Muppets Mostly Wanted

You gotta love The Muppets – a phenomenon of multiple generations, many of whom are now voiced by different performers, these characters hold onto an innocence and likability that makes them easy to spend time with. Muppets Most Wanted is James Bobin’s (Flight of the Conchords) follow-up to his 2011 reboot, this time without the energizing presence of Jason Segal, whose absence as screenwriter is particularly noticeable, with the opening number “We’re Making a Sequel” being more revealing than satiric. The Muppets embark on a world tour, with Kermit replaced by an evil look-alike, in the service of an elaborate jewel heist. European cities have their own featured human performers, Christoph Waltz in Berlin, Salma Hayek in Madrid, Hugh Bonneville in Dublin – with a veritable avalanche of celebrity cameos, including Sean Combs, Céline Dion, Tom Hiddleston, Ray Liotta, Frank Langella, Danny Trejo and Usher. Tina Fey does time as a guard at the real Kermit’s Siberian Gulag (take that, Putin!), but it’s Ty Burrell and Ricky Gervais who seem to get how to relate to their felt and furry costars the most successfully, both of whom seem to be really enjoying what they’re doing.

Muppets Most Wanted falls short of some of the charm of the first movie, so you’re going to enjoy it a lot more if you go with someone of the intended demographic – still, when your five-year-old is sighing that it’s time to go just as the third act is ramping up, it’s evidence that things are a little draggy. But I can’t help myself – I love The Muppets and you’ll love an imagined moment revealing what Kermit and Miss Piggy’s offspring could look like. James, complete your trilogy by bringing back Jason Segal and showing us what that new family household is like!