REVIEW - MUPPETS MOST WANTED

A reminder of what we cherish most about the Muppets, both in what it grasps and in what it neglects, Muppets Most Wanted is the archetypal sequel cut from the same cloth as the original, and by the same people. It's almost as good as James Bobin's first Muppets movie, with jokes of equal calibre, songs of similar, and nothing ostensibly missing. What is missing, alas, is what we cherish most about the Muppets: that unabashed, heartfelt sweetness that enhances every other element of their productions. Bobin's concept for 21st Century Muppets is in no way mean-spirited or edgy, but it's perhaps a telling detail that, this time, the sillier humour registers stronger than the observational. But what humour it is! Gag counts this high aren't for all films, not even for all comedies, and nor should they be, but Muppets Most Wanted boasts an enviable tally - there's probably not one clanger among them, not one effort that won't go unappreciated by at least a sizeable section of the audience. Bobin and Nick Stoller have demonstrated again their respect for and understanding of these beloved characters, seamlessly combined with a contemporary style of comedy. And they are aided immeasurably once more by songwriter Bret McKenzie, whose compositions are as musically catchy and lyrically dynamic as those for 2011's The Muppets, which have become enormously popular in the time since. So this sprightly film satisfies consistently, as we're never removed from the grasp of these three talented collaborators, yet their travails end up somewhat in vain. Their sophomore creation lacks the emotional charge of their first, possibly inevitably, but nonetheless disappointingly. It has the feel of just another episode in the screen lives of Kermit, Piggy and their fabric friends; well, if that's all this is, then hooray. Cos I'll still be first in line for episode three.