Review of Muppets Most Wanted (2014) by Matt G — 08 Sep 2014

Being a sequel is hard. Being a sequel to a successful franchise reboot largely based on nostalgia is harder. Muppets Most Wanted has this to overcome. It's not the labor of love the last film was and suffers from worrying about plot more than jokes. However, MMW will definitely quench any Muppet fan's thirst. The innocence, wit, and anarchy we have come to love in Kermit and the gang is present, making for a fun outing of sweet comedy.

MMW picks up right where the last film ended...literally. The Muppets immediately break the fourth wall and play with the meta humor they revel in, singing about being in a sequel. In this story, Kermit is captured and replaced by a wonderfully comic doppelganger, Constantine, who uses the Muppets as a front for evildoings.

The cameos we've come to expect do not disappoint. Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo bring their hard-personas to the comic table, singing and dancing through their rugged exteriors. Fey nails the hard-nosed Russian prison guard, and Burrell's pairing with Sam the Eagle is utterly inspired. Gervais is the only dull knife in the box, never seeming to fully buy in to the Muppet world.

Sure, the plot is a bit heavy and could benefit from some tightening, and the self-awareness doesn't completely forgive the deficits, but these shortfalls far from ruin the fun. This isn't the monumental victory the 2010 reboot was, and may be among the Muppet's lesser efforts, but the smiles it will bring are undeniable.