“Though the movie clings to the pure charm of Jim Henson’s puppets alone, it feels as if the Muppets are unessential to the film as a whole. The directors could have easily swapped Gonzo, Fozzie and friends with characters from another franchise and kept the film mostly intact.” —Zoë DiGiorgio
The Muppets (2011) is nearly perfect. Enchanting both classic-Muppet fans and youngsters alike, the film is equally charming, witty and heartwarming. The musical numbers are well-timed toe-tappers containing just the right amount of cheesiness to remind audiences that this is indeed a Muppets film.
The best part, though, is seeing the whole gang back together. The numerous montages featuring Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and the rest provide a delightful nostalgia trip for those who have grown up with the crew and a worthy introduction for newcomers.
Sadly, the same praise cannot be lavished upon the latest adventures of Kermit and company. Though Muppets Most Wanted is a fun romp around Europe, it lacks anything that distinguishes it from other heist parody movies, even in its crucial selling point: Muppets.
A self-aware sequel, Muppets Most Wanted starts at the ending of the previous Muppets movie. In traditional Muppets fashion, Kermit and friends decide — through song, of course — they need to make a sequel to their previous adventures, a completely meta moment that is nevertheless the kind of thing you’d expect from a Muppets movie. However, while they acknowledge in “We’re Doing a Sequel” that sequels are never as good as the original, this movie feels as if it doesn’t even try to raise that bar.
While trying to find a plot for their planned sequel, the Muppets are talked into going on a European tour by shady manager Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais,The Invention of Lying). Before the Muppets’ first show in Berlin, Kermit is mistaken as the “evil frog” Constantine, who has recently escaped from a Siberian labor camp. Kermit is arrested and sent to Siberia to serve time in Constantine’s stead while Constantine pretends to be Kermit, fooling the Muppets and using their performances as a cover while he and Dominic perform a series of thefts around Europe.
The movie alternates between parodying prison escape, heist and European tour films and just being a retread of them. It particularly struggles with striking a balance between comically dismantling tropes from films such as Mission Impossible and The Shawshank Redemption and using them as they are, resulting in many dull, predictable moments. While the goofy Muppets humor is still present throughout, it often feels blatant and forced, as if many of the jokes were written with a “pause for laughter” scribbled in the script afterward.
What really propels the film, however, are stellar performances from a pair of the film’s humans, Ty Burrell (Modern Family) and Tina Fey (Acceptance). Burrell is on point as Jean Pierre Napoleon, the Interpol agent investigating the heists. Channeling Pink Panther detective Inspector Clouseau with finesse, Burrell’s loving portrayal of harmless French stereotypes is a highlight of the movie. As Nadya, the ruthless head of the labor camp, Fey falls back comfortably into the ridiculous-yet-effective performance style she perfected during her Saturday Night Live days.
Gervais, on the other hand, seems to sleepwalk through his performance. Though he usually shines on-screen with dry wit and acute timing, he feels a bit out of place in all his scenes.
The other celebrities who appear on-screen in either supporting roles or cameos add a fun “I spy” element to the film in addition to new temporary sources for fresh jokes. However, the biggest shame of the whole enterprise is that it feels as if these celebrity cameos overshadow the real stars of the film: the Muppets themselves.
Because of the overlapping plotlines in the film, many of the Muppets besides Kermit, Constantine, Miss Piggy and Sam Eagle get pushed to the background for most of the running time. Though the movie clings to the pure charm of Jim Henson’s puppets alone, it feels as if the Muppets are unessential to the film as a whole. The directors could have easily swapped Gonzo, Fozzie and friends with characters from another franchise and kept the film mostly intact.
What remains is a movie that is silly but never hilarious. While Muppets Most Wanted manages to be entertaining, it lacks the freshness, wit and heart that has kept Muppets fans coming back after all these years.
