The Muppets Take Manhattan

Starring: Jim Henson (voice), Frank Oz (voice), Dave Goelz (voice), Steve Whitmire (voice), Juliana Donald, Art Carney, Dabney Coleman, Joan Rivers, Elliott Gould (cameo), Liza Minelli (cameo), Brooke Shields (cameo), Gates McFadden, Gregory Hines
Directed by: Frank Oz
Rating: G
Genre: Comedy, Drama
1984

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Kermit and the gang go to New York City to put on a Broadway play, but face major obstacles that threaten to derail their dream.

Review:

Tim: After two solid outings in The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, it's not surprising that the trilogy is rounded out with a slight disappointment. Now, The Muppets Take Manhattan isn't a bad movie, but it's the least effective film in the franchise so far. It still provides entertainment for audiences of all ages and kids will certainly love it, but it's hard not to see the magic of the first two movies being muted just a bit here.

At this point, we understand the formula of the franchise pretty well. Kermit and the gang have some goal in mind and face setbacks, random cameo appearances by famous faces, and ultimately, pull through. Here, Kermit and the gang are trying to get a play produced on Broadway. This is inspired by a well received play they put on in college (one of the more unexpected places to start a Muppet movie). The gang travels to the Big Apple and see dozens of doors shut in their face. I suppose the film is supposed to be a send-up of Broadway play movies? I don't know for sure, but it just felt like we'd see this all before. There wasn't a whole lot new or exciting in the story. The movie unfolds exactly as you'd expect with very few actual surprises. The things you don't see coming aren't all that great. Kermit's amnesia was certainly a surprise, but I'm not sure if anyone would call it one of the highlights of the film. They did make use of the most cliched way to cure amnesia- hit the person in the head again! That is representative of most of the film- not particularly clever while delivering things we've seen before. Two of Kermit's ploys- act like a big shot Hollywood producer, and some weird whisper thing- both fall flat, plan-wise and laughs-wise.

Now, in a film like this, there will certainly be some strong moments. I thought the Baby Muppets scene was kind of cute. There are a few good musical numbers- the film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. The Sesame Street cameo at the end was super cool. Rowlf's scene at the dog kennel was funny for some reason I can't quite put my finger on. I thought the Miss Piggy rollerskating scene was quite well done. There were a few other decent moments sprinkled throughout the film.

I don't know, in the end, The Muppets Take Manhattan was perfectly okay. It didn't do anything really bad, but it just didn't entertain at the level it should have. It felt like a muted affair. It wasn't especially memorable and didn't have any truly iconic moments. It was just an okay film from start to finish. It's not a bad movie, but I have to admit, I do have concerns about the fourth movie. It could be a return to form, but I'm worried it will represent another drop in quality.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



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