2014 Movie Preview: #7 - Muppets Most Wanted

Release date: March 21

Plot summary: Disney's "Muppets Most Wanted" takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe's most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World's Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.

My take: The relaunch of the Muppets franchise was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2011. So I am now really excited to see what they do for a follow-up. Granted some of the elements from the 2011 film are gone, like Jason Segal. However, the plot seems like the madcap type of story that is perfectly suited for the Muppets. They have also done a nice job of bringing in a lot of human actors to fill out the cast and produce some laughs as well. It's currently scheduled to come out on a competitive weekend, so I hope it either changes dates or offers enough marketing to make sure people go check it out.

The host with the Most

Kermit and the gang are heading back to the big screen and this time they are taking their adventures overseas. Here's the newest trailer for Muppets Most Wanted.

RBR: Admission (Quick hits version)

So there have been a lot of films that I have seen over the past few months that I never got around to reviewing for one reason or another. I am going to try and knock them all out in a row right now. Given that most of these films aren't in theaters any more, I won't do lengthy reviews. But at least you get to hear my thoughts on them anyways. So here goes nothing...

Tina Fey has earned fame and acclaim for her brand of smart comedy. Whether it was being on SNL or 30 Rock, making films like Mean Girls, or writing one of her successful books, she has managed to find the funny in an intelligent manner. For that reason, I am dumbfounded to see her associate herself with such dumb material like this film. What's even more baffling is that her character works for one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Fey plays an admissions counselor for Princeton. For someone responsible for evaluating the lives and merits of others, the decisions she makes in her own life are highly questionable. After breaking up with her boyfriend (Michael Sheen, doing a rather unfunny running gag of always showing up at inopportune times) she learns that she may have found a son that she gave up for adoption at birth thanks to Paul Rudd who teaches the boy at a progressive charter school. Fey's actions dealing with this potential son do not yield much laughs nor warmth. You just sit there wondering why anyone thought this material was good. Even character actors like Wallace Shaw and Lily Tomlin get wasted here. Now that 30 Rock is over, there were high hopes that Fey would make a successful transition to film, but if she continues to do projects like this she better hope to get a new job in TV real soon. Rating: ** 1/2

Feeling froggy

After their successful comeback a couple of years ago, Kermit and the gang are heading back to the big screen and bringing a whole new crop of famous faces along with them. Here's your first look at Muppets Most Wanted set to come out next spring.

Fern Baby Fern

I neglected to post this last week after it aired on TV, but in case you missed it, here was the special 30 minute version of Zack Galiafianakis' web series Between Two Ferns featuring guests Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, and Sir Richard Branson.