MUPPETS MOST WANTED

US, 2014, 101 minutes, Colour.
Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, cameos by Tony Bennett, Hugh Bonneville, Jermaine Clement, Sean Combs, Rob Corddry, Mackenzie Crook, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Zach Galifiniakis, Tom Hollander, Salma Hayak, Tom Hiddlestone, Tony Jones, Frank Langella, Ray Liotta, James Mc Avoy, Chloe Grace Moretz, Usher Raymond, Miranda Richardson, Saoirse Ronin, Danny Trejo, Til Schweiger, Stanley Tucci, Christoph Waltz.
Directed by James Bobin.


With the new Muppets movie in 2012, the younger generation was introduced to those favourite characters of past audiences who are now parents and grandparents, appreciating the Muppets, their television shows and their movies since the 1970s.

This one opens with the finish of the first film, the Muppets all back together again and enjoying the bonding, but left with a camera – and what better than to make another movie!

The plot for this one is a bit complicated – but enjoyable for all that, with a load of guest stars doing amusing cameos, from Christoph Waltz to Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey, to Salma Hayak and to a singing and dancing group, rehearsing I Need This Job from A Chorus Line (and Machete’s and Bad Ass’s Danny Trejo of all people doing a solo recital!). That may be significant for the adult audiences – the teenagers were happier with a cameo sequence from the singer, Usher, which may have been lost on the adults.

A villain played by Ricky Gervais, Dominic Badguy, persuades the Muppets that he would be an excellent agent for them, urging a world tour, encouraging them each to develop their own act, which they are eager to do. The only dissenting voice is that of Kermit who suspects something. But the Muppets believe Badguy and off Kermit goes, only to be arrested because he resembles the most criminal frog in the world, the Russian Constantine. Constantine is in league with Badguy and they are planning a series of robberies which will culminate in stealing the British Crown Jewels.

The road to London requires a number of other robberies and, therefore, the Muppets go on tour. It includes a first visit to Berlin, than a performance in Madrid (and it is enjoyable to see the television opening of The Muppet’s Show in Spanish). Some of the acts are so noisy that they drown out the digging and explosions which Constantine and Badguy are involved in. And, to Kermit’s later disappointment, the Muppets are taken in completely by Constantine’s attempts at impersonating Kermit, even Miss Piggy.

In the meantime, Kermit is interned in a Gulag. His guard is Nadia, played by Tina Fey, with songs, dances, Russian parody, comedy routines, obviously enjoying herself in this role. Kermit tries a number of escapes but Nadia is always ready because she has seen all the escape movies and knows the obvious attempts. Then she asks him to advise on the annual prison revue. This is where the song and dance routines come in, especially that parody of a A Chorus Line. Ray Liotta is amongst the hoofers! Then it is off to Dublin and finally to London where Constantine, who has proposed to Miss Piggy, is going to stage a ceremony in the Tower of London to cover the robbery.

Fortunately, in the meantime, Fozzie and Animal have hurried over to Russia to free Kermit to be back in time to thwart the wedding.

Most of the popular characters from The Muppet Show have a chance to appear and make their mark.

Watching the Muppets, most audiences will probably have a smile on their faces and get some laughs as well and be happy that here they are, hopefully not for the last time.

1. The long popularity of the Muppets? The 1970s onward? The range of films, television programs? Characters? The 21st century?

2. The return of the Muppets in film, the effect, a sequel?

3. The attraction of the Muppets, the characters, look, the range of types, the voices, action, comedy?

4. The finishing of the film, the bond between the group, reunited? Walter and his place with the group? Introduced in the previous film? Their having the camera, deciding to make a new film?

5. The comedy of the sequel song – and the parody of Hollywood attitudes?

6. The voice talent, the range? The many cameos and their comedy?

7. Dominic Badguy and the meeting with the Muppets, his persuasiveness, pleasant, to be a manager, fulfilling their dreams, letting them do what they wanted? Kermit not agreeing? Walter and his confusion?

8. The phone call to Constantine? Badguy and his double-dealing?

9. Constantine, the, the most dangerous frog in the world, engineering his escape from the gulag, the explosions, blowing up the prison? His accent? Taking Kermit’s place?

10. The Muppets and the response to Badguy and all that he offered? Everybody wanting their own performance?

11. Kermit going, his being taken, imprisoned in the gulag? The headlines? The Muppets and their believing Constantine?

12. The tour, going to Berlin, the setup, rehearsals, the robbery with the noise covering?

13. Madrid, the Muppet show in Spanish, the audiences, the boring performances, Miss Piggy and her singing, people waking up with a standing ovation?

14. Going to Dublin, near the bank? Again the robbery, the noise drowning the explosions?

15. The plot of the Tower of London? Badguy and Constantine working together? The Tower of London? The crown jewels? Miss Piggy’s wedding to cover the robbery?

16. Nadia, in the gulag, the satire on Soviet women guards, her song about prisons, lights out and her tripping? Her interest in Kermit? Her shrine to him?

17. Kermit, the escape attempts, Nadia always waiting, the textbook and movie escapes?

18. Her wanting him to do the annual revue? The comedy of the rehearsals? The prisoners performing? Song and dance? The song from A Chorus Line,
Danny Trejo and his singing ‘I need this job’?

19. Constantine as Kermit, the Muppets believing him, his treatment of the Muppets, his treatment of Badguy? Walter and his doubts? Discovery of the truth, with Fozzie and Animal, going to Siberia to rescue Kermit?

20. Kermit, the performance of the song, the Coal Mine, Nadia and the audience, her enjoyment? The escape?

21. Constantine, proposing to Miss Piggy, her usual character, dominating, accepting?

22. The set up, Miss Piggy in the bridal dress, Constantine in the suit, the Minister, going up the aisle?

23. In the meantime, the small Muppets, Badguy and his organising them to get in, the key, his stealing the crown jewels, the moment of double crossing
Constantine?

24. The wedding, Kermit in the mirror, the to-ing and fro-ing of each frog in front of Miss Piggy? Kermit and his hesitation and Miss Piggy knowing he was the real Kermit?

25. The helicopter, the villains escaping, the Muppets forming a chain to anchor the helicopter?

26. Badguy and his betrayal, capture, Constantine besting him?

27. And all the Muppets together again? And the audience enjoying this?