The Muppets Most Wanted

The Muppets seem to be adjusting to modern times just fine. They made a successful comeback in 2011’s The Muppets, and, because that was a moneymaker, we have a sequel. If it was based on a famous young adult book series, and Kermit looked studly with his shirt off, The Muppets Most Wanted would be a 21st century masterpiece!

Ricky Gervais stars as Dominick Badguy – the sidekick to a notorious thief, Constantine, who happens to look exactly like Kermit The Frog, if Kermit had a mole on his face. The bad frog has broken out of the Siberian Gulag, so Dominick has posed as a tour manager for The Muppets and convinces them to head off on a massive European tour.

Of course, Dominick and Constantine have plotted to kidnap Kermit and switch places with him, so the two of them can go on a massive crime spree in each city where The Muppets will be appearing, while our lovable hero is captured by the police and sent to the Siberian Gulag, where he can’t convince anyone of his true identity.

Can the other muppets figure out this is not the real Kermit running their show?

Will Interpol and the CIA arrest the right frog?

The Muppets Most Wanted is a silly, slapstick-filled farce that will have you entertained with singing, dancing, movie star cameos and more, just make sure to teach your kids real prisons are not this much fun.

Writer/director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller, after the opening 10 minutes or so, dial down the meta for this one, which leads to a simpler, but more universal comedy. Kids and adults can laugh at the same goofiness, the same outrageous characters and the same solid, funny jokes and situations without the little kids wondering what Mom and Dad are laughing at as they wait for Animal to do something funny, or Mom and Dad worrying that same joke might be a little too much for their pint sized snowflake to handle at such as young age.

While most of that might not always work in another movie, The Muppets and their co-stars are so full of giddiness, joy and spirit, you can’t help but giggle and chuckle right along with them. Bobin and Stoller consistently make The Muppets Most Wanted an over the top farce with actors overdoing it intentionally and a nefarious plot so full of holes, we get a laugh out of how oblivious The Muppets are at the doppelganger in their presence.

Then, the songs have you laughing just as much with ridiculous lyrics that expose how silly the whole enterprise really is.

The ending is a bit too drawn out, but the rest of the movie makes up for it.

The Muppets Most Wanted is rated PG for some mild action.