Puppets and masters “Muppets Most Wanted” (PG), DIRECTED BY JAMES BOBIN NOW PLAYING
“A Touch of Sin” (NR), DIRECTED BY JIA ZHANGKE SCREENS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT THE DRYDEN [ REVIEW ] BY ADAM LUBITOW
counterpoint to the situations he faces, including his desperate escapes and his time in prison. As his loyal, devoted lobby boy, young Tony Revolori, projecting a sweet innocence, assists him ably, both as character and as performer. The picture mixes its assorted elements in some unusual ways beyond its exaggerated farce. In addition to its humorous lines, actions, and situations, for example, it includes a number of quite surprising acts of brutality — the fatal stabbing of four prison guards, an amputation, a strangulation in a confessional, and the beheading of an innocent young woman, hardly the normal stuff of comedy. The sets create an appropriate background for the story’s time and place, with the Victorian/baroque interiors of the Grand Budapest Hotel, the labyrinthine corridors and staircases of Madame D.’s castle, and the enormously complicated escape route of Gustave H. and his fellow prisoners. At the same time, most of the establishing shots and the exterior action scenes, whether intentionally or not, suggest a Disney cartoon, with flat, painted backgrounds, pastel colors, and buildings that look like cardboard cutouts. The picture looks good and maintains a persistent energy throughout, most of it the result of the character of Gustave H. and its fine sense of pacing; even for someone who is not at all a Wes Anderson fan, like the present writer, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” provides a more consistently entertaining experience than any of his previous pictures.
With 2011’s “The Muppets” doing the heavy lifting of reintroducing Jim Henson’s beloved felted creations to a new generation of children, its follow-up, “Muppets Most Wanted,” has the luxury of freedom in its task of cementing their place in our hearts all over again. The new film picks up literally at the exact moment the first film ended, and appropriately, the newly reunited Muppets themselves are depicted as having some trouble deciding what to do for an encore. As they sing in the clever opening number, “the sequel’s never quite as good.” Sadly, that proves prescient (though as Dr. Bunsen Honeydew points out in that same opening number, this is technically the seventh sequel to the original Muppets film, released 35 years ago). James Bobin returns to the director’s chair, as does writer Nicholas Stoller, and of the core creative team of “The Muppets,” only co-writer Jason Segel chose not to return. Segel was vocal about how much of a passion project the last film was,
Sam the Eagle and Ty Burrell in “Muppets Most Wanted.” PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY PICTURES
and it’s possible that his absence may account for the extra layer of heart that seems to be missing this time around. Though even a second-tier Muppet film is better than a lot of what passes for family-friendly entertainment these days. As with the first sequel to the original Muppet movie, “The Great Muppet Caper,” this new film takes the form of a madcap heist story. Under the advice of their new tour manager, Dominic Badguy (pronounced Bad-gee — it’s French), played by Ricky Gervais, the Muppets decide that the best way to capitalize on their rediscovered fame is to launch a world tour. What the gang doesn’t know, however, is that Badguy is actually in cahoots with Constantine (voiced by Matt Vogel), the world’s most dangerous frog, who just escaped from prison and who happens to be a dead ringer for Kermit (save for a distinguishing mole on his cheek). Slapping a fake mole on Kermit, while covering up his own with some green paint, results in Kermit’s immediate arrest, leaving Constantine to take his place and set his nefarious plans into motion. Using the Muppet tour as cover for a series of heists, Constantine heads toward his ultimate goal of stealing England’s Crown Jewels. While the imposter takes his place, poor Kermit remains imprisoned in a Russian gulag, overseen by a severe head guard (Tina Fey) who it turns out has a soft spot for small green amphibians. Eventually she ropes him into directing his fellow inmates in the annual gulag talent show, so at least he’s able to keep busy. Meanwhile, the various heists have captured the attention of the authorities, leading to investigation headed up by the odd couple pairing of a French Interpol agent (Ty Burrell) and American CIA operative Sam the Eagle (naturally). Once again, Bret McKenzie provides songs that are fun and catchy, though none are quite as memorable — or as thematically resonant — as “Life’s a Happy Song” or “Man or Muppet” from the first film. And really, that’s the main problem with the film
as a whole: it’s always enjoyable, but never quite lives up to promise of “The Muppets.” Fey, Burrell, and Gervais are all obviously having a ball, and they throw themselves into their parts, but having three human leads means that much less time spent with the Muppets themselves. Oddly, the Muppet we end up spending the most time with is Constantine, making for a lopsided story without any real protagonist to latch onto. Sure, some of the plot details don’t make a whole lot of sense (how, for example, does a long-missing, 100-year-old medallion function as the key to shutting down a modern laser security system?), but you kind of need to set aside logic for the Muppets. The property retains its trademark genial silliness, and though it perhaps traffics a little more in ironic winking than before, it hasn’t lost its power to entertain. Plus, I never knew how much I needed a Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo-led rendition of “I Hope I Get It” from “A Chorus Line” in my life, but it’s undeniably glorious. In “A Touch of Sin,” Chinese auteur Jia
Zhangke tells four individual stories, tangentially connected to one another. Each tale, based loosely off a real news stories from modern Chinese history, focuses on a random act of violence committed by some poor soul who has been pushed to his or her limit by the corruption of society. In the first, a miner grows frustrated with crooked local officials and decides to exact bloody revenge. Each succeeding segment grows more complicated, following a migrant worker, a receptionist at a massage parlor, and a factory worker as they turn to violence to solve their problems. It’s impressively ballsy that this is Jia’s first film made with the assistance of government funding, as his darkly satirical examination of the effect capitalist greed has had on Chinese society is so blatant in its righteous anger. Even more impressive is how the film’s blend of graphic violence and social commentary combines to become one of the most brutally exciting thrillers of the past year.
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