The Great Muppet Caper

The second and (in my opinion) least of the Muppet feature films, this 1981 follow-up to The Muppet Movie (1979) finds stateside cub reporters Kermit and Fonzie dispatched to London to cover the story of fashion magnate Lady Holiday's (Diana Rigg) stolen necklace. While plot is never a going concern in a Muppet flick, the logical thread is so bare here as to render story all but incidental, which leaves viewers with the usual Muppet wisecracks and antics, and, of course, the elaborate songs--highlighted here by a Busby Berkeley inspired water number featuring that not-quite-svelte porcine chunka chunka burnin' love Miss Piggy doing a fine Esther Williams impersonation. Like its predecessor, the DVD release here is disappointingly grainy in parts and muted looking, making this an optional purchase, at best. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Nov. 29, 2005—Walt Disney, 98 min., G, $19.99—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1981's The Great Muppet Caper features good widescreen and full screen transfers and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include “Pepe Profiles Presents—Miss Piggy: The Diva Who Would Not Be Denied” (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: still one of the lesser “Muppet” movies, but this is looking better the second time around.]