Muppets Most Wanted/Party Central (short)

Directed by James Bobin and written by Bobin and Nicholas Stoller, Muppets Most Wanted is the story of the Muppets who take part in a European tour where a notorious criminal who looks like Kermit the Frog has Kermit taken to the Gulag in Siberia while pretending to be Kermit much to the suspicion of the other Muppets. The sequel to the 2011 film that brought the Muppets back to the public consciousness, the film is a suspense-comedy where it involves thefts, doubles, singing Russian criminals, and all sorts of crazy things. Starring Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey, and the Muppets. Muppets Most Wanted is a very entertaining film from James Bobin and the Muppets.

Party Central

Written and directed by Kelsey Mann, Party Central is a sequel short to 2013’s Monsters University in which Mike and Sulley help out their fraternity brothers in Oozma Kappa create the ultimate college party. It’s a short where Mike and Sulley do some very crazy things to help their friends create the ultimate college party where a lot of craziness ensues that includes moments where monsters walk through the homes of humans who become freaked out by what is happening. It’s a fun, fun, fun short film from Pixar who continues to deliver with the shorts.

Muppets Most Wanted

The film is a simple story which picks up where the last film is left off where the Muppets try to figure out what to do next. Under the advice of a tour manager, the Muppets go on an European tour where Kermit the Frog is ambushed and taken to the Gulag prison in Siberia as he is believed to be the notorious thief Constantine who switches places with him. Yet, Constantine’s real plan with his associate Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) is to steal clues to obtain the Crown Jewels of England while a few of the Muppets become suspicious over Kermit’s odd behavior. It’s a film that has a premise that may not be entirely original but it does play into a world where taking one Muppet out of the equation in the group can spell disharmony as Miss Piggy finds herself unfulfilled in the new devotion that Kermit has for her unaware that it’s really Constantine.

James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller’s screenplay keeps the premise simple in the way the Muppets not only deal with success but also deal with the fact that many of their ideas don’t always work sometimes. In some respects, the film is sort of the anti-sequel as the film opens with a song about sequels and how they’re often not as good as the predecessor. Not only do Bobin and Stoller take a few shots at it but also infuse it with some suspense and comedy to play into Kermit’s situation at the Gulag where its warden Nadya (Tina Fey) has a major crush on Kermit. Meanwhile, an Interpol agent in Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) teams up with Sam Eagle to not only uncover the jewelry thefts but also deal with each other where a lot of hilarity ensues.

Bobin’s direction is very simple where he aims for something that is crazy at times but also slow things down so that audiences can be engaged into the story. While there’s a lot of excellent musical numbers, it is balanced by its approach to comedy and drama where much of the film is shot in Britain with a few location shots in Berlin, Madrid, and Los Angeles as Bobin goes for mostly medium shots and close-ups. Yet, he does manage to create a few wide shots for some of the film’s big musical numbers as well as present this elaborate climax that is definitely entertaining and gripping. Overall, Bobin creates a very delightful and fun film about the Muppets dealing with a doppelganger and other crazy things.

Cinematographer Don Burgess does nice work with the film‘s cinematography from the look of the scenes at the Gulag to the lavish lighting for some of the stage performances by the Muppets. Editor James Thomas does terrific work with the editing as it‘s pretty straightforward while has some effective use in the montages. Production designer Eve Stewart, with set decorator Anna Lynch-Robinson and supervising art director Grant Armstrong, does excellent work with the set pieces from the Muppets stage presentation to the look of the Gulag.

Costume designer Rahel Afiley does wonderful work with the costumes from the look of the prison uniforms to some of clothes the Muppets wear. Visual effects supervisor Sean Mathiesen does fantastic work with the visual effects in some of the musical numbers to some of the more action-based effects in the film. Sound editors Kami Asgar, Sean McCormack, and Jeffrey A. Pitts do superb work with the sound in creating layers of sound effects and textures in some of the stage performances and the scenes in the Gulag. The film’s music by Christoph Beck and Bret McKenzie is great for some of the original songs that is made as well as some of the musical choices they put in including a very inspired take on Working in the Coal Mine and an over-the-top duet between Miss Piggy and Celine Dion.

The casting by Randi Hiller and Tamara Notcutt is brilliant for the cameos they bring in as among the celebrities that appear in the film are Celine Dion, Salma Hayek, Tom Hiddleston, Chloe Grace Mortez, Christoph Waltz, Mackenzie Cook, Toby Jones, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Zach Galifianakis, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Frank Langella, Hugh Bonneville, Stanley Tucci, Miranda Richardson, Saoirse Ronan, James McAvoy, Josh Groban, Usher, and Til Schweiger. In other cameos as prisoners of the Gulag, there’s Danny Trejo, Jermaine Clement, Ray Liotta, and Dylan “Hornswoggle” Postl as they bring a nice edge to their performances as tough criminals who want to sing. Ty Burrell is terrific as the very comical Jean Pierre Napoleon who teams with Sam Eagle to find what is going on.

Tina Fey is amazing as she does a very comical Russian accent as the Gulag warden Nadya who tries to be tough but has a secret crush on Kermit. Ricky Gervais is excellent as Constantine’s henchman Dominic Badguy (pronounced Bad-gee) who serves as a foil for Constantine. Finally, there’s the Muppets as the people who perform such great characters as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, Fozzie Bear, Walter, Scooter, Animal, and the rest of the gang are just fun to watch. Especially as Matt Vogel does superb work in voicing Constantine who does his worst to ruin Kermit’s persona.

Muppets Most Wanted is an excellent film from James Bobin. Not only is it a worthy successor to its 2011 predecessor but also proof that the Muppets are still vital. Even as they manage to engage audiences from all ages to kids and adults as they all want to do is entertain and give the audiences a good time. In the end, Muppets Most Wanted is a superbly fun film from James Bobin.

The Muppets Films: (The Muppet Movie) - (The Great Muppet Caper) - (Muppets Take Manhattan) - (Sesame Streets Presents Follow That Bird) - (The Muppets Christmas Carol) - (Muppet Treasure Island) - (Muppets from Space) - (The Adventure of Elmo in Grouchland) - The Muppets

© thevoid99 2014

The Muppets/Small Fry

Based on Jim Henson’s puppet TV show, The Muppets is about a big fan who asks his brother and his brother’s girlfriend to save the Muppets theater from an oil businessman by reuniting the Muppets. Directed by James Bobin with a script written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, the film marks the return of the Muppets gang after a long-decade hiatus from feature films as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, Animal, and many others make their long-awaited return. Also starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Rashida Jones, and Chris Cooper along with a slew of cameos. The Muppets is a fun and lively film that reminds everyone why the Muppets are so loveable.

Toy Story Toons: Small Fry

Written and directed by Angus MacLane, Small Fry is the second Toy Story short from Pixar about Buzz Lightyear being trapped at a fast-food restaurant where he meets a group of discarded toys while a mini-version of Buzz takes his place.

The short has a mini-Buzz toy trying to replace Buzz at a fast-food restaurant where he manages to annoy Woody and the gang. Buzz meanwhile, tries to get back home as he meets a group of toys who go into a meeting about feeling abandoned and not played at all. It’s another short where a lot of funny moments happen that involves the mini-Buzz (Teddy Newton) as his eagerness to be played with has him getting into some trouble with Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang.

The Muppets

For all of his life, Walter (the voice of Peter Linz) is a young Muppet that has a been of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the gang as his older brother Gary (Jason Segel) and his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) go on a trip to Los Angeles for their 10th anniversary. Gary invites Walter in hopes to go to Muppets studio where they find the place in ruins as Walter secretly enters Kermit’s office to find a meeting with oil baron Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) who plans to purchase the property for oil drilling. Walter decides to find the Muppets in hope to raise $10 million to save the studio as Gary and Mary join him where they meet Kermit. Though Kermit was unsure about reuniting with the old gang, he decides to reunite the old gang as he learns that Gonzo is a successful plumbing executive and Fozzie leading a Muppets tribute band with a group of cynical Muppets.

With Kermit finally getting nearly everyone on board, the only he couldn’t convince is Miss Piggy as she declines due to personal issues with Kermit. Kermit reluctantly replaces her with Miss Poogy, from Fozzie’s tribute band, as they’ve managed to convince a TV executive named Veronica (Rashida Jones) to have a telethon presented with a celebrity guest host. Though Kermit and the gang try to figure out how to present the show as Miss Piggy finally comes around to return for a one-time gig. Gary and Mary go through their own relationship problems while Walter becomes unsure what his talent is for the show. When Kermit learns that Richman isn’t just going to own than just the studio, problems emerge as everyone decides to get together and save the Muppets studio from the greedy Richman.

For anyone that has grown up with Muppets over the years, there’s always a lot that people gravitate towards to. Whether it’s Fonzie’s bad jokes, Animal’s crazy drumming, Gonzo’s stunts, Miss Piggy’s diva behavior, and the always reasonable yet silly Kermit. The Muppets has always been there for one thing only, to make people laugh. Since they’ve been away for quite some time in the age of computer-animated films and an array of silly gimmicks for family movies. The time is right for the Muppets to make their return as they once again return in great form doing what they do best.

Screenwriters Jason Segal and Nicholas Stoller definitely create a story that people can enjoy though it’s obvious formulaic in what they wanted to do. Still, they’ve managed to keep things be lively and find some excuse to put a musical number or a montage into the story. At the heart of it is about one young Muppet fan trying to get the gang back together while finding himself becoming part of the gang. Yet, he has to realize that it’s been so many years since they’ve been seen while the Muppets themselves wonder if they still have something to offer. The script succeeds in being very funny and entertaining while giving the human characters more than just being stock characters while the Tex Richman character is a fun antagonist that is a parody of sorts of other villains.

James Bodin’s direction is truly whimsical in the way the film is presented as it isn’t just a tribute to the old Muppets TV show and the movies they’ve made. It’s also a resurrection of sorts in reminding audiences why they were so beloved. After years of lackluster projects that didn’t live up to the work that Jim Henson did during his life time, Bodin finally gets it by just keeping things simple and just let the Muppets have fun. Bodin manages to get a lot of wide shots for some of the musical numbers while keeping the camera going without any kind of fast-paced movements. At the heart of it all, it’s all about bringing people together and just having a good time in which Bodin does as he brings Jim Henson’s voice back in what the Muppets all about. Overall, James Bodin creates a truly exhilarating and charming film that makes the audience welcome the Muppets back with open arms.

Cinematographer Don Burgess does an excellent job with the cinematography that is colorful and vibrant for its daytime scene while maintaining a stylish intimacy for some of its interiors including the scenes at the Muppet theater. Editor James M. Thomas does a nice job with the editing as it’s mostly straightforward while creating a great montage of how the Muppets are all gathered for the reunion.

Production designer Steve Saklad, with set decorator Tracey A. Doyle and art director Andrew Max Cahn does a wonderful job with the set pieces created such as Kermit‘s mansion as well as Muppets studio and theater for the big production number. Costume designer Rahel Afiley does a very good job with the clothes that the human characters such as the matching suits that Gary and Walter wear along with the stylish dresses that Mary wears. Visual effects supervisor Janet Muswell does some fine work on a few visual effects scene needed such as Walter trying to break into Kermit‘s home. Sound designer Benjamin L. Cook and sound editors Kami Asgar and Sean McCormack do some fantastic work with the sound to capture the some of the sound present on location like Fozzie’s fart shoes.

The film’s score by Christophe Beck is brilliant for its playful and dramatic orchestral themes for the film to emphasize the varying mood of the film. Original songs by Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords provide a lot of the film’s musical moments such as the ballad Man or Muppet, Me Party, and the enjoyable Life’s a Happy Song while providing a soundtrack filled with tunes by Paul Simon, Andrew Bird, and Starship and covers of songs by Nirvana and Cee-Lo along with a new rendition of Rainbow Connection. The music provided in the film is truly the film’s major highlight in terms of technical field.

The casting by Marcia Ross is superb for the numerous cameos that appear in the film such as Alan Arkin, pop singer Selena Gomez, Jack Black, Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Glover as a TV executive, Ken Jeong as a TV game show host, Neil Patrick Harris, Judd Hirsch, James Carville, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt reprising her role from The Devil Wears Prada as Miss Piggy’s receptionist, Rico Rodriguez, Mickey Rooney, Kristen Schaal as an anger management moderator, Sarah Silverman, Jim Parsons, Zach Galifianakis, and Dave Grohl as Fozzie’s tribute band drummer. In other human roles, there’s Rashida Jones as a corporate TV executive who reluctantly let the Muppets put on their show while Chris Cooper is hilarious as oil tycoon Tex Richman as he gets to have a musical moment of his own.

Jason Segel and Amy Adams are a joy to watch as they each bring a wonderful enthusiasm to their roles as a couple eager to be together while helping the Muppets. Finally, there’s the Muppet performers who help play the varied roles of the Muppets, including Peter Linz who voices the role of a new Muppet in the determined fan Walter, as they do an outstanding job providing the voices that longtime fans love to hear from these characters.

The Muppets is an enjoyable and very funny film from James Bodin as he along with screenwriters Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel help bring the Muppets back. Longtime fans will no doubt be rejoiced by the return of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and the rest of the gang while proving they haven’t lost their touch. For new fans, it’s a chance to see why the Muppets are so beloved as they can get a chance to just enjoy themselves and laugh. In the end, The Muppets is an excellent film that brings new life to Jim Henson’s beloved creation.

The Muppets Films: (The Muppet Movie) - (The Great Muppet Caper) - (The Muppets Take Manhattan) - (Sesame Streets Present Follow That Bird) - (The Muppet Christmas Carol) - (Muppet Treasure Island) - (Muppets from Space) - (The Adventure of Elmo in Grouchland) - Muppets Most Wanted

© thevoid99 2011