Following the smash 1979 hit The Muppet Movie, it was only a matter of time before the Jim Henson Company produced another theatrical Muppet adventure. Two years later, that finally came true with Jim Henson's feature length directorial debut, The Great Muppet Caper. Upon its release, while not met as warmly as The Muppet Movie, it still gained generally positive reception and did modestly well at the box office. It also happened to be released during the end of the beloved Muppet Show, so it's good that it came out during the end of an era for the muppet gang. As for the movie itself, it may not be great, but it sure is pleasant.
Set in London, England, the film follows the Muppet gang trying to uncover a recent jewel heist from the illustrious fashion designer, Lady Holliday. Now with a premise like that, it does highlight the film's weakest element, in that the plot is a bit too thin and predictable for its own good. Even from the start, it's not hard to figure out where certain plot points or story directions will dictate how the characters go about the plot. Also, compared to the first Muppet feature film, this one does lack a bit of the emotional appeal that made that movie such a remarkable classic, as the film plays up the comedy way too much. It doesn't help that the antagonists are hard to feel intimidated by due to the non stop gags that keep fluctuating the film's tone. As a result, the story is far too routine to feel surprised at, and if not for the factor of this being a Muppet feature, it would be left to the side as another standard spy movie, complete with the liar revealed trope and the romantic side arc. And to think these uneven story problems wouldn't have been so bad if not for those aforementioned tonal clashes.
However, despite all of those flaws, the Muppet gang themselves are what ultimately save the movie from being forgettable. As Miss Piggy gets a healthier amount of screen time than the first movie, her overly rambunctious personality makes the experience delightful from start to finish, complete with her charming chemistry alongside Kermit and the gang and her boastful performance by Frank Oz. Speaking of Oz, the muppeteers from Henson, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt and more really shine in their hamminess on screen, and one can tell they had a blast during the filming sessions. In addition to the muppeteers, the general actors like Diana Rigg as Lady Holiday and Charles Grodin as her villainous brother Nicky are also fun to watch as they know how to have fun in a movie all about the muppet gangs shenanigans. As is usual with the Muppets tradition of famous actor cameos, while not as high as the first movie, the likes of Jack Warden, John Cleese, Peter Ustinov and even Oscar the Grouch should be high selling points for the movie alone.
Compared to the first Muppet movie, this film has a higher budget and more lavish production members. Many of Joe Raposo's musical numbers from Hey a Movie! to Happiness Hotel and the Oscar nominated The First Time it Happens are elevated with a broader scope of settings and well timed choreography that is right up there with the likes of Gene Kelly and Bubsy Berkeley. Perhaps some of the songs do go on for a bit too long, especially the almost unneeded Night Life and ongoing Piggy's Fantasy. Nevertheless, these sequences really showcase Jim Henson's creative filmmaking that he would only grow stronger at with his own personal projects, from Dark Crystal to Labyrinth. In fact, the Couldn't We Ride sequence itself was a miraculous technical achievement with the entire Muppet gang on bicycles no less, so as long as it may feel, it's so charming to watch that you can't take your eyes off of it, especially when Brian Henson was working on that scene. Over-plotted the film may be, but overly stylish it is only to a fun degree.
So while not as narratively concise or engaging as their first theatrical endeavor, The Great Muppet Caper is still a highly enjoyable flick with the gang thanks to its timelessly charming characters, lavish production values, and upbeat musical numbers. Now that the endeavor is approaching its 40 year anniversary this summer, this would be the perfect time to give this flick a watch for your own amusement. It may not offer the same lightning in a bottle the first time, but hey, it's still nice to have the Muppet gang around whenever you're in need of a charming family movie starring everybody..and me.
Set in London, England, the film follows the Muppet gang trying to uncover a recent jewel heist from the illustrious fashion designer, Lady Holliday. Now with a premise like that, it does highlight the film's weakest element, in that the plot is a bit too thin and predictable for its own good. Even from the start, it's not hard to figure out where certain plot points or story directions will dictate how the characters go about the plot. Also, compared to the first Muppet feature film, this one does lack a bit of the emotional appeal that made that movie such a remarkable classic, as the film plays up the comedy way too much. It doesn't help that the antagonists are hard to feel intimidated by due to the non stop gags that keep fluctuating the film's tone. As a result, the story is far too routine to feel surprised at, and if not for the factor of this being a Muppet feature, it would be left to the side as another standard spy movie, complete with the liar revealed trope and the romantic side arc. And to think these uneven story problems wouldn't have been so bad if not for those aforementioned tonal clashes.
However, despite all of those flaws, the Muppet gang themselves are what ultimately save the movie from being forgettable. As Miss Piggy gets a healthier amount of screen time than the first movie, her overly rambunctious personality makes the experience delightful from start to finish, complete with her charming chemistry alongside Kermit and the gang and her boastful performance by Frank Oz. Speaking of Oz, the muppeteers from Henson, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt and more really shine in their hamminess on screen, and one can tell they had a blast during the filming sessions. In addition to the muppeteers, the general actors like Diana Rigg as Lady Holiday and Charles Grodin as her villainous brother Nicky are also fun to watch as they know how to have fun in a movie all about the muppet gangs shenanigans. As is usual with the Muppets tradition of famous actor cameos, while not as high as the first movie, the likes of Jack Warden, John Cleese, Peter Ustinov and even Oscar the Grouch should be high selling points for the movie alone.
Compared to the first Muppet movie, this film has a higher budget and more lavish production members. Many of Joe Raposo's musical numbers from Hey a Movie! to Happiness Hotel and the Oscar nominated The First Time it Happens are elevated with a broader scope of settings and well timed choreography that is right up there with the likes of Gene Kelly and Bubsy Berkeley. Perhaps some of the songs do go on for a bit too long, especially the almost unneeded Night Life and ongoing Piggy's Fantasy. Nevertheless, these sequences really showcase Jim Henson's creative filmmaking that he would only grow stronger at with his own personal projects, from Dark Crystal to Labyrinth. In fact, the Couldn't We Ride sequence itself was a miraculous technical achievement with the entire Muppet gang on bicycles no less, so as long as it may feel, it's so charming to watch that you can't take your eyes off of it, especially when Brian Henson was working on that scene. Over-plotted the film may be, but overly stylish it is only to a fun degree.
So while not as narratively concise or engaging as their first theatrical endeavor, The Great Muppet Caper is still a highly enjoyable flick with the gang thanks to its timelessly charming characters, lavish production values, and upbeat musical numbers. Now that the endeavor is approaching its 40 year anniversary this summer, this would be the perfect time to give this flick a watch for your own amusement. It may not offer the same lightning in a bottle the first time, but hey, it's still nice to have the Muppet gang around whenever you're in need of a charming family movie starring everybody..and me.