Having been a small child in the late seventies/early eighties, I adored 2011’s relaunch of the Muppet movie franchise.
The Muppets had just that right mix of laughs, nostalgia and emotion, and wisely recognised and acknowledged that our felty friends were very much a product of the past and would struggle to find their footing in the crass and cynical world of today. Critically acclaimed, and making enough cash to keep the Disney Overlords happy, it is only natural that a sequel would be rushed into production. But where do you go from here?
England... And it looks like a caper...
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So that's our first taste of the freshly retitled Muppets Most Wanted. I really like Ricky Gervais and I hope he can lend some authenticity to proceedings so that this trip overseas doesn't become a mess of American writers writing lazy British stereotypes. The biggest thing that's missing here for me (in this admittedly rapid tease) is any sense of the elaborate, large scale musical numbers that appeared in the first film. I hope that - particularly with Brett McKenzie back onboard - that they're able to reach those heights again.
It's a tough film to move forward on really. A lot of the heart of the first one came from seeing the forgotten Muppets at all time low. Not sure where they'll go if they're back on top...
