ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS [2016]

Director James Bobin spits out the colorful fantasy adventure Alice Through the Looking Glass, the sequel no one asked for to Tim Burton's live-action Disney remake of Alice in Wonderland.
Completely ignoring any thematic reasons as to why a looking glass was a part of the story in the first place, the story follows Captain Alice (?) as she steals a time-traveling object from Time in order to save a dying Mad Hatter.
I didn't think they could suck the soul out of the story anymore than they did with the first film but this one does a mighty fine job of it, while trying to hide the fact behind beautiful imagery with loads of Disney money piled on top of it.  Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway & Helena Bonham Carter might have been the highlights of the original but here they seem bored, embarrassed and almost as if their minds are wandering elsewhere.  It's the kind of shit that easily passes through the body and falls into the toilet to be forgotten within moments after wiping your ass of this slop.

1 Hatter family member out of 5

MUPPETS MOST WANTED [2014]

Da Ali G Show writer/director James Bobin returns for a second run with Jim Henson's lovable creations in Muppets Most Wanted.
Like the preceding film, this one is self-aware and not afraid to admit that the "sequel is never quite as good", so with that fuzzy, googly-eyed elephant out of the room we're allowed to sit back and never stop grinning from the silliness we're embarking on.  Oddly enough it does explore some darker areas of the Muppet world but never enough to steer right off track from the fun.  Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey's comic skills are sadly put to waste here but it's Ty Burrell who steals every single scene he's in and that makes up for more than enough.
It might not be as great as the previous film but it's pretty darned close.

3½ pink frogs & green pigs out of 5

The Muppets (2011)

Jason Segel co-writes and stars in this loving tribute to the Jim Henson-era of Muppets. At once self-aware and self-referential, it recognizes and acknowledges the fact that the Muppets' popularity has declined in recent years and attempts to restore it to its former glory (the photos of Henson abound are a nice touch). Basically follows the plot of the first movie in which Kermit has to round up the entire gang in order to throw one last show to save the old Muppet theatre. This is of course done very tongue-in-cheek, with plenty of cameos, sight gags and in-jokes. I enjoyed it for all it was worth; it actually lived up to the Muppet name, which is pretty much all you need to know.

Note: This movie was directed by James Bobin and features songs written by Bret McKenzie so it has a very Flight of the Conchords-esque feel to it.

4 Mahna Mahnas out of 5