Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo are reporters investigating a jewel robbery in England, when Miss Piggy finds herself accused of stealing a diamond necklace from her employer, Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg). The second Muppets feature film (and the only one directed by Jim Henson) starts out strong but, as other reviewers before me have pointed out, it doesn't sustain. Part of the problem is too much focus on the jewel thief plot and an especially annoying Charles Grodin. The Muppets are lots of fun here but there's only so much they can do when competing against a ham actor desperately trying to steal a movie about Muppets away from the Muppets. It's not called The Great Grodin Caper, after all. Anyway, the jewel thief plot is dullsville and the movie should not have spent so much time on it, in my opinion. A significant part of the film drags because of this. I appreciate the attempt to pay tribute to movies of the 1930s and 40s but a little goes a long way.Still, there are some funny moments. Fozzie adding sugar to champagne to make it taste like ginger ale is probably my favorite scene from the movie and it's what many would consider a minor gag. Some of the best jokes are the ones that break the fourth wall, like that clever opening with Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo in a hot air balloon commenting on the opening credits, Diana Rigg pointing out her expository dialogue, Miss Piggy complaining about doing her own stunts, and Kermit chastising Miss Piggy for overacting. The celebrity cameos this time include John Cleese, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, and Peter Falk. The Cleese and Falk scenes are the funniest. The songs are cute but not as memorable as the ones from The Muppet Movie. Most die-hard Muppets fans will probably love this despite its flaws. I liked it but didn't love it.

Review by Matt:My first exposure to The Muppets wasn't any of their movies, it was actually "Muppet Babies" which for me, still goes down as one of my favorite cartoons of all time, and the best cartoon of the 1980s. There was nothing wrong with it; it had "Star Wars", "Indiana Jones", and pretty much any pop culture reference that you could think of at the time. It was smarter than the kids that were watching it, and for my money, still holds up pretty well. The Muppet movies didn't really come around for me the first time around, in fact I remember watching most of them on VHS when my dad recorded them for me. Think about it, "The Muppet Movie" was released in 1979, and to say the least I was the last thing my parents had on their mind at the time. However, when I was old enough to know how to operate the VCR and go through the stacks of VHS recordings that we had in our house, it was that fateful day I popped in 1981's "The Great Muppet Caper" starring all of your favorite Muppets; from Kermit the Frog to *John Cleese, yes, John Motherf*ckin' Cleese is in this movie.Like most Muppet fare the plot is going to include plenty of hijinks, celebrity cameos, and humor that goes well over the intended audiences heads, including one in "Caper" that refers to a guy cheating on his wife. Jim Henson had some balls on him. Any who, we open "Caper" with our three heroes, Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo in a hot air balloon talking about the opening credits. Next thing they know their balloon is going down right in the middle of a crowded street which breaks out into our first musical number. Further hijinks ensue that involve a case of mistaken identity, stolen diamonds, and a love triangle between a frog, pig, and Charles Grodin. Good clean family fun.What stands out, like most Muppets movies, are the songs. The highlight is "Happiness Hotel" that has the sound of a blues, zydeco, and a big band mash-up that works perfectly and will be stuck in your head for days. Some of the other songs get a little sappy, but there's still a whimsical element to the music that can appeal to the young and old alike.While the setting of the movie takes place in London, it could really take place anywhere. This isn't "The Muppets Take Manhattan" where the city is almost as big a star as The Muppets, but you still get a chuckle from some of the dry British humor we all know and love.If you've only seen 2011's "The Muppets" with Jason Segel and Amy Adams, which is fine in it's own way, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to "The Great Muppet Caper" that has plenty of mad-cap antics and no cheap Disney tie-in's.*Disclaimer: Of course I know John Cleese isn't a Muppet, but he might be the king of silly walks.Check out other reviews at simplisticreviews.blogspot.com

A ragged yet sometimes delightful mess of comedy and songs with a clever story and a few too many cute cameos I still enjoy this movie but it would be stronger if it didn't feel like such a pastiche. There was a great sense of nostalgia in 1970's Hollywood that sucked a lot of creative energy into parodies and tributes and this movie feels a lot like the victim of that era. Too much talent squandered trying to make a hip version of an old Hollywood musical cum newspaper mystery cum international adventure, and yet the muppets are The Muppets and there is the charm of Kermit and Gonzo and Miss Piggy and the rest just being silly and making bad jokes work by sheer force of silliness.Like a weaker Marx Bros movie is has its moments and when it is over it feels like it was worth it, but while you are watching---hmmm, maybe not so much.

I will begin to say that I do think that Muppet movies such as Treasure Island and Christmas Carol are just as delightful, but The Great Muppet Caper will always have a special place in my heart. From the hilarious opening credits to the rollicking finale, this is just a hugely enjoyable film, with just one or two minor discrepancies. The Muppets are great as usual, Jim Henson especially as Kermit. It was such a shame that he died, he was such a talented man, though Steve Whitmire is a very good replacement in the later Muppet films. Great to see Sam the Eagle, Fozzie, Wrolf and Rizzo. Out of the human cast, Charles Grodin and Diana Rigg are very good, Grodin with his charm and Rigg with her frostiness, though if anything I wish the two stars had more screen time. Not to mention the amusing cameos from John Cleese and Peter Ustinov. The songs were very pleasant, perhaps not as memorable as ones in other Muppet films but First Time It Happens is one of my all time favourite Muppet songs, and there are some clever jokes about British eccentricity and what have you. My favourite Muppet and the the best aspect of the film, or for me anyway, was the always wonderful Miss Piggy, who delighted in every scene she was in. She was particularly sensational in the musical numbers especially the restaurant and pool scenes, where the choreography is just dazzling. Overall, a great movie, that is definitely up there with the Muppets best. 10/10 Bethany Cox