The Great Muppet Caper

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The Great Muppet Caper

G

1981

1h 35m

Kids & Family

Musical

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

78%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In the second live-action Muppets film, intrepid journalists Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo snag an assignment reporting on a British jewel heist. Arriving in England, the trio settles in at the raucous Happiness Hotel and seeks out socialite Lady Holiday, the victim of the theft. Soon Miss Piggy appears, intending to work for Lady Holiday, but she ends up being framed by the aristocrat's scheming brother, Nicky. Kermit and company work to clear Piggy's name.

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Critics Consensus

The Great Muppet Caper is overplotted and uneven, but the appealing presence of Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang ensure that this heist flick is always breezily watchable.

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

May 3, 2023

I am always amazed at how the Muppets blend into the human world. Never has this been better done.

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Eric Shorter

Daily Telegraph (UK)

May 3, 2023

There are characters which have sprung to mythical life on the box because their creators are an artistic team to compare with the original Walt Disney's.

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Tim Pulleine

Guardian

May 3, 2023

More traditional family fare is served up by The Great Muppet Caper, which -- though it is somewhat thinly spread over 96 minutes -- contrives, to tolerably engaging effect, to involve the garishly cuddlesome creatures in a farcical live-action anecdote.

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Scott Sublett

Washington Blade

May 20, 2022

The sophisticated, ironic overtones do not interfere with a child’s enjoyment of the film. The two levels enrich each other by fusing into a complex vision that is satisfying to an intelligent person be he or she young or old.

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Stephen Silver

Tilt Magazine

Jul 16, 2021

3/5

While there's a lot to love in the movie, that approach kind of puts the characters at a remove and doesn't deliver the type of emotional payoffs that came in the other movies. (40th anniversary)

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Peter Sobczynski

The Spool

Jun 27, 2021

Instead of a story that took advantage of the richly drawn characters we'd come to know and love over, it gives us a knockabout farce that ... feels more like a lesser Bob Hope vehicle.

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Jamie G

@RT20167582 Mar 15, 2026

This movie is campy and hilarious. I loved it as a child and still do as an adult. I always took it to be the first movie the Muppets made after they formed their own studio which was the plot of the first Muppet Movie. So Muppets acting in a Hollywood style film. I don’t get how anyone can knock anything about it. 78% fresh? y’all are tripping. It’s a classic.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Feb 3, 2026

The worldwide gross is $31,206,251.00.

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Adam N

@RT93209334 Jan 24, 2026

Yet again the Muppets deliver in this entertaining spoof of detective/heist films. Most people don't seem to realize it is intentionally "cheesy", as it means to parody the genre. This film is perhaps the best demonstration of the Muppets' expertise in witty self-referential humor and well-crafted fourth wall breaks. Personally, I wish the Muppets would return to making films where they play semi-fictionalized versions of themselves as utilized here, as it sets up amazing opportunities for this sort of humor. As for the musical numbers, they are absolutely wonderful; "The First Time It Happens" deserves an Academy Award, and "Happiness Hotel" is among the songs most reflective of the Muppets brand and style of humor as a whole. Overall, an amazing twist on the caper-style film archetype, a beautiful tribute to Hollywood musicals and an excellent installment in the franchise.

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Bobby B

@RT43764831 Apr 13, 2025

Its muppets at its cheesiest, and I love it. It knows what it is and rolls woth it, having an emotional story that doesnt take itself too seriously. Must watch.

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Charlie M

@RT53584910 Apr 13, 2025

It’s a fairly enjoyable movie, though not without the horrible comedy

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Scott G

@rominato Feb 2, 2025

Amazed at some of the negative reviews here. It’s a silly fun movie made for kids. The songs are mostly catchy, the plot is pretty simple, and there are some very funny moments, like when Gonzo tries to hail a cab. This isn’t Citizen Kane, nor is it supposed to be. Take it for what it is: a simple, clean film aimed at kids under 10, but enjoyable for the whole family.

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Jim Henson

Director

Jim Henson

Kermit the Frog

Frank Oz

Miss Piggy

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Synopsis

In the second live-action Muppets film, intrepid journalists Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo snag an assignment reporting on a British jewel heist. Arriving in England, the trio settles in at the raucous Happiness Hotel and seeks out socialite Lady Holiday, the victim of the theft. Soon Miss Piggy appears, intending to work for Lady Holiday, but she ends up being framed by the aristocrat's scheming brother, Nicky. Kermit and company work to clear Piggy's name.

Director: Jim Henson
Producer: David Lazer, Frank Oz
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Incorporated Television Company, Henson Associates
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 26, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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