We’re doing a sequel
There’s no need to disguise
The studio considers us a buyable franchise
We’re doing a sequel
The studio wants more
While they wait for Tom Hanks to make Toy Story 4
(‘We’re Doing A Sequel’ – Bret McKenzie)

It was inevitable that the success of The Muppets in 2012 would spark an interest, but there was a worry that another Muppets film wouldn’t be as good. I wrote at the time that the post-Henson years weren’t brilliant, The Muppets Christmas Carol being the last great Muppets vehicle. Half-arsed attempts were made in the intervening years to keep the name alive, but nothing happened that made people sit up and take notice until the release of the 2012 film. You had to imagine that the gang hadn’t worked together since 1992 for the last film to work, and it did work due to the fact that it was written by people who genuinely loved The Muppets and wanted to do it justice.

The Muppets shouldn’t really be squarely aimed at children, neither should it be squarely aimed at grownups, and this has been the problem with the Muppets during the wilderness years. Since the Disney Company took over they haven’t exploited the full potential of the Muppets, keeping them in the public eye for seemingly no other reason than because they had paid a lot of money for the privilege. The straight to DVD ventures such as Kermit’s Swamp Years was aimed at small children who might not even have known who Kermit the Frog was. Jim Henson couldn’t get The Muppet Show made in America because he was associated with children’s television due to Sesame Street, and he couldn’t convince anyone that adults would watch a show that starred puppets. It wasn’t until he found a backer in the UK that The Muppet Show saw the light of day, broadcasting in the not entirely child friendly 8pm time slot on Sunday nights. My dad tells me that this was the talk of the workplace on Mondays, and he was unable to join in due to my fear of The Muppets that used to mean it got switched off. There were no means available back then to watch programmes again if you missed them. I am no longer scared of The Muppets.

The Muppets played on this affection held by people of a certain age, using clever back references and pulling at the tear ducts right at the end with a beautiful rendition of ‘Rainbow Connection’. Maybe this helped to bring The Muppets to a whole new generation of fans, or maybe it reminded the grownups how much we loved them in the first place, maybe a bit of both. What is certain though is that the film was a huge success and as the opening song says, making a sequel is how they do it in Hollywood.

Once again they have managed to make a ‘proper’ Muppets film that Jim Henson would have made. Drawing on the past for inspiration while keeping an eye on the future of the Muppet machine, Muppets Most Wanted is a classic Muppet film through and through. Starting right at the end of The Muppets, the gang wonders what they’re going to do until they realise that the camera is still rolling, prompting Statler and Waldorf to glumly predict the inevitable; that a sequel is on the cards. This kicks in the opening song and dance number ‘We’re Doing A Sequel’, brilliantly satirizing the fact that Hollywood can’t let a good idea die with the line “And everyone knows the sequel’s never quite as good”. Sadly, this is the case as the film does have its slow moments. The slow moments are outweighed by classic Muppet brilliance thankfully, sending the gang on a world tour to capitalize on their recent success. The world tour is actually a con trick that will see the Muppets accused of a series of daring robberies, the theatres all being next door to museums and banks. Ricky Gervais plays the role of Ricky Gervais David Brent Andy Milman Bertram Pincus Mark Bellison Dominic Badguy (“pronounced Badgee, it’s French”), who convinces the gang to take The Muppet Show on tour. Badguy is working with Constantine, an evil Russian frog who not only is the world’s most dangerous frog, but also shares a resemblance to Kermit.

Although it would have been easy for the filmmakers to simply pull a spare Kermit puppet from the props cupboard and stick a mole on his face, they actually made a puppet that was intentionally slightly different. The eyes are the biggest giveaway, along with his eleven point collar being shorter in length.

Escaping from a high security Siberian Gulag, Constantine swaps places with Kermit by ambushing him and gluing a mole to his face allowing him to be captured and re-imprisoned. With clever use of green concealer, Constantine manages to pass himself off as the Muppets beloved leader to carry on with the tour and the master plan to steal the Crown Jewels. The tour doesn’t really matter, with Constantine (who everybody thinks is Kermit) allowing the gang to have creative freedom to do what they like on stage. The Electric Mayhem do a four hour jam, Gonzo does an indoor running of the bulls, and Miss Piggy sings a collection of Celine Dion songs. Dominic has been bribing newspapers to write glowing reviews, giving the gang the incentive to carry on performing at venues in Berlin, Madrid, Dublin, and London.

The plot tips its hat to The Great Muppet Caper in many of the heist sequences, especially with a Muppet being set up and imprisoned, only for the baddies to be beaten in the end. Musically, the film’s soundtrack once again mixes brand new songs with some cleverly done covers, ending with a re-working of ‘Together Again’ (sang as ‘Together Again, Again’) from The Muppets Take Manhattan. It was also good to see appearances from Muppets who hadn’t been seen a great deal in recent years; Scooter, Rowlf, Wayne and Wanda, Lew Zealand, and several ‘whatnots’ from The Muppet Show.

Ricky Gervais is someone who has never before put a foot wrong creatively, responsible for such gems as The Office, Extras, and Derek among other things. He has always had enough integrity to turn down unsuitable roles, (apparently being offered a load of low standard film roles after the success of The Office), until his recent inexplicable car advert. The Muppets have a long history of being a sought after guest spot, look at the guest list of The Muppet Show and the people who made cameos in the films, even the less good efforts. It is entirely understandable that Gervais would jump at the chance to appear with The Muppets because you just don’t turn that sort of gig down. There was a worry that he would take over things and turn the film in a Ricky Gervais vehicle with his sometimes overbearing presence. Thankfully, despite his limited acting range he does take a back seat and allow the Muppets to take centre stage.

Here’s to the next film.

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