Spartacus, Apocalypse Now, and even Kill Bill all suffered the slings and arrows of editorial misfortune, losing moments their creators thought really tied the project together. Of course, some auteurs go the other way and cut their films in length in order to really put a button on their classics, such as Ridley Scott's Alien clocking in a couple of minutes shorter than the original. In the tradition of those greats, we now have a cut of Muppets Most Wanted, as seen by its most reserved critics: Statler and Waldorf.
USA Today was the lucky publication to gain access to the preferred version of one of this year's most underrated comedic gems, and it's a cut that has a lot to talk about. Mainly, the fact that the film is only made up of two scenes, both of which feature the creators to a certain extent. It's daring! It's bold! It's short! Most of all, it's a gag! In fact, it's exactly the type of gag feature that you'd expect to see on Muppets Most Wanted's home video release.
But perhaps we can learn something from this gag. Muppets Most Wanted has inadvertently pointed out the one thing that this film and The Muppets both sorely could have used more of: Statler and Waldorf, or "StatDorf" as their production company's logo calls them. Don't get me wrong, I've always identified with Gonzo and been friends with Kermit, but if the latest film has proven anything it's that a new character actually can spruce up the proceedings! Constantine was a perfect criminal foil for Kermit's happy go lucky nature, so naturally Statler and Waldorf should be getting more screen time to give the audience even more laughs. After all, The Muppets gave us the nice enough but overly ego stroking Walter, whose job was basically to go around saying, "You guys are great! Get back together!" True Muppet flicks excel when they balance the sweet with the snark, and who better to bring said snark than Statler and Waldorf.
Muppets Most Wanted will be on Blu Ray and DVD August 12th, with both the Theatrical and Statler and Waldorf cuts. If in fact you are not a fan of the Statler and Waldorf cut, we suggest you try not to hit the wrong button on your remote.
