5 reasons why ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ underwhelmed at the box office

Does the failure of 'Muppets Most Wanted' at the box office spell the end of newly-rebooted family franchises? The film performed far worse than its predecessor (2011's "The Muppets") this weekend, taking in just $16.5 million at the box office. The reason? Stiff competition and a number of other factors.

Competition from "Divergent"
While this is hardly the fault of “Muppets Most Wanted,” Disney should have known better than to put the Muppet gang against the young adult power of “Divergent.” The futuristic action-adventure based on Veronica Roth’s novel of the same name had a huge opening weekend, pulling in close to $60 million. The popularity of “Divergent” meant that “Muppets Most Wanted” was mostly left with box office scraps.

The film tread familiar Muppet territory
If “Muppets Most Wanted” felt like familiar territory for longtime Muppets fans, there’s a very good reason for that. There are some striking similarities between the new film and 1981’s “The Great Muppet Caper,” which saw the Henson characters on a similar globetrotting adventure and attempting to foil a team of jewel-stealing cat burglars. Sound familiar, Constantine? You may be the No. 1 criminal in “Most Wanted,” but the only thing you’re really stealing is Charles Grodin’s schtick from 1981!

Not enough Gonzo (or the other Muppets)
When it comes to Muppet movies, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy tend to hog most of the spotlight, and the same is true of “Muppets Most Wanted.” The film is mostly concerned with Miss Piggy’s hilarious interactions with Kermit’s evil frog double, Constantine, and Kermit’s efforts to escape from a Siberian gulag. That’s all well and good, but much of the supporting Muppet cast suffers for it. Many longstanding Jim Henson characters, most notably fan favourite Gonzo, only have a few lines in the movie. What a waste!

Too many celebrity cameos
Celebrity walk-ons and cameos have long been an integral part of the Muppets experience. The original “Muppet Show” always featured a guest host, and the early Muppet movies were star-studded affairs that featured a "who’s who" of Hollywood at the time. There were no shortage of cameos in 2011’s “The Muppets,” but at the end of the day, the movie was still about the famous Jim Henson creations.

In “Muppets Most Wanted,” however, the titular puppet stars often take a back seat to flesh-and-blood stars who show up for no real reason and often didn’t even have any lines. Yes, the Usher playing a wedding usher was funny, but nearly every other cameo in the film was a wasted opportunity that just took the focus away from the Muppets.

No Jason Segel
A big reason for the success of “The Muppets” (2011) was the involvement of actor/co-writer Jason Segel. His love for the Muppets helped relaunch the series, updating the beloved pop culture icons for a new audience while retaining all the things that make the Henson characters popular. Though “Muppets” co-writer Nicholas Stoller did work on “Muppets Most Wanted,” Segel’s absence is keenly felt. “Most Wanted” is a decent offering, but doesn’t quite have the same reverence and love for the characters that the 2011 reboot had.

Given the long box office shelf life of family-friendly movies (see: “Frozen” and “The Lego Movie”), it’s likely that the $50 million “Muppets Most Wanted” will at least break even domestically over the next month or so. Their European exploits this time out are sure to help the Muppets at the international box office as well.

However, the disappointing opening, combined with the positive but muted reception from audiences and critics, is a setback for everyone’s favourite puppet characters. Will there be a second sequel to the 2011 Muppets reboot? It may be some time before we know for sure.