The Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

It would help if the Muppets lost their French accent in this film.

There's lots of laughs in Muppets Most Wanted, their latest screen adventure, but boy, does this effort ever drag when Sam the Eagle and Ty Burrell ever show up. More on them in a moment.

Constantine, the world's most dangerous frog, busts out of a Russian gulag. He's a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog. The bad guy's right-hand man, Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais), poses as a promoter to lure Kermit and company for a European tour. The plan is for Constantine to switch places with Kermit and use his troupe as pawns to eventually steal the Crown Jewels.

Kermit is hesitant to hit the road, but Dominic manipulates Fozzy, Rolph the Dog, Miss Piggy and the others into pressuring their leader to hit the road. Dominic promises the show's cast can do anything they want. Hey, is this a message about discipline for children in this film?

Kermit is picked up by police and shipped back to Russia. He's in a gulag watched over by commandant Nadya (Tina Fey). "You've got the wrong frog," he protests to no avail.

Meanwhile, the Muppets don't clue in that something's not quite right with Kermit, including his voice and inability to remember the names of most of the show's cast members. Shows become marathons with Miss Piggy opting to sing the hits of Celine Dion while Animal hankers for an extended drum solo. Kermit, so long refusing to commit to marriage with Miss Piggy, is more receptive when Constantine takes his place. He's trying to keep her happy, leading to one of the film's best songs, I'll Get What You Want, a disco effort complete with silver ball and Constantine sporting a white dress shirt and plenty of dry ice.

Sight gags, cameos - kudos to Salma Hayek for teaming up with The Great Gonzo for a running of the bulls bit on stage and physical humour offer lots of laughs.

But the pace deadens when police investigators Sam the Eagle and Jean Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell) show up. Their bits are seldom funny. Napoleon's caricature of a stereotypical French goverment employee are tiresome. This subplot does not work.

Keep a pen and paper handy to track all the celebrity cameos. Didn't I see Ray Liotta in Muppets in Space too? I missed Lady Gaga. I'm no fan of Celine Dion, but her duet with Miss Piggy is a highlight here. Tony Bennett, Sean Combs, Frank Langella, Stanley Tucci, Christop Waltz are also along for the fun.

Wow. Almost 40 years have passed since The Muppets made their first film. Kermit and the gang can still put together a good night's entertainment with Muppets Most Wanted.


RATING: 7.5/10

Frost/Nixon (2008)

Frost/Nixon gets my vote for a great film.

Ron Howard's 2008 film centres on two characters who are either all steak or sizzle. American President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) is a smart man, but he knows he'll never be popular or move with the 'in' crowd.

British journalist David Frost (Michael Sheen) is the playboy television personality with good looks, a string of beautiful women on his arm and movie premieres to attend. He's a star, but history will judge his long-standing accomplishments to be minimal.

Frost wants to talk with the American president following his resignation because of the Watergate affair. Nixon is looking for a chance to redeem his image and earn a hefty paycheque. His advisors regard Frost as a lightweight who won't ask the tough questions a more experienced political reporter would fire Nixon's way.

Frost recruits some talented advisors, Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt) and James Reston (Sam Rockwell) to help him prepare for the series of interviews, but the big guy is too busy trying to rustle up financing separate from the American networks and making public appearances to get ready for his talks with the disgraced American president.

Frost is easily outclassed for most of the interviews. He lets Nixon drone on. Statements aren't challenged. Frost doesn't know his stuff. Zelnick and Reston are appalled. It's only before a discussion on Watergate that Frost buckles down and does his own research.

Langella shines in this film. His Nixon is smart, cheap, efficient at mind games, prone to furious anger and not able to nail down certain success against Frost with a late-night phone call fueled by booze. I'd love to know if such a phone call took place or if the filmmakers took some artistic licence with the exchange that finally snapped some life into Frost.

Frost/Nixon earned five Academy Award nominations. It offers viewers an absorbing story and many fine performances, especially Kevin Bacon as Jack Brennan, Nixon's former chief of staff. See it.

RATING: 9/10