Muppets: Most Wanted, as a film, lived up to expectations, but as a Blu-ray release it fell short. Picking up right after The Muppets ended we see the gang getting ready for a sequel and bandying about ideas. Enter Ricky Gervais as Dominc Badguy (pronounced “Ba-jee” because it’s French). He offers to help the gang capitalize on their success and the show is taken on the road.
Concurrently the world’s most dangerous criminal frog escapes from a Siberian gulag. Constantine is a fierce and evil amphibian with more than a passing resemblance to Kermit. Does this come into play with the plot? Are Constantine and Dominic working together?
My biggest complaint about the previous film was how many of the human characters sang instead of the Muppets themselves. This time around it features more of the Muppets singing, though a fair number of human characters get significant time as well. One of the funniest songs is let by Ty Burrell and Sam The Eagle as an INTERPOL and C.I.A. agent interrogating the Muppets about a string of crimes. Then there’s The Muppet Show Theme sung in Spanish. But there’s more and I don’t want to spoil them all.
Tina Fey portrays the head of the Siberian gulag, and while she’s funny, I just didn’t buy her in the role. As one of the three main human characters in the film it was necessary to have at least one woman, but this wasn’t the one. Other inmates include Ray Liota and Danny Trejo. My kids didn’t understand why it was funny for them to be in those roles, but this is where the strength of this franchise lies, finding a way to amuse a wide audience on a number of levels appropriately.
What is a Muppet film without cameos? Muppets: Most Wanted is packed so full of them it’s ridiculous. Many are on screen for less time than it takes to recognize them. It’s almost a waste. Too many cameos? I didn’t think I would ever say that about a Muppet film.
Funny? Yes, Muppets: Most Wanted is funny. There are some bits that had my 11 year old and I laughing almost uncontrollably. There were parts where my 7 year old laughed and the next minute he asked what was going on because he lost the plot.
Muppets: Most Wanted is a great sequel and a wonderful continuation of the franchise. I do wish, however, the Blu-ray was of equal stature. There is the theatrical version of the film, an unnecessarily extended version which adds about 10 minutes of deleted scenes put back in, which is nice. The Statler & Waldorf cut of the film is well worth the time it takes to watch the movie again. There’s a lengthy blooper reel a skit about Rizzo and a music video. That’s it. No audio commentary, no featurettes or behind the scenes videos, no additional deleted scenes, which you know there are some, particularly if you have the deluxe soundtrack. Oh, and that’s another thing. The Muppets came in an edition that included not only a fair amount of special features, but also a copy of the film’s soundtrack. The expectation has been set rather high and this Blu-ray release falls short.
Sadly, I think the next step for the Muppets relies on how well home video sales of Muppets: Most Wanted goes. With this disappointing Blu-ray of a fun movie, it’s almost as if Disney is trying to stop the franchises momentum.