Opération Muppets

'The Muppets: Most Wanted (2014)' picks up right after the muppets finish filming 'The Muppets (2011)'. This meta self-awareness continues throughout the piece, though to varying degrees, and is especially evident in the opening musical number in which the characters sing about doing a sequel. The first film must be based on a 'true story', though, because its events (the muppets getting back together, Walter being introduced) are directly referenced as having happened to the muppets even though the opening makes it explicit that the film itself is the reason for the muppet's reunion and subsequent success (which kicks in prior to their picture even being edited, since this starts as soon as they shoot the last shot and wrap up production). Confused? Well, the flick doesn't want you to think about it. It steams ahead with almost reckless abandon, unconcerned with most of its throwaway humour, which leads to a 'just go with it' vibe and prevents any semblance of self-seriousness. It's a distinct yet mostly successful approach that fits with the inherent silliness of the age-old 'puppets and people' concept. The flick is enjoyable enough for what it is, filled with a host colourful core characters and a slew of throwaway yet inoffensive celebrity cameos. There are plenty of lively musical numbers and the piece is relatively funny on occasion (though never side-splitting, by any means). A lot of the comedy is based around ever-so-slightly xenophobic stereotypes, but this feels more lazy than malicious. Therefore, it isn't particularly bothersome, even though it does make a lot of the movie seem somewhat old-fashioned. The most successful aspects of the feature are its villains, a dastardly doppelgänger and an in-the-closet furry. Their evil plan is as predictable as you'd expect, but the picture doesn't make a point of focusing on its plot and just uses it as a catalyst for its somewhat creaky comedy and its catchy song-and-dance routines (the latter of which includes an excellent 80s pop-ballad parody). Ultimately, this is a well-executed and generally enjoyable affair. There isn't anything particularly wrong with it, but it's only ever so engaging or, even, entertaining. It's good enough for a bit of throwaway fun, though. To be fair, it never pretends to be anything more than that. 6/10.

The Muppets of 2011 was a surprise, it is one of the rare throwbacks that excellently lives up to the material which brings nostalgia to the old fans and potentially earns new ones from the current generation. That little film gives us faith to their upcoming films, and here it is, the latest sequel that once again delivers the same delight and enthusiasm. This quality is always a welcome, however the storyline doesn't seem to offer anything new or say anything important. But none of it will ever matter in the end, Muppets Most Wanted is quite entertaining because that is what this material is always best at.

This edition tries to be like any blockbuster today by pulling off a bombastic and thrilling tone since it involves criminal schemes and exciting mysteries, but these aren't the most interesting parts the film has. Many can immediately notice it suffers finding fresher ideas for the main plot, but those aren't exactly what we care for. It's really about being loyal to their thing: absurd humor, shining talents, and best of all, singing. The attempt of heightening things up is probably for the film to fit in to this epic sized era of cinema. But the truth is the plot is really not as special as the quirks, the most memorable parts that end up to the storyline are either the Muppets' amusing naivety from Constantine's disguise as Kermit or the two agents' ridiculous arguments about the size of their badges.

While the classic stuff are kept, the only thing that was elevated is the songs. Bret McKenzie gives the same joy of the last movie, the beat goes from groovy to Broadway. Every musical set piece is just wonderfully enjoyable. The craft is nothing to talk about since they're always neat, and the voices too have always been full of life. The celebrity cast seems like they're having a good time: Ricky Gervais is kind of just doing his own thing. Ty Burrell seems to be parodying Inspector Clouseau and it's quite fun, he has a delightful chemistry with his Muppet partner, Sam the Eagle. People might only notice the accent in Tina Fey, but she still made the character likable anyway.

Muppets Most Wanted has the feeling for a TV Special worth or something, because definitely there is hardly anything grand about the film other than the spectacles, but it's really hard to say anything bad to the Muppets since the spirit of the show is still there. Its significance is just too little compared to the last movie since that one had a message why this show is so special. This sequel only exists probably just to fit in, but then again it's still a very fun time at the movies. New and old fans can appreciate every bit of it, because nothing can entertain you like this than the Muppets.

So, I saw it last night... and as much as I enjoyed it, something seemed missing. For a devoted fan like me, I believe the missing piece was the emotional impact that many of the great Muppet movies have had. Don't get me wrong, MMW was definitely fun, and I highly recommend it to anyone with kids, to keep the legacy alive. There was plenty of in-joke meta humor, sight-gags, visual puns (Christoph Waltz cameos as himself, dancing the Waltz with a bear), like the last one (and so many before that), which I love. There were references to previous movies (including nice plot AND song callbacks to The Muppets Take Manhattan - one of my favorite Muppet movies ever), and characters (Rizzo and Kermit's nephew Robin get a fun moment). And maybe it's just because the first movie of the Muppets reboot was SO damn good, and contained such incredible levels of nostalgia, but for long-time fans like myself, MMW didn't connect with me quite as well.

One big missing piece of the puzzle from the last movie, though, is Jason Segel. Even though this was written by Nicholas Stoller, Segel's writing partner in the first movie, the dialogue and the jokes sometimes fell a little flat. Segel's obvious deep-seeded love and fandom of the Muppets showed through in his script, and that same level of love wasn't here. Plus, Segel as Gary in the first movie, just brought a lot of on- screen fun with him. But of course, I understand that the Muppets don't typically have any permanent human counterparts, so if he had just continued writing on this one, I'd have been happy.

The songs were cute and fun, but nothing here nearly compares to the last film's soundtrack. Nothing catchy enough to stay in my head, like 'Man or Muppet' or 'Life's a Happy Song' were. No emotional punch like 'Pictures in My Head' was. I'm afraid that Bret McKenzie will not likely be able to continue his streak of Best Song Oscars. One of the more fun musical highlights, though, was Constantine's (the villain - who was just basically Kermit with a mole and ... a frog in his throat *rimshot*) off-handed seduction of Miss Piggy in one of his (THREE!) songs, "I'll Get You What You Want".

The human co-stars of the movie were Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais. All three shine in their scenes, and all seem to be up for all the fun of your typical Muppet movie, but Fey really stood out in her song "In The Gulag". She plays an over-the-top stereotypical Russian guard, keeping Kermit under lock and key for being mistaken for Constantine (the World's Most Dangerous Frog!), complete with Kermit, at one point, wearing a "Hogan's Heroes"-style hat. The rest of the human cameos were really fun, too. Hobo Joe re-cameos in this one, a carryover from the first movie. There's a cute surprise cameo at the end of the movie. The other standout amongst the cameos for me was Danny Trejo, who at one point, late in the film, you realize is playing... Danny Trejo, the Russian gulag prisoner, which I found to be immensely hilarious. A lot of the cameos are 'blink and you'll miss 'em', though. So the movie does have some rewatchability value for me, at some point.

The last thing I'll point out here is that there seemed to be a lot of Muppet cameos as well. MANY different older generation Muppets show up as background characters, so it was fun to play 'Spot the Familiar Muppet' throughout the film. My favorite was the Muppet Newsman, who unfortunately, had nothing bad happen to him.

So overall, I think the Muppet legacy has a great chance at continuing their legacy, and I think the last movie gained a lot of new young fans of the franchise, who will all enjoy this one immensely (since kids don't really have the same sort of emotional attachment to the Muppets that I might). I enjoyed the movie greatly for what it was, but am slightly disappointed in the movie for what I thought it could be. I look forward to the next movie, and may actually go back and give this one another chance, to see if maybe I misjudged it the first time around. Sometimes Muppet movies are like that... they take a second viewing to really appreciate the more subtle humor elements, catch some of the sight gags you might have missed the first time around, etc.

If any of you were planning to go this weekend, please don't be swayed by my review here to convince you otherwise. Go see it! And please come back and tell me how wrong I am. I'd love that, more than anything.

Having read a few strangely critical reviews, I felt compelled to add my own for balance. I am not going to compare this to this Muppet movie or that. I already see too many people doing that.

Having grown up with the original Muppet Show and seeing every movie and many TV specials, I have seen this bunch put together movies and shows with varying success.

The return to the big screen a few years ago was very welcome, and very well done. With this movie, I think they topped that and quite a few others! To me, as a lifelong fan, this easily ranks near the top of the best Muppet movies made.

Once I heard the opening number to the movie, I knew I was in for a treat. Every song in this movie was pure Muppet. Jim Henson always had a way of celebrating the best we all have to offer with a twinkle in his eye and a joke or two along the way. That spirit lives on in this movie. Whether it's doo wop, cheesy 70s music, or just a fun musical number, they cover a lot of ground.

The plot, as you may already be aware, involves some creative switcharoo, which is played off very well. This leads to a number of interesting scenes on both sides.

The movie is paced very well, and does a good job of switching back and forth between story lines. Just as you become reinvested in one, you're switched back to the other. You will most likely see your favorite Muppet at some point, although only a handful have significant parts. I always enjoy the familiar faces in the background scenes.

The human/Muppet ratio was back where it should be. Any proper Muppet movie should always star the muppets, with humans being "around". This delivered that perfectly, but also picked the perfect co-stars. Ty Burrell is fantastic, and his time with Sam the Eagle is wonderful, and something I had been looking forward to. Of course Tina Fey is great as well. She's Tina Fey!

There is a lot of well done will they or won't they at the end. You'll have to see for yourself if they do or if they don't!

And finally, while the matinée I went to wasn't hugely attended, there were a number of kids in the audience, and they all seemed to like the movie very much, even clapping at the end.

I personally enjoyed this movie quite a bit. I laughed A LOT. It's fun. It's silly. It's somewhat absurd at times, and that's what the Muppets are all about. And of course, they remind you how great it is to stick together with your friends and family. And any movie that can get the seal of approval from kids that includes clapping must be doing something right!

When I reviewed "The Muppets" (2011) upon its release, I was ecstatic about it. I loved the story, the songs, and everything the Muppets themselves did in the movie.

Most people who saw "The Muppets" who were not Muppet fans before seeing it enjoyed the film. Muppet fans themselves, in addition to loving the movie, could sense the heart and passion the filmmakers put into every aspect, and felt no doubt everyone involved in making "The Muppets" were Muppet fans themselves.

"Muppets Most Wanted" is the 8th Muppet movie, but the first one that is technically a sequel because it acknowledges the events that took place in its immediate predecessor. Many of those involved in "The Muppets" return in this sequel, including director and co-writer James Bobin, co-writer Nicholas Stoller, songwriter (and Oscar-winner) Bret McKenzie, and all the Muppets including newcomer Walter . . . but something was missing.

As I watched the film, I could see all the Muppets were there, and it seemed like they were trying to perform "The Muppet Show" as well as they did in their previous film. There was a coherent story about a criminal mastermind who happened to look identical to Kermit the Frog, and exploits this coincidence to help him escape from prison.

I wanted this movie to make me laugh. I want to tell everyone that the Muppets are cool and funny again like I did back when I saw "The Muppets" . . . but I can't.

The problem may have had to do with the story, or at least the motivations of antagonist and Kermit-lookalike Constantine. With his partner in crime Dominic Badguy (pronounced BA-jee, & played by Ricky Gervais), he uses the Muppets' world tour as a front to rob European museums of their precious diamonds.

"The Great Muppet Caper" had a similar plot, but that movie was more clever because virtually all the Muppets in that movie parodied how overdone such a plot was. This movie doesn't even want to acknowledge the banality of that hackneyed plot line, or even consider why any modern audience would care about a jewel heist.

Also, whereas the songs were a major strength in "The Muppets", the song "We're Doing A Sequel" is the only one worth remembering. It's a promising, tongue-in-cheek song that acknowledges the stigma and symptoms of sequelitis, only to allow the whole film to fall victim to its own diagnosis.

Many of the other songs are surprisingly mundane, considering McKenzie wrote far more brilliant songs for "The Muppets". For example, the song "I'll Get What You Want (Cockatoo In Malibu)" has lyrics that include "I can give you anything you want/Give you anything you need/I'll make your dreams come true/Give you anything you want".

You're waiting for a funny line, but McKenzie, for the first time in his songwriting career, never delivers one. Considering the hilarious, genre-bashing songs he made famous with Flight Of The Conchords, it feels as if he didn't even try.

Last but not least, everything "The Muppets" did right with celebrity cameos, "Muppets Most Wanted" did wrong. You see Christoph Waltz dancing the waltz, Salma Hayek getting on and off stage, Danny Trejo in prison, and Celine Dion just singing.

You don't see Gonzo doing a crazy stunt (you only hear him talking about it), Fozzie Bear telling a joke, or most of the Muppets doing what they do best. Even Lew Zealand forgets to throw a fish.

Of the human stars who actually have relevant roles, Tina Fey and Ty Burrell actually look like they're having fun. Ricky Gervais is surprisingly dull, being both unfunny enough to stand alongside the Muppets, and not menacing enough to be a villain.

The Muppets are the stars of this movie, not the humans. Somewhere in the making of this movie, the filmmakers left their love of the Muppets, and their desire to make them intriguing characters, by the door, and it shows by what you don't see the Muppets do.

"Muppets Most Wanted" has some laughs, but they are more like light chuckles with no feelings of joy or poignancy. The Muppets have already proved they can make a comeback, but this is not the movie that proves their staying power.

"Muppets Most Wanted" is by no means a terrible movie, but I hope the Muppets prove their worth in their next movie. I hope there is a next movie.

One last note: The Walt Disney Company has not yet released "The Muppet Show" Seasons 4 & 5 on DVD in addition to many other long-unavailable Muppet TV specials (e.g. "A Muppet Family Christmas" (1987)), yet has purchased Marvel Comics and the Star Wars franchise. Maybe the problem lies with Disney not caring enough about the Muppets.