Muppets 2 - Ricercati

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.

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.

The Muppets find themselves wrapped into an European heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his sidekick Number Two.

The last film put the Muppet's back on the the map, director/writer James Bobin and writer Nicholas Stoller corrects Bobin's own previous instalments niggles, gone is the focus on a new Muppet character and less focus on (real) human actors, here there's more Muppets, more songs, comedy and action.

Packed with one-liners gags and with the obligatory cross section of famous cameos including Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Frank Langella and Ray Liotta to name a few there's all you'd expect from a Muppets musical comedy caper. This offering even excels it predecessor and brings the Muppet's even more to life with some CGI (footwork) but without taking away any of the puppet characteristics of the Muppets we've grown to love along side the human leads Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell and Tina Fey who are on fine form.

This is another proper big budget outing set in the 'real' world and not cheap TV movie nor is it based on a classic story. Most Wanted is a fine return to form and sits well with the classic Muppet capers. Highly recommended.

After being successfully rebooted in 2011 in The Muppets they return in Muppets Most Wanted and end up in London (their spiritual home) as well as other European cities.

The famous again Muppets have a new manager Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) and they embark on a world tour but the tour is a front as Badguy and his cohort Constantine (A Kermit lookalike who has replaced Kermit) rob historical venues across Europe. Tina Fey is fun as the prison guard in a Russian gulag where the real Kermit has been sent to.

Ty Burrell is Interpol Inspector Napoleon, co investigating with CIA agent Sam the Eagle while at the same time poking fun at French stereotypes.

There are many cameos some are blink and you miss them ranging from James McAvoy, Lady Gaga, Christoph Waltz, Frank Langella, Ray Liotta, Danny Trejo, Salma Hayek and Tom Hiddleston.

The film is fun enough, a solid and enjoyable film with a good musical number (The Gulag Song) near the end of the film. Its not as good as The Muppets and borrows from earlier films such as The Great Muppet Caper. Then again the film acknowledges that sequels are not as good as the original film in its opening number. Jason Segel's absence is felt in this film and it also does feel a little bit flabby here and there.

Jim Henson's successors have tried for years to re-capture the magic of the original Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and Muppets Take Manhattan and have failed to take us to that special land of wonderment.

2011's "The Muppets" tried hard (maybe too hard) but stumbled out the gate by making us sit through unbearable musical numbers such as Texas Richman's rap and Amy Adams' "Me Party." It's plot also focused on a new Muppet, Walter, as well his human brother Jason Segel and his girlfriend Amy Adams rather than center around the original Muppet cast that we love so dear.

The creators of Muppets Most Wanted understood these shortcomings and comically pointed them out. I'm not saying that Muppets Most Wanted is as good as the original three, or date say better. But it is as close to Muppet-Greatness as we've been since Jim Henson's passing.

The writers found that perfect balance between silly and witty. The plot centered around the beloved original characters, while introducing a hilarious new villain. The musical numbers had that uplifting, old-school feel and never induced cringing.

We finally have a post-Henson Muppet Movie that will stand the test of time. Rejoice!