Your Thoughts: "Muppets Most Wanted" Theatrical Film

[Ruahnna]

Muppets most wanted fiction check. Working on it.

(Muppets Most Wanted happens outside of kermie's girls timeline because Kermit and Piggy aren't married.)

Now, to drag this conversation back on topic. Muppets Most Wanted was an enjoyable film. I loved seeing the Electric Mayhem back together playing for all they're worth. I thought the music was good. I enjoyed the gulag dancing and singing scenes, but I wish we'd had more Muppet dancing and singing scenes.

I loved the train idea, especially the thought of a dining car, but it would have been fantastic to see the Swedish chef cooking in the dining car. And why wasn't gonzo hanging off of some part of the train by his nose? Did Robin get to go on the train ride too? I'm guessing he did not, because he would surely have noticed Kermit was different.

The junior novel has them all going to prison in the gulag at the end. I'd love to have seen what would have happened between Piggy and Nadya had that come to pass!

(There, are we back on track?)

Ru

 

[Beauregard]

Well, the movie finally made it to Britain and I have seen it, and loved it, and been completely blown away by it (pun intended.)

Seriously, this was a movie for the fans, folks, and so many parts of it read like the very best of the Muppet Fan Fiction that's ever graced our delightful forum. The crowd scenes, train lines, international theater scenes, entire concept and the way it all played out, as well as the interactions between Kermit and Piggy were so great.

And the best thing about my viewing was that I was watching with a friend who had never seen a Muppet movie before this one, and she still laughed -- a lot. Probably at things that we wouldn't have laughed at as much, actually, but there was PLENTY in there for non-fans.

For me, a few key lines were:

"You can leave the Muppets???",
The Rizzo/Robin line,
The opening suggestions for what movie to make,
"They are going to steal the Tower of London!"
and, "BAD FROG!!!"

I also loved the songs (wouldn't have hurt to have a few more songs sung by actual Muppets in there, but, hey, I'll take what I can get.)

In terms of characterization, I have to say that I was amazed at the way they managed to totally 'get' Animal for this movie, Scooter's totally thriving in his organizational role as Kermit's #2, Kermit struck me as a little out of control at the beginning (but he has a stressful life) but he hit the right emotional notes throughout. Piggy was incredible, stepping up for the spotlight for the third section of the film.

Speaking of sections, I really felt like this was basically 3 films. One about Constantine and #2 on a heist (first half), one about Kermit at a gulag (second), and one about Miss Piggy's heart journey (third.) Loved that about it though, keeping things fresh.

Finally, cameos. Not only were the Human Actors INCREDIBLE (I'd say they beat out all the human actors who have come before them, except maybe Charles Grodin and Tim Curry). Tina Fey especially deserves praise for her realistic falling-in-love-with-Kermit, and Ricky Gervais was so NOT what I expected him to be. The rest of the cameos (and there were a LOT) were GREAT. They just show up, do a menial task or a few lines, and go. No muss, no fuss.

My friends who are not Muppet fans were squeeing over the cameos -- I didn't recognize most of them. Meanwhile, I loved the Muppet cameos -- Hi Blind Pew, hello there Annie Sue Pig (who had a line, and a note in a song actually). Hello Mildred my old dancing partner and love. Hello thing-thing...

Finally: Who could ever have predicted that the babies would ever, ever, ever be involved in a Muppet heist plot?

Bea{Also, Beauregard was GREAT at the driver...}regard

P.S. Baby Figs, and aging Piggy and Kermie...great.

 

[Nasubionna]

It's interesting when after Constantine tells the others that Walter quit, they're only surprised because he had just joined them (and the last movie was all about him joining them), with nobody pointing out what a big fan he was of the Muppets (it should have been more of a shock that the world's biggest Muppet fan would quit).

I feel like Walter should have sung the line about it being the Muppets seventh sequel in the opening song.

It's interesting how the credits note Carlo and Alonzo Flamingo. They only appear to provide back-up for Miss Piggy' Macarena number, neither gets its own line, neither is addressed by name. I wonder if there are any deleted scenes with them (not counting a possibly extended version of the number). Or could they have had names so that Peter Linz could have another character besides Walter listed among his characters? In fact it seems like having those flamingos is inconsequental. They could have easily used the Gawky Birds (though I don't think they have ever spoken, but there's no reason they can't), or the Clodhoppers, or generic pigs. Though they would most likely need to rebuild Clodhoppers or Gawky Birds.

Well, the original version of "Macarena" was in the flamenco style of music and was sung by two dudes (it would have been even funnier if the flamingo's names were Rafael and Antonio, like the real Macarena singers).... so maybe they are making a pun/joke on that by using flamingos as the two singers? That's how I interpreted it, at least, and it made me laugh, even if it is a silly, obscure throwaway joke.

 

[The Count]

Yes, Carlos and Manolo Flamingo as the flamingo flamenco dancers during that bit made my friend who saw MMW with me laugh as well.

If Robin wasn't on the European train ride, then how would you explain his being there when delivered that hilarious line after it's announced quit the Muppets?
Maybe, and just maybe, he knew to stick with his "aunt" ignoring the fact his uncle had been replaced by a similar-looking frog with a bad Intercontinental accent. And since Robin's hanging out with Rizzo, they just mingled among the other background Muppets in the cars on the train, not really part of the main action.

Just a couple of thoughts. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm meeting Beauregard and Christy by the EM bus to stage our own intercontinental European Muppet comedy heist.

 

[wiley207]

The Muppets felt like one of the most modern of the Muppet films (along with The Muppets Take Manhattan), but Muppets Most Wanted doesn't feel too modern. For example, when Constantine watches Kermit footage, he watches VHS tapes instead of DVDs, and he watches them on an old "fullscreen" TV, as opposed to a widescreen one.

Not to mention the train the Muppets ride on for their world tour, with an old-fashioned steam locomotive and old-style Pullman cars! But then again, we did see it alongside a modern Amtrak Superliner train at the Los Angeles Union Station, and one of those ICE trains (I think) in Germany.
Though knowing the Muppets, the use of an old train was probably meant for intentional comedy...

 

[Pinkflower7783]

I saw it again tonight!! And loved it even more! Why the critics think otherwise I'll never know!

 

[SpookyMania]

I've seen the film twice so far. The first time I saw it, I was slightly disappointed, and I think it's because I was (for some reason) expecting the emotional punch that I got while watching the 2011 Muppets. But after seeing MMW a second time, I realized that wasn't the point of the movie. They already got the emotional, "Rainbow Connection"-type reunion stuff out of the way, so it was time for a straight-up FUN Muppet movie. And when I realized that, I enjoyed it much more. It's certainly not the best Muppet movie ever (for me, that's the very first one), but I think it's a darn good one.

 

[minor muppetz]

Part of me wonders if the next Muppet movie should be them doing a show again or not. The Muppets are great when they do a show (and it provides a great way to incorporate so many fan favorite characters), but maybe the next movie shouldn't feature another version of The Muppet Show theme, or include new performances of any existing Muppet songs.

If Disney wants to promote the next one (assuming there's a next one) as a sequel again, maybe it could be a big parody of bad sequels. I wonder if that could be a hit or a failed attempt at comedy.... This one got more negative reviews from critics and (so far) less box office profits, maybe they could lampoon that for the next movie (as long as it's not made by the makers of all those "parody movie" films).

 

[SpookyMania]

Personally, I still want to see the Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made. Wishful thinking, maybe, but still.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

As of now I wanna see this one on DVD ASAP! And the torturous wait continues!