The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

 

Genre: Musical/Family            Time: 1hr 38mins        Director: Jim Henson

Quick summary: When Lady Holiday's invaluable diamond necklace gets stolen, Kermit and Fozzie are sent to London to interview her and find the culprit. But Kermit falls in love with the accused.

As much as I love the muppets, this one kinda missed the mark a bit but I still find it very enjoyable.

The Great Muppet Caper is a true sequel, in that it really attempts to build on what came before. The musical numbers are more significant, the story is more ambitious, and the technological sleight-of-hand is even more advanced (Kermit and Miss Piggy ride bikes together and this is captured in a medium shot in which you can see their whole bodies pedalling the bikes along! It’s even longer than the bike scene in The Muppet Movie!)

I love the plot structure in this and how meta the characters are. It isn't simply a case of puppeteers playing fictional characters. It presents puppeteers playing fictional characters playing more fictional characters yet. Kermit and Fozzie who are identical twin brothers and aspiring journalists are getting played by Kermit and Fozzie who both featured in The Muppet Show, and as the film progresses there is an occasional tendency to break the first reality to expose the second.

At the same time, the film is constantly aware of its own artificiality. In one key sequence, Lady Holiday explains at length the back story and motivations of her no-good brother Nicky. Miss Piggy interrupts: ‘Excuse me – why are you telling me this?’ Holiday’s reply: ‘It’s plot exposition, it has to go somewhere.’ In another, a random salesman talks to Kermit on a park bench until he’s asked to leave because he is interrupting a film shoot.

Unfortunately, the songs are really forgettable. I don't remember any of them. As well as most of the cameos are very dated, I'm pretty sure a lot of people nowadays will have no idea who they are.

There isn't much to talk about with this one, as it is very simple in the sense of plot. It feels like one extra-long tv sketch, but I'm not complaining. The impressive parts are just the amount of work that went into this movie, with big dance numbers and extravagant scenes to show off Henson's amazing puppetry.

6/10

"“You are all weirdos.”

"Statler:

I guess all's well that ends well.

Waldorf:

I don't care, as long as it ends."

"Truck Driver:

What are you doing here?

Oscar the Grouch:

A very brief cameo."

"Kermit:

We're going to catch those crooks red-handed.

Beauregard:

What colour are their hands now?"