I'm not a fan of sequels in general. They are usually riding on the success of a previous hit, and never really live up to the quality of the former, or the hype. However, one series of films that always maintains quality is The Muppets. Now the veterans of eight feature films, and countless spin-offs from the original US TV Series, it is a a firm favourite with kids and adults alike, all around the world.

The Muppets are back on the big screen with the all-new caper Muppets Most Wanted, creating the musical mayhem that’s made them fan favourites for almost four decades. With songs by Bret McKenzie, who won an Oscar for the original song 'Man or Muppet' in 2011’s The Muppets, and a score by Christophe Beck, who’s behind the scores of Disney’s Oscar-winning short Paperman and the Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-winning Frozen, the soundtrack features all-star vocalists, including Kermit the Frog, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, Tina Fey, Miss Piggy, Josh Groban, Constantine and Celine Dion.

The movie takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid, Dublin and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine - the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog - and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. The film stars Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon and Tina Fey as Nadya, a feisty prison guard.

There is one word that sums up the soundtrack - "fun". It follows the usual format, very much story-related songs, character driven, and not afraid to poke fun at themselves, and many around them. The opening number 'We're Doing A Sequel' basically says all I've said above - and manages to lampoon several sequels in the process. Whilst there seems to be lots of tracks on the release, some of these are short dialogue tracks, which are quite funny, and there are also several demo tracks. These are ok, but don't expect any hidden gems - they don't sound much different to the tracks on the main release.

The songs written specifically for the film are funny, and catchy. I don't think they are quite the same quality as the last Muppet outing, but they are good all the same. The pop songs are given a good Muppet treatment, and are enjoyable. I would have like to have heard more of Beck's soundtrack music, as he is an outstanding composer, and deserves more coverage.

So, if singing chickens are your thing, go buy and listen.

8

Ian Gude