Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
2014-03-22 01:26:16
Released March 21, 2014 /
Comedy, Adventure, Kids & Family /
PG
- Stars: Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ray Liotta, Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear,
- Miss Piggy, Gonzo.
- Written by: James Bobin & Nicholas Stoller
- Directed by: James Bobin
- Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London.
- But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine-the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog-and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two.
- The Muppets Most Wanted? I’d say after watching this overlong film they should rename it “The Muppets Least Wanted.” And even they know it. Lyrics from their opening song – “We’re doing a sequel. That’s what we do in Hollywood. And everybody knows that the sequel’s never quite as good.” Hmph!
- Let’s get right to it. What a boring, dreadful Muppet film. And believe it or not, I’m being kind. I am not a Muppet hater. I grew up with the Muppets. I watched the Muppet Show every week as a kid. And as a matter of fact, “The Muppet Show” was the first show I ever recorded on VHS tape. I watched that one episode at least ten times. I love the Muppets. But I hated this film.
- Some feel the Muppets died when its creator, Jim Henson, passed away. I tend to agree to a certain extent. Once the creative force behind an entertainment property moves on, it never seems said property is ever the same. Jim Henson was the Muppets. And even though I am happy to see it continue, this film really helped to dull that feeling.
- So exactly what’s wrong with it? It’s slow, repetitive, the songs are bland and forgettable, and that fun Muppet spirit just happens to be missing. And it’s criminally dumbed down to appeal to young children only. The way I look at it, the Muppets were created for all ages to enjoy. So when parents brought their kids to see these films, they could enjoy the film just as much. But I don’t believe the creators of this film understood that notion. And in this particular case, I don’t even think young kids will like this film. I sat next to a small child who was clearly bored throughout.
- To name a few other issues, the script was clunky, the acting was overly hammy (even for a Muppet film), and the cinematography was shamelessly simplistic. To top it all off, Ricky Gervais’ last name in the film is, get this, Badguy! Can you guess what role he played? Even for a children’s film, that’s hitting the nail on the head just a little too hard. And finally, our lovable cast of characters were greatly underused in this film. More Fozzy! More Miss Piggy! More Gonzo! I didn’t come to a Muppet movie to watch Ricky Gervais or an evil Kermit the Frog clone for most of it.
- I felt that the previous film in this series really got the tone and feel right. It was a nice reintroduction to the Muppet family. But this installment just didn’t feel like a Muppet Movie. The tone and feel of the film was greatly off and it was predictable from beginning to end. My suggestion to everyone is to go back and watch the very first Muppet Movie. It is superior in every way to this film and it never gets old. And I guarantee it will keep your children’s attention.
Know It All Joe https://www.knowitalljoe.com/
I remember way back in them olden days when my family got our first VCR. The very first thing I ever recorded was an episode of “The Muppet Show.” I must have watched that episode 20 times, amazed at this technology that allowed me to watch anything that I recorded anytime that I wanted. Good Times!!!!