Review of Muppets Most Wanted (2014) by Vicente R — 09 Sep 2014

(4 Stars) (Unnecessarily Extended Edition) You know, I actually think I laughed more in Muppets Most Wanted than The Muppets. Yeah, didn't expect that. While I think there are better Muppet movies out there, this one could be the funniest for its jokes upon jokes; really clever and simple ones. And at one point, I thought they nearly went overboard with fourth wall jokes, but when I look back on it, they kept them to an acceptable Muppet-level of tongue in cheek.

There are a ton of celebrity cameos, a handful of which are just kind of like "Hey, it's James McAvoy... why is he a UPS deliver man?" But I accept that unnecessary cameos are part of Muppet lore.

I wonder if the movie could have been a bit more touching and uplifting. I didn't realize there was a message trying to be conveyed until the climactic action scene on a rooftop with a helicopter. The last Muppets movie had a very moving scene where they all banded together, despite accepting that they may be washed up and forgotten. It felt somber yet stirring... and it was for inanimate objects.

However, Muppets Most Wanted seems to know it's inferior by stating sequels are rarely better than the original in the opening number (another of many funny jokes). If they wanted to go for straight comedy, then they did it right. I think this is the funniest Muppets movie yet.