Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
Certified: U
Duration: 113 minutes
Directed by: James Bobin
Starring: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey
Voices of: Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobsen, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel
KRS release

The end of 2011’s wonderful The Muppets had seen Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) and his comedy and variety troupe all back together.

This included Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal (all voiced by Eric Jacobson), Walter (Peter Linz), a new guy on the crew, and The Great Gonzo (Dave Goelz).

They are soon promised stardom when Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais), an entertainment promoter, tells them that the next step for them is to hold an international tour. Kermit has second thoughts but the others convince him that this is the right move.

However, Dominic has a double plan. He is in cahoots with Constantine (Matt Vogel), a super bad guy who was recently a detainee of a Russian gulag.

He is perfectly identical to Kermit, with the only difference being a facial mole which has been covered up.

His criminal operations make him the target of the feuding pair CIA agent Sam the Eagle (Eric Jacobsen) and Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell).

But instead of Constantine, it’s Kermit that ends up in the Russian gulag where he comes into the company of such die-hard criminals such as Prison King (Jemaine Clement), Danny Trejo (Danny Trejo) and Big Papa (Ray Liotta).

Then there is Nadya (Tina Fey), a guard who wants Kermit to stay in prison as she has her own plans.

Meanwhile, on the outside the troupe is going round with Constantine and Dominic in tow, ready to create new problems and chaos.

Muppets Most Wanted, like its 2011 predecessor, is wacky fun and energetic. And the intermingling of live actors and Muppets is well made. Watching this movie, a world of Muppets and men seems to be normal and perfectly natural!

The live actors are not above parodying themselves or their screen images. Thus, seeing Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo involved in this film’s induces chuckles to say the least.

Tina Fey, as a Russian gulag guard who has a Kermit the Frog fixation, is a hoot and, while her part may be small, she is a veritable show stealer.

Overall, the film has a genuine feel to it as the story careers to and fro in what is essentially a comedy of mistaken identity.

The voicing of the film is impeccable. Constantine is a real show-stopper with the vocal intonation provided being especially full of character.

The film also has a delicious bevy of stars who make cameo appearances. This includes the likes of Salma Hayek, Frank Langella, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and even Chrisoph Waltz in his own waltz!

Bert McKenzie once again delivers Broadway-like tunes with highlights including: Something So Right by Miss Piggy and Celine Dion, Ricky Gervais and Constantine singing I’m Number One and the Together Again finale, which is an uproarious and fitting closure.

The film has heart and wears it proudly on its sleeve. It defies it own logic and it does it with aplomb, benefitting from the decades of familiarity and pop culture standing that the Muppets have now gathered.

In fact, this film manages to look both classic and modern at the same time, thus being a suitable delightful trip into surreal pop culture anarchy.