Delightful animated musical

Even if you haven’t seen the original Muppets Show, you are sure to relish this sumptuous musical ‘Muppets Most Wanted’, as it has great music, dancing, humour ---in fact everything you ever wanted and didn’t know wherever to ask for.

There’s the Muppets, Kermit the Frog (Steve Whitmire) with his companions Miss Piggy (Eric Jacobson), Gonzo the Great (Dave Gotz) and Dowlf the Dog (Bill Baretta), all names carefully chosen. And they mix freely with real-life figures like Lady Gaga, ChristopheWaltz and Salma Hayek.

The plot takes you to Russia, not hackneyed Hollywood version but a brand new apolitical one with the Gulag prisoners performing “Cabaret”-like dances under the supervision of cute officer Nadya (Tina Fey) who is also great fan of the Muppet Kermit.

Dominic Badguy (Rick Garvais) is the sidekick of Constantine, the criminal frog and Jean-Pierre Napoleon (Ty Burrell), the French Interpol inspector, are involved in a plot to nab the Muppets even as the carefree Kermit is being constantly wooed by Miss Piggy.

Of course it begins where the original film ends with a line saying “everybody knows sequels are not as good” and carefully goes to prove the opposite. And it succeeds splendidly because of a wit-strewn script by James Bobin and Nicholas Stoller and Bobin’s excellent handing of the narrative. The variety of characters are well fleshed out and the narrative given the right pauses to sink into the viewer’s psyche. Add to this Christophe Beck’s tuneful lyrics aided and abetted by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett and you have it all --- the perfect package.

Not in a long while has one come across such a delightful animated musical with Tina Fey grabbing top honours with a warm and humane performance, followed closely by Ty Burrell and Rick Gervais and supported by Lady Gaga, Christophe Waltz, Salma Hayek. Not to be left out is Stanley Tucci as a Gulag guard.

Can one say anything more?