The Great Muppet Caper

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.

This is one of my all-time favorites! I am 23 and I still need to view this movie at least once a year. Jim Henson was at the height of his creative powers when this was made, and it shows brilliantly. As opposed to "The Muppet Movie", the songs aren't as dated, and the celebrity cameos have been cut back which lessens the distraction from the Muppets themselves. The cameos of John Cleese, Sir Peter Ustinov, Sir Robert Morley, and Jack Warden all are funny and fit the plot's movement. The highest performance praise though, must go to Dame Diana Rigg and Charles Grodin, who may have deserved an Academy Award for being the only human ever to attempt to make love to Miss Piggy! ("Miss Piggy, don't put a wall between us...we could have had the world on a silver platter") I also love the music, especially the number in the Dubonett Club, which harkens back to the old-time musicals, with just a hint of satire. Even after seeing "The Score" and "Ocean's 11", the Muppet heist scene is still the most entertaining I've ever seen! My advice is swallow your pride, grab the kids, and "check right in, to the Happiness Hotel"! (SAY CHEESE!)

Anglophile that I am, I love "The Great Muppet Caper," and think I might like it even more than the original "Muppet Movie."

The gang find themselves foiling the plot of a group of crack diamond thieves led by Charles Grodin, and it's a hoot to watch the slick, professional thieves' preparations and actions juxtaposed to the loud, crude antics of the Muppets. There's a pretty funny musical number that finds Miss Piggy ripping off Esther Williams, and another lovely song performed while the entire group goes bike riding. Long before the days of jacked up special effects when anything can be done using a computer, I remember being astounded by the fact that this special effects team could make the Muppets ride bicycles. Ah, what a more innocent time....

Grade: A