The Muppets Most Wanted – PG
Running Time: 107 minutes
Director: James Bobin
Major Actors: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey
Rating: 8
As iconic as ever, The Muppets Most Wanted sequel provided the silly humor and ridiculous storyline that all Muppets lovers look forward to in their numerous installments. As always, Kermit the Frog and the gang team up to produce side gripping laughs and great family fun in a European tour managed by Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais). Little do they know that infamous Constantine, the most dangerous frog in the world, has replaced Kermit and plans to steal the Crown Jewels of England with his sidekick, Dominic Badguy. As Sam the Eagle and Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) team up to find the capers, the rest of the Muppets crew are completely unaware that their leader is not as he seems. While Kermit attempts to escape from Siberia, Russia, under the clutches of prison guard Nadya (Tina Fey), he must help direct a production from the prison walls.
If you’re into family fun and silly comedy, this is a great movie to see. Not only do I love the Muppets (partially because my mother had me watching them and Sesame Street all the time), but I have an infatuation for Burrell. His silly ridiculous comedy always puts you in a good mood with his constant influx of jokes and actions. That, teamed with Fey and a slew of oddball puppets makes for an adventure of outrageous comedy.
What I also love about the Muppets is their tradition of wholesome comedy and somewhat marvelous morals. Every time you think that the Muppets are through and have lost their fame, they come back, and not in the nonsensical terrible sequel way. They even make fun of the fact that they’ve made almost 10 sequels! In each movie they bring back skits from the original show, connecting their roots to modern day comedy. Not only did this movie have a preposterous plot, but it held a differential message of fighting to hold on to tradition to leaving the past for the present.
As you may expect, the depth of the storyline was a bit subpar due to the concentration on comedic jokes rather than plot development. The fact that none of the Muppets but three found out near the very end of the movie that the Kermit they believed was in fact Constantine was a bit immature; especially since he did not sound like Kermit whatsoever and behaved extremely abnormally compared to the real gentle frog. I assume this was planned, however, to make the Muppets seem more nonsensical and therefore comedic towards the younger audience of children.
Overall this was a great movie, perfect for young and old ages and a must-see if you’re one of those individuals (like myself) who love a bit of ludicrous comedy. Every once and awhile you just need something simple to laugh at, and this movie definitely provides it.
