The Great Muppet Caper-Pure Comedic Muppet Mayhem

The Great Muppet Caper may lack the heart of The Muppet Movie that made that film so special. However, it more than makes up for it through its pure comedic filmmaking. With Jim Henson behind the camera, The Great Muppet Caper contains some of the most extravagant visual gags and chaotic Muppet set pieces ever put to the screen. You can tell Jim Henson relished the opportunity to direct a Muppet Movie that was on a far greater scale than its predecessor, as every scene of The Great Muppet Caper is either some extravagant, ultra-theatrical musical number filled with extras and intricate choreography or scenes of over-the-top visual gags or showcases of complex Muppet puppetry. 

What makes it all work is that, unlike the previous films or even later Muppet movies, the human cast is on the same wavelength as the Muppet cast. Somehow, Henson managed to find a cast of actors who play their characters the right amount of zany and over-the-top so that they don't feel out of place when put in a scene alongside Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, or Miss Piggy. Everyone from Diana Rigg as the sassy fashion designer Lady Holiday to the wide cast of cameos play their parts so over-the-top and yet so naturally that they fit so perfectly when acting alongside the Muppet characters. This quality becomes most evident with Charles Grodin as Nicky Holiday, who, from the moment he's on-screen, acts and moves like a human Muppet and has genuine onscreen chemistry with Miss Piggy. 

It's in the soundtrack where the film falters for me. The musical numbers are extravagant and a joy to watch, but the songs themselves don't do much for me. Not that they're bad, far from it, and in the moment, they are quite bouncy and catchy. It's just that the songs are pretty forgettable and leave no lasting impression on me, especially when put up against the soundtrack to The Muppet Movie, which has some of the best songs of any Muppet production.

Despite a pretty forgettable soundtrack, I find it hard not to love The Great Muppet Caper. The film rockets every moment, gag, and musical number up to eleven in terms of pure zaniness and its over-the-top energy, making the film so consistently entertaining. It may not be the most heartfelt Muppet film, as that title will always go to the original Muppet Movie in my eyes. But in terms of the craziest Muppet film, that title undoubtedly goes to The Great Muppet Caper.

Now Streaming on Disney+ in the U.S