The Great Muppet Caper

Starring: Jim Henson (voice), Frank Oz (voice), Dave Goelz (voice), Jerry Nelson (voice), Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Jack Warden, Peter Falk
Directed by: Jim Henson
Rating: G
Genre: Comedy
1981

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo travel to England to track down a jewel thief.

Review:

Tim: The first Muppets sequel changes up the location (from the United States to England) and gives us a more focused storyline- our Muppet friends are trying to track down a jewel thief. I have to say that the changes were welcome and it gave this film a fresh feeling. Nothing here really felt like a typical sequel- where the audience just gets more of the same. It felt fresh and new and fun. For that reason, I'd say that The Great Muppet Caper is every bit as good as the original, The Muppet Movie.

Part of what I enjoy about these movies is just the good-natured, family feel of the film. Yes, these movies are very appropriate for audiences of all ages, but the movie doesn't sacrifice for the sake of its youngest viewers. Sometimes children's movies pander to unsophisticated audiences. That doesn't happen here. The movie is funny and kid appropriate. I also love the wide-eyed wonder that is prevalent in these movies. They're just fun to watch. Jim Henson really hits all the right notes the tone of the film.

Like the first film, this one is successful because the characters are just so great. Kermit the Frog is one of the great characters ever created- it's just so hard to put into words how fun it is to watch this honorable, cool frog. His personality is wonderful and watching this movie just takes you back to that place of childhood wonder. Kermit is great. Gonzo adds in the bizarre humor, Fozzie makes a great companion as well. I've never big a huge fan of Miss Piggy, but her storyline was well structured here. The Muppets themselves continue to be the biggest strength of this film. It's just so fun to watch them on screen.

Now, that childhood sense of wonder I talked about is even more critical in this film. Henson and the producers create some moments that are nearly impossible not to love. The bike sequence is one of the best scenes in any children's movie. I still marvel at how in the heck they pulled that off with puppets. That was the best scene of the movie and it helped this film transcend the norm for this genre. It's so hard to watch that scene without breaking into a grin. Another great scene is the lakeside fight between Kermit and Piggy- it's just so hilarious to see them arguing.

Now, the film has some issues, too. There's a number of scenes and jokes that aren't all that funny. Some of the songs are good, but others just go on way too long. The song numbers do occasionally bog down the entire film and disrupt any flow that was established. The focus of these movies is on the characters and the guest appearances by famous actors. That is the primary focus- things like telling a truly great story are secondary, which does hurt the overall movie.

It's so easy for sequels to make a misstep and drop in quality. The Great Muppet Caper completely avoids this fate- it maintains the same level of quality and gives us a few remarkable scenes. This movie is an accomplishment and it continues the solid tradition of this budding franchise.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Muppet Movie