 80's Robot, who isn't even a Muppet is still there since the last film. Gonzo had about ten lines throughout the whole show! I'm afraid that The Muppets are loosing their way again through no fault of their own. The day Disney bought them was a disaster. I'm sure this will sell a lot of merchandise for them but after the last film it should have been better. The Muppets are still wonderful though, this film is still very funny but only during the Muppet parts. We need more Muppets, why can't the producers get that through their heads? How do they think the Muppets gained so much success and popularity in the first place? I'm sure they're still thinking that Puppets on their own surely can't carry a film but they're so wrong, they've done it many times before. Like Dr. Bunsen Honeydew points out, this isn't actually the sequel, it is the seventh sequel to the original film. My criticism may sound harsh but that's only because The Muppets are the greatest thing in the world and their films are little pieces of genuine magic. They've got the performers, they've got the music, they just need Disney and the producers to understand them and to listen to the fans. Ricky Gervais, whom I dislike immensely, seems to be a big reason many are put off from this film. It's obvious that he has been chosen to be a part of this film because he is bankable rather than because he can add anything or even fits in (he doesn't). It's great but with focus it could and should be better!

http://cinephilecrocodile.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/muppets-most-wanted-dir-james-bobin.html

So at the start of this movie there is a little musical number with some lyrics rhythmically explaining that sequels are never quite as good, a cute self referential/self mocking gag. Well umm...gee, what can I say accept...bingo! Yes this whole movie is almost one big self referential joke crammed full of obligatory pop culture references that just make you groan and slump your head into your hands.

The plot unfolds around a master criminal who happens to look identical to Kermit and is the number one criminal in the world. This amphibian wants to steal the British Crown Jewels with the help of Ricky Gervais who is the second best criminal in the world. So its a crime heist not too far off from 'The Great Muppet Caper'. So the fuzzy gang are trying to rejuvenate their show but are actually being used by the criminal duo who are unravelling a mystery that leads them to the Crown Jewels. Its all very 'Mr Bean-esque'.

First up I didn't like the film title, second up why can't we have Muppet movies based around classic tales/legends/fables again? why am I not seeing a Muppet Robin Hood? Anyway the story putters along in a gentle manner dotted with the odd musical number which on the whole weren't too bad, I quite liked the Gervais and evil Kermit duet. It did seem like there would be a song every other five minutes at one point but thankfully not. I did actually like the character of 'Constantine' (evil Kermit), at first I thought he was merely a cheap Kermit clone (kinda is) but he is voiced really well by Matt Vogel and is quite humerous at times. A Russian accent coming out of Kermit along with some nice evil facial expressions which are simply Kermit's face scrunched up into a snarl...was unexpectedly funny. Gervais wasn't the outright satirical funnyman we all know this time around but he gels well with his mean green accomplice.

The other amusing factor was the the second duo of Sam Eagle and Ty Burrell who plays a French Interpol Inspector. Despite the fact Burrell is clearly doing a hammy 'Inspector Clouseau' impersonation I can't deny that he does it well helped along by the stuffy Sam Eagle. Both bumble around in a predictable way looking for clues, Sam being the more keen by the books man/eagle, where as Burrell is the more laid back lazy not quite so intelligent European.

The movie bounces around from one pretty destination to the next giving us fancy looking set pieces and not much else really. Most of the Muppets don't figure too much this time, nothing from Gonzo, Rizzo, Fozzie etc...or new boy Walter! and naturally there are many pointless needless cameos. I know these Muppet films have always had cameos but they used to be from real legends of the silver screen, these days its the dregs of pop culture like Lady Gaga and Sean Combs *groan*. Still can't work out what the Celine Dion singing cameo was about, she just appears for absolutely no reason what so ever and vanishes again! hope it was worth the money sheesh!

I knew I wasn't gonna like this film much, I am a huge Muppet fan and grew up with the gang but ever since the final Muppet fantasy (Muppet Wizard of Oz) things have just gone down hill for me. Its all become very bland dull and chock full of annoying pop culture references and placements, the lovely fairytale fantasy element has all but gone. While the film wasn't terrible I wasn't overly impressed either. It just ticked along through unoriginal mundane formulaic fodder, no traditional Muppet hysteria present anywhere...until we reached the inevitably plain and predictable ending. What really summed it all up for me was the fact they tried to dodge the glaring problem of little imagination and creativity by going for this all out slightly satirical self referential gag angle like some sort of cover up, hoping no one will notice its all old hat.

I guess it just manages to squeeze over the pass mark because its the Muppets and you can't help but love em. That is still no excuse for a lazy movie relying on familiar faces to bring in the dough, unfortunately they do seem to be doing this, shoving our fave Muppets on the big screen for some easy earnings. I'm happy for more Muppets but lets get back to the fantasy/sci-fi side of things please, it works so well with Jim Henson's creations. I'm waiting for the Muppet version of Dracula please...anyone.