Muppets Most Wanted

Muppets Most Wanted lays its status bare in its opening number: everyone’s favourite felt puppets are doing a sequel to 2011’s joyful The Muppets, its success ensuring that they came back by popular demand. The instant singalong also displays the distinctive knowing humour that has made Jim Henson’s creations such a hit for half a century, showing that their satirical leanings remain in full swing. As the song, written by returning Oscar-winning music supervisor, Bret McKenzie, reminds us, ‘everyone knows the sequel’s never quite as good.’

Of course, in the Muppets second big screen outing – or eighth, including their original cinema appearances from the 1970s to the 1990s – self-referential winks and wry nods are all part of the charm of cherished characters that never take themselves too seriously. Writer/director James Bobin and his co-scribe Nicholas Stoller share the same sentiments in their own second stint with the famous ensemble, again appropriating the usual Muppets anarchy into an affectionate comic caper. Their repeat performance may not reach the heights of its predecessor, but in a film that tells it like it is from the outset, that’s all part of the appeal. In spirit and as a warm-hearted spoof, Muppets Most Wanted delivers.

On screen as in off screen, Kermit and co are struggling with their reclaimed fame; they’ve saved their studio and reignited their passion for performing, but don’t know what to do next. International tour manager Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais, Cemetary Junction) suggests honing their act on the road, bustling the gang overseas – but with one glaring omission. With master criminal and evil frog Constantine the most feared figure in the world, Kermit is kidnapped and whisked away to a Russian gulag in his place. As the Muppets flit around Europe with an imposter, their efforts devolve into chaos in his absence.

The farcical jokes fly fast, if not thick, in the comic caper that is Muppets Most Wanted, this time trading on more than the nostalgia that made The Muppets such a cinematic treat. That’s not to downplay the unbridled glee that emanated from their first movie in more than a decade, just to recognise how much it relished its reminiscing status. The difficulties of crafting a new instalment, given the weight of such considerable expectations, are never more evident than in the current effort that tries to embrace its beloved properties, make light of any perceived missteps both past and present, and entwine its protagonists in a fresh, fun adventure. Its modest outcome proves all the more jubilant for achieving this challenging feat.

With the customary zany vaudevillian energy channelled through Bobin’s upbeat helming, Muppets Most Wanted zips through the standard Muppet beats with its heart firmly on its sleeve. Not all espionage and subterfuge-fuelled storylines work, nor does each interaction between the puppets and their human counterparts, but every scene and cameo teems with infectious enthusiasm. As a lead, Gervais is thankfully used sparingly, reflecting his uneasy fit with the material. Ty Burrell’s (TV’s Modern Family) antics as an Interpol agent are repetitively overplayed, with Tina Fey (30 Rock) the shining light as prison warden Nadya. Her segments take place away from the main gang, as Kermit is forced to stage a musical with his fellow inmates, yet their interplay elicits as many laughs as the usual hijinks.  

As with any Muppets film, the overall package indulges and pleases, but many of the deeper delights are found in the details. McKenzie’s songs are witty, catchy and memorable, and the sight of his Flight of the Conchords co-star Jemaine Clement among the cast will thrill fans of the duo. Throwaway lines and swift star appearances are as funny as ever, and a broad range of supporting Muppets characters get their brief due. Muppets Most Wanted may not be their most inspirational, celebrational or Muppetational movie outing, but is gently entertaining – both as a standalone effort, and as an enjoyable sequel.