Muppets 2: Procurados e Amados

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 The Muppets came out in 2011 people really liked it and therefore a sequel was made. The sequel Muppets Most Wanted was not as successful as it's predecessor. It wasn't as much a financial hit and people didn't dig it as much and it seems like The Muppets are back to the way they were after Muppets From Space. I actually really loved Muppets Most Wanted. At the time I thought it was better than The Muppets and in ways it is. The jokes are smarter. The songs are better and it feels more like a traditional Muppet movie than it's predecessor but this movie is not without it's flaws. The flaws are that Walter has more screen time than Gonzo and even Fozzie. That's just wrong! And the humans need to take a huge backseat to the Muppets. Tina Fey more than Ricky Gervais and Ty Burrell. Overall I think this is a great Muppet movie but it's so depressing how underrated it is. I hope this is not the end of The Muppets on the big screen. I'm an aspiring actor and filmmaker, maybe I should be like Jason Segel and try to bring them back if nobody else does. Even then I've always wanted to make a Muppet movie.

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.

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.

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!