Parents' Guide to Muppets Most Wanted

As the musical number We're Doing a Sequel makes clear, "everybody knows the sequel is never quite as good" as the original, but that's not strictly true here. Sure, the charming couple played by Jason Segel and Amy Adams is gone, but this adventure is a return to old-school Muppets: a globe-hopping trip, a case of stolen identity, and plenty of musical numbers that include celebrity cameos from a cast as diverse as the intended audience. (There's also a fair bit of action and even some guns.) Oscar winner Bret McKenzie is back as music supervisor and original-song composer, and his new tracks are witty and silly and everything kids will want. There's no song quite as poignantly powerful as "Man or Muppet," but the actual song-and-dance numbers are every bit as charming and appealing as you'd expect.

As for the story, the celebs are all happy to comply with the silliness: from Tina Fey as a gulag warden and the prison gang featuring Danny Trejo, Ray Liotta, and Jemaine Clement to Burrell as leisurely French Interpol agent and of course Gervais as Constantine's slightly sinister sidekick. But the real stars, of course, are the Muppets themselves. They will entertain audiences of all ages with their meta jokes and knowing songs and their interpersonal conflicts. Miss Piggy is a real standout as the character with the most lose (or gain?) when faced with Constantine's marriage proposal. Is the fake Kermit able to give everyone what they want, or is it only the authentic Kermit who keeps the Muppets together? We already know the answer, but that doesn't mean the adventure isn't a fast and fun ride.