THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER

US, 1981, 95 minutes, Colour.
Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, Jack Warden.
Voices of: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt.
Directed by Jim Henson.

The Great Muppet Caper was the second of the full-length feature films capitalising on the television popularity of the Muppets during the 1970s. There was The Muppet Movie, this film, The Muppets Take Manhattan. During the 1990s there were several further Muppet films. This time they entered into popular classics like Treasure Island and A Christmas Carol.

This film was directed by Jim Henson, who established the Muppets and does the voice of many of the characters including Kermit himself, Ralph, Dr Teeth, the Swedish Chef. Frank Oz, who had a separate career as a popular film director (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, In and Out) is the voice of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and Sam the Eagle. Unfortunately, Jim Henson was to die young – but his heritage of the Muppets has continued.

Charles Grodin enjoys himself as the villain. There is a strong British cast led by Diana Rigg.

The plotline is simple: Kermit, Gonzo and Fozzie are reporters who travel from the United States to the United Kingdom to do an interview with the victim of jewel thieves – and they have to help her with her secretary, who is Miss Piggy. Charles Grodin is the jewel thief.

The Muppets have always been entertaining in themselves, audiences concerned about Kermit and his relationship with Miss Piggy as well as enjoying all the other characters, even the incidental ones including Statler and Waldorf with their sardonic comments. The tradition is to mix the Muppets with live actors and this is done in this film with great aplomb and the English cast.

1. The success and appeal of the Muppets? Their television shows? World wide response? The skill of the puppets themselves and their personalities? The human voices? The range of personalities? The success of the first film? The impact of this film as a sequel?

2. The film's reliance on its television style? The verbal comedy, humorous situations, clashes? The gentle parody of the human situation? The use of television spectacular styles for comedy and music? music and songs? Human guests and send-up? The general tone of satire? The fast and furious pace? The use of the television style on the big screen? The film directed by Jim Henson and his control over the success of the whole film?

3. The conventional plot: newspaper reporters, the flight to England in freight, the landing in England in a Robert Morley advertisement, the situation of the robbery, the Happiness Hotel, the role of Miss Piggy, Lady Holliday and her fashions, Nicky and his robberies, the romance, mistaken identities, the fashion show, the prison sequences, the final robbery and chase, confrontation and heroics? The references to the tradition of genre films? The humorous spoof?

4. The contribution of the musical interludes - echoes of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Esther Williams, Busby Berkeley? The film savouring the impact of past styles?

5. The focus on the central characters: Kermit, Fozzy, Gonzo? Their work in New York and their failure as reporters? The attempt to succeed in England? Their being victimised? In the hotel? Their detective work? Their heroics? The humour? Kermit and his leadership, infatuation with Miss Piggy, mistaken identities? Fozzy and his capacity for jealousy? Gonzo and his taking photos - and spoiling them, the photo of the pigeon etc.? Their asides about film-making?

6. Miss Piggy and her personality - as strong as on television, toned down? Job, self-worth and advertisement, her being mistaken for Lady Holliday, her going to the address in Highbrow Street, her having to carry off the deception, the difficulties in hiding in the house, the dinner in the restaurant, the fashion show and her swimming, the robbery, her being taken to jail? Her using prison film language? The final chase? The romance with Kermit - the lyrical scenes in Hyde Park, her asides about film-making and how Kermit should act, etc.? The parody of the strong heroine?

7. Happiness Hotel and the possibility of gathering all the familiar characters together, their music and the asides, their participation in the finale?

8. The contribution of the human guests - using their stereotypes, their comic touches? Jack Warden as editor, Robert Morley and the Welcome to Britain advertisements, the length and tone of the John Cleese sketch, Peter Ustinov's small part?

9. Diana Rigg and her elegant and haughty style, Charles Grodin and his benign villainy, the girls in association with him for the robbery? Nicky and his betrayal of Miss Piggy? The skill of the two leads in interacting with the Muppets?

10. Enjoyable entertainment, a film paying tribute to long traditions of filmmaking? The gentle mock-human plot and characterisation?