La grande aventure des Muppets

The Great Muppet Caper is great family movie. They're are very good songs in this movie and it's just as witty as the others. Features several cameos (John Cleese, Oscar the Grouch). I love the seen where the Muppets are going over the check list of items. Priceless. One of the best.

For kids, this film is like a kind of methadone for the heroin that is known as Pokemon (in other words, watch the muppets to get off of Pokemon even though there is no comparison to the muppets). For some of us adults who grew up with the muppets, and this movie in particular, it's a kind of small-scale piece of homage heaven. This is a fun movie, plain and simple, which parents won't find too bad either. Story takes the trio (Kermit, Fozzie and the Great Gonzo) to London as journalists who have to investigate dastardly jewelry robberies. There's plenty of great gags, horribly awesome puns, the cool flavor of the 'Jewel of the North Atlantic', and a few cameos (John Cleese and Peter Ustinov notably) surrounded by the nut-house that is the muppet world make this a near must see. The musical numbers, by the way, are close to perfect. Jim Henson's first feature length film as director is close to being his best, though not quite.

The Muppets are often a delight. I say that as an adult male- I still think they're great. The Muppet Movie (1979) is a classic and very funny. When The Muppet Movie VHS release was advertised, the second Muppet film, The Great Muppet Caper (1981), was trumpeted along with it. That set the bar high, and unfortunately, it didn't click with me well as a child.

You might attribute that to drab scenery (the newspaper office and the Happiness Hotel) and costumes (Kermit and Fozzie are none too appealing in this), and themes of newspaper writing and jewel thievery that aren't going to attract every child. Having rewatched The Great Muppet Caper now, I've come around on it, or at least the first half. The film starts strong with numerous funny gags, but runs out of steam. We have some humorous self-references and Gonzo being reckless, and then as we get into the film we have dubious claims Kermit and Fozzie are identical twins, and much fun over how bad the Happiness Hotel is. The British couple who barely register Miss Piggy climbing their walls are a riot. After that, particularly when Miss Piggy begins her dancing and modelling scenes, the film begins to drag and the story isn't all that strong. There are still some laughs in it, but this isn't the Muppets' best showing.

Jim Hensons' beloved Muppet characters again light up the screen in this, their second feature vehicle. Kermit and Fozzie play "twin" reporters who travel with photographer friend Gonzo to London. Kermit intends to interview fashion mogul Lady Holliday (Diana Rigg), whose precious jewels are being targeted by thieves. He gets distracted when he falls in love with Miss Piggy, a wannabe fashion model who agrees to take a receptionist job for Lady Holliday. The requisite villain is a hilarious Charles Grodin, playing Lady Holliday's ne'er-do-well brother Nicky. In order to foil him and his accomplices (all models), Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo must rely on the permanent residents of the extremely dilapidated Happiness Hotel.

As a lifetime fan of the Muppets, this viewer will admit that the movie does go on a bit long, and contains a few too many musical numbers. (Although the Esther Williams-style water ballet with Miss Piggy is indeed a hoot.) If anything, though, this movie comes off as even funnier to this viewer as an adult due to all the "meta" moments, where the Muppets acknowledge that they're in a movie. There are many inspired gags, such as Kermit "shaving" despite having no hair to speak of (there's no blade in the thing!). Even in 2018, an age when so many things are rendered digitally, the effects magic that makes the Muppets appear to ride bicycles is impressive.

The movie gets off to a great start, with Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo riding a hot air balloon while the opening credits play out. Kermit tells the worried Fozzie that they'll be over in a few minutes.

Many of the Muppet characters get a brief hysterical moment of their own, including some of this viewers' own favourites, like the Swedish Chef, Animal, Statler and Waldorf, and Rowlf.

Adding value to the shenanigans are a couple of cameo appearances: Jack Warden, Robert Morley, John Cleese, Peter Falk, and especially Peter Ustinov, who's one of the recipients of Miss Piggy's classic "Hi-YAAAAAH!" routine. And keep your eyes peeled for Jim Henson himself, at about the 43 minute mark as a restaurant patron.

Overall, good fun for Muppet fans, with a generous dose of genuinely funny lines.

Seven out of 10.

This film is definitely a comic masterpiece. A great improvement over the earlier MUPPET MOVIE, which seemed more like a faltering first step into feature film techniques; this has a strong plot, bright characters and keen timing. It also has great support from the comic greatness of John Cleese, Joan Sanderson, Jack Warden, Robert Morley and Peter Falk.

Diana Rigg and Charles Grodin (in his best movie) manage to hold the central human characters together, up against the bright lunacy of the Muppets. Lady Holliday's expression on seeing Miss Piggy enter in her swimsuit is worth the price of admission alone!

PS: My mum just loves the bit where Kermit does up his zipper!