The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jim Henson

Writers:

Tom Patchett (written by) &
Jay Tarses (written by) ...

Release Date:

26 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Music

Plot:

Kermit, Gonzo and Fozzie are reporters who travel to Britain to interview a rich victim of jewel thieves and help her along with her secretary, Miss Piggy.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Muppet | Jewel Thief | Diamond | Love

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Swedish Chef / Waldorf / The Muppet Newsman / Zeke / Man having Snapshot in Restaurant (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam the Eagle / Gramps / Swedish Chef (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	The Great Gonzo / Beauregard / Zoot / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Lobbuck Lou (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Floyd / Pops / Lew Zealand / Crazy Harry / Lewis Kazager (uncredited) / Slim Wilson (uncredited) / Zeke (uncredited) / CB Voice (uncredited) / Man in Park (uncredited) (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Statler / Sweetums / Janice / Beaker / Bubba / Monster (uncredited) / Cab Driver (uncredited) (voice)
Charles Grodin	...	Nicky Holiday
Diana Rigg	...	Lady Holiday
John Cleese	...	Neville
Robert Morley	...	British Gentleman
Peter Ustinov	...	Truck Driver
Jack Warden	...	Mr. Tarkenian the News Editor
Steve Whitmire	...	Rizzo the Rat / Lips (voice)
Louise Gold	...	Muppet Performer / Annie Sue Pig / Lou (uncredited) (voice)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Muppet Performer / Chickens / Gaffer the Cat (uncredited) (voice)
Bob Payne	...	Muppet Performer (voice)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:PG | Australia:G | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | USA:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Henson Associates (HA)

Trivia:

Cameo: [Jim Henson]the man that Gonzo takes a photo of in the restaurant.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end when the crewmember of the plane starts throwing the Muppets out one by one, none of the Muppets he is shown throwing out have parachutes on their backs, then the next shot show chutes opening up with no Muppets attached to them.

Quotes:

Kermit: But... Nicky, why are you doing this?
Nicky Holiday: Why am I doing this? Because I'm a villain. It's pure and simple.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Bucks (#2.11)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Night life

Although not memorable, is still amazing

The Great Muppet Caper (1981, Dir. Jim Henson)

Story

A jewel thief has steals a priceless diamond necklace from Lady Holiday, and reporters Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear and Gonzo travel to England to interview. Lady Holiday's new receptionist, Miss Piggy poses as the fashion designer, but Kermit soon finds out the truth, when another necklace is stolen. Instead of interviewing the 'real' Lady Holiday, Kermit must track down the thief's before the steal her most prized possession.

Actors

It's hard to comment on a film which its primary characters are puppets. The characters which are real life actors are performed well, with Diana Rigg bringing a style which you love to hate. Again, the puppets, or shall I call them 'Muppets'. They are brought to life by the wonderful talents of such artists as Jim Henson and Frank Oz. They are so beautifully created and move around actors so nicely, they really look so realistic. There are some great cameos, with a hilarious appearance by John Cleese.

Music

Nearly all Muppet films have a tradition, in which they all contain musical numbers. The musical numbers in this film are wonderfully written, and although they may sound slightly outdated nowadays, but they are still a joy to listen to, to this day. There are some good songs and a few not bad songs, but overall the music is a joy to listen to.

Special Effects

There are very few special effects in this film, and with the movie being created in the early '80s. A lot of scenes are very simple, and if there are any other added effects, then it is with a screen. Like the music, the effects might seem outdated but still fit in with the feel of the Muppets.

Conclusion

Although it is not one of the most memorable Muppet films, 'The Great Muppet Caper' is still a delightful Muppet film, with wonderful songs and a story to match, that is still amazing to watch after so many years.

"What colours are their hands now?" – Various Characters