In theatres: Disney's Muppets Most Wanted

The premise:

The Muppets are at it again for this sequel to the 2011 hit film. The gang embarks on a global tour, organized by a peculiar (and rather imposing) man named Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais). He promises to showcase them at the grandest theatres in Europe, and delivers! The Muppets perform in the magnificent cities of Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London. However, midway into their tour, Kermit the Frog begins to act strangely. He now has a German accent as well as a little mole on the side of his mouth that was not there before. Unbeknownst to them, Kermit has been sent to a Siberian prison camp and replaced by Constantine—an international criminal (and Kermit’s doppelganger) wanted for imprisonment. The Muppets are having too much fun on tour to notice that this “Kermit” isn’t the Kermit they know and love. But the show must go on and as it does, Dominic and Constantine use it as a cover for their jewel heist. They’ve been robbing museums and galleries of precious relics while, back in Russia, Kermit has befriended a frog-smitten guard, Nadya (Tina Fey). Will the Muppets come to their senses and realize this isn’t their beloved Kermit before it’s too late?

What we loved:

The Muppets have graced television sets across the globe for years and to have them light up the screen once again was a pleasantly nostalgic experience. They are a bunch of good-humoured goofs whose colourful getups and slapstick humor get the kids all revved up, even if they’ve never heard of a "Muppet" before. For the adults, there is a multitude of celebrity cameo appearances. The most memorable for me was Celine Dion’s duet with Miss Piggy (if "tacky" were butter, your popcorn would have been drenched). There are dance sequences, solos, duets, puppet parkour stunts, and vibrant costumes galore to keep a smile on your face as you watch.

What we didn’t:

It felt like a mishmash of pre-choreographed dance sequences that somehow needed to be strung together in the form of a plot line. But hey, if the kids are giggling, that’s all that matters, right?

Parental advisory (potential spoilers):

Rather surprisingly, the movie incorporates the use of guns, which made me cringe when I looked down at the heads of the four- and five-year-olds sitting in front of me. There are a couple of notable scenes: Kermit is shot at with a machine gun as he escapes from the Siberian prison. The scene is light-hearted enough, but in my opinion it was still too intense of a scene to be included in a Muppets movie. The second scene regards two frog puppets and a toy gun. While in a helicopter with Miss Piggy, Constantine pulls a gun out on Kermit. The violence does not progress after this, however, I was left thinking, “Really? A puppet pulling a gun out on another puppet?” In all fairness, though, these were the only instances I felt a twang of “ouch.”

Canadian rating:

PG–Parental Guidance is suggested

Final verdict:

I’d give it two-and-a-half-stars out of four. If your kids can sit still through a two-hour movie, it is a great indicator they are old enough to see this. However the question might be better posed as: Do you think you can sit through two hours of it?