Big Picture Big Sound

Muppets Most Wanted Blu-ray Review

By Rachel Cericola

The Film

"I'm a triple threat: a singer, a dancer, and a murderer."

Back in my day, the Muppets were a fixture. They were on TV, in the movies, and in my bedroom. (Yes, I had a Miss Piggy doll!) My son hasn't been as ensconced in Muppet mania, so I was pretty psyched when Disney revived the franchise with 2011's The Muppets.

Now, Muppet movies should start rolling in -- maybe. That film's sequel (or technically, the eighth Muppet movie), Muppets Most Wanted, wasn't quite as successful as its predecessor. Still, it offers plenty of laughs and a whole lot of Muppets.

Speaking of which: If you're in need of more Muppets and more songs, the newly released Muppets Most Wanted: Unnecessarily Extended Edition has added another 12 minutes to the film's original 107-minute runtime.

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Another song, perhaps? (Just kidding!) Ricky Gervais is a welcomed addition to "Muppets Most Wanted." Photo: © Disney.

The plot of Muppets Most Wanted finds our fuzzy friends exactly where they left off -- literally. The opening makes several references to the last film, but characters Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) are nowhere to be found. Without them, the Muppets need to find a new adventure, planning a world tour that turns into a great Muppet caper of sorts. It involves Kermit's doppleganger, an evil genius named Constantine.

Muppets Most Wanted has more music, more gags, and possibly more cameos than the last film. There's also more music -- and yes, I realized that I mentioned that twice. It seems like every three minutes someone is breaking into song here. Maybe Bret McKenzie is hoping to score another Oscar for his mantle. That said, the tracks aren't quite as memorable as "Man or Muppet" -- and neither is this movie.

That doesn't mean that Muppets Most Wanted is bad. It's just not as good as the last film. Still, Muppets Most Wanted offers a peek at all of your favorite Muppets (sorry, not you, Rizzo), major roles for Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey and Ty Burrell, and countless blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments with Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Ray Liotta, Zach Galifianakis, Tom Hiddleston, Chloë Grace Moretz, Saoirse Ronan, Stanley Tucci, and many more.

Need another peek at this movie? Then check out a few words from our very special guest star Chris Boylan, with his theatrical review of Muppets Most Wanted. (Yaaaaaaaaaay!)

The Picture

These beautiful Muppet beasts are, well... beautiful. This release's 1.78:1 image may be even more dazzling than its predecessor. It features a rainbow of colors throughout that are perky and lifelike. Even more impressive is the detail. All of the scenery, especially the grunginess of the bricks and prison surroundings, look wonderful. (And yes, I'm still talking about a Muppet movie here.) The absolute standout is the Muppets themselves. Each one is more gorgeous than the next, with tons of texture in the fur and fuzzy faces. It's just awesome.

The Sound

Disney has given the Muppets another 7.1 mix, except this time it's DTS-HD High Resolution. On the whole, it's musical and Muppetational, but doesn't exactly pack the same punch as its predecessor. Within two minutes, there's a big "sequel" number that's like an explosion for every speaker. I found this to be awesome and a bit problematic. The songs were loud, but the dialogue seemed low in some spots, causing me to keep the remote handy. Still, it sounds pretty great. Motorcycles, musical instruments and general mayhem are all present, but the songs and some of the special effects definitely dominate this track.

Also worth mentioning is that there is a Spanish language track, but it's exclusive to the Theatrical Cut of the movie.

The Extras

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The most disappointing part of this release is definitely the special features section, which offers even less than 2012's "The Wocka Wocka Value Pack" -- and that's really saying something. The Muppets came packing an insanely slim selection of extras and this release manages to be even worse. Sure, you do get "The Unnecessarily Extended Cut" and even a very funny "Statler & Waldorf Cut," which whittles the movie down to a mere two minutes. The rest? Meh. There's a music video, a short that gives Rizzo the Rat three minutes of screen time, and "The Longer Longest Blooper Reel in Muppets History." They aren't kidding on that last one, either. The section is funny, but may have you checking the runtime, with almost 10 minutes' worth of Muppet bloopers.

Final Thoughts

Muppets Most Wanted may be a bit long, have too many songs, and include too many cameos. However, it's still the Muppets, so you'd better recognize! It's definitely not as fun as the last film (or the first one), but it still has a lot of gags, a lot of Muppets, and a lot of awesome imagery.

Product Details

  • Actors: Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey
  • Director: James Bobin
  • Audio/Languages: DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1 (English), Dolby Digital 5.1 (Spanish), DVS 2.0 (English)
  • Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Rating: PG
  • Studio: Disney
  • Blu-ray Disc Release Date: August 12, 2014
  • Run Time: 107 minutes (Theatrical), 124 minutes (Extended)
  • List Price: $39.99
  • Extras:
    • The Unnecessarily Extended Cut
    • The Statler & Waldorf Cut
    • The Longer Longest Blooper Reel in Muppets History
    • Rizzo's Biggest Fan
    • "I'll Get You What Your Want" Music Video Performed by Bret McKenzie
    • Sneak Peeks
    • Standard-Def DVD
    • Digital Copy

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