It doesn't seem fair to point out that 'Muppets Most Wanted' isn't quite as good as its predecessor.
The film itself goes out of its way to pre-empt any such criticisms with its very first musical number, 'We're Doing A Sequel'. “Everybody knows the sequel's never quite as good,” goes the Bret McKenzie-penned tune, and while that's not always true, it certainly applies here.
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So much of the appeal of 2011's 'The Muppets' came down to the fact that we simply hadn't seen The Muppets for such a long time, and there was such a deep reserve of nostalgia to tap into. This time around, that goodwill has been used up, and the film isn't able to generate the same kind of emotion.
It's more of a straight-up comedy caper, and it's a good one, with fun turns from Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey (but no likable or relatable human leads to replace Jason Segel and Amy Adams) and loads of subversive, self-referential jokes that get huge laughs early but start to wear thin by the finale.
If you're a life-long Muppets fan, the shift in focus away from new characters towards old favourites (even the 'new' Muppet, Constantine, is an evil version of Kermit), and the decision to replace sentiment with gags might sound like good things; a return to standard operating procedures after the anomaly of the last film.
And, yeah, there's something to be said for that, but if you loved the last film (and a lot of people did), this can't help but feel like a regression — albeit a regression to something that is still a hell of a lot of fun in limited doses.
In short, it's a little less sensational, inspirational, celebrational and Muppetational this time around, but we'll always have time for The Muppet Show.
★★★ 1/2
