The Muppets are known for all-ages entertainment and the latest film continues in the established tradition of general good fun with a slight case of letting the fuzzy-felt creations hog the limelight while (metaphorically) skewering their human co-stars.
While not strictly the obvious go-to cast for action films, Muppets Most Wanted manages to take in nefarious doppelgangers, globe-trotting treasure-hunts and Russian gulags, which isn't bad for a group of creatures branded as brainwashers and subversives by Fox News when the previous film came out a couple of years ago.
So how does our hero Kermit prepare for a story in which he is kidnapped by Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais) and placed in a Siberian prison... being replaced by the world's most dangerous and evil frog, Constantine (who wants to use the Muppets touring show to locate clues that will enable him to steal the British Crown Jewels? There may be song and dance-numbers and plenty of gags, but... well, It's all very... James Bondian, isn't it?
“Was James Bond ever in prison? Maybe," says Kermit (clearly forgetting the opening to the Brosnan outing Die Another Day). "I think of myself as getting to do a bit of an action role in this. It’s something I haven’t done before. In order to prepare for the role I watched all of Bruce Willis’s movies an then when that didn’t work, I just went to his hairdresser….”
As with many Muppet projects, there's a huge raft of familiar faces on show, in major parts or brief cameos. As well as Ricky's performance, there's Tina Fey as Nadya, running the Siberian gulag; Ty Burrell as Jean Pierre Napoleon; Tony Bennett and Hugh Bonneville, Miranda Richardson, Russell Tovey and several familiar 'action' names such as Machete's Danny Trejo, Django Unchained's Christoph Waltz, Thor's Tom Hiddleston, Kick-Ass' Chloe Grace Moretz, X-Men's James McAvoy and Hanna's Saorise Ronan.
Just how DO you get the hard-men of cinema to do A Chorus Line-esque song and dance number in a cell-block?
“Largely we write those roles in the script and often we write the name of the person," admist director James Bobin. "What we often find is that because there IS a great love for the Muppets… the people we ask tend to say ‘yes’. That’s really rare (in the business). It’s amazing that you write a number for, say, Miss Piggy and need someone to be her fairy godmother and spiritual advisor about love and relationships. You think: ‘Who would be amazing? Oh, Celine Dion?’ and you phone her up and she says ‘No problem!’. That’s amazing"
Bobin admits that the 'Muppet' name also opens the door to key locations where many films aren't normally allowed to shoot. Even 007 might have a problem getting permission to shoot in the ACTUAL Tower of London, though 'Most Wanted' was there for several days...
"It probably does help. You’re famously not allowed to film at the Tower of London. They’d turned down anyone who’d asked before. But all of a sudden when you have the Muppets with you and you ask for favours, they say ‘Yeah, sure..!’ We were filming there for good three or four days. It was amazing. Maybe someone in the Royal Family is a Muppets fan..?"
In 2014 it seems any derogatory use of the term 'muppet' is long gone. Even Kermit himself says that it's an affectionate word, even if it isn't always complimentary...
“We’re sort of like a rep company. I’m not a species called muppet… I’m a frog! I belong to a group called The Muppets. Quite frankly, I see the point. They can be a little slow… but there are worse things to be called..."
“And I’ve got a list!" Ricky jokes. "But it’s a term of affection. If you call someone a muppet it’s because they’ve made an error and we all make mistakes. We love the muppets because they DO make mistakes…”
With the film doing well internationally and continuous talk of more Muppet ventures, it seems those mistakes still seem like success...
MUPPETS MOST WANTED is released by Disney and is in cienmas now...
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