The Great Muppet Caper
Universal Pictures | Release Date: June 26, 1981 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The Associated PressLinda Deutsch
THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER is Miss Piggy's finest hour. Anyone not yet entranced by the Muppet mystique will be snared by this movie... A delight -- a tribute to the imaginative genius of Jim Henson and his team of Muppet manipulators. [29 June 1981]
90
Washington PostGary Arnold
Utterly delightful. [26 June 1981, p.D1]
88
LarsenOnFilmJosh Larsen
Ballooning. Biking. Swimming. Parachuting. The Great Muppet Caper represented a giant leap for Muppetkind, in only their second big-screen outing. Read full review
80
NewsweekDavid Ansen
As breezy and charming an entertainment as any barnyard ever produced. [6 July 1981, p.75]
80
IGNDan Iverson
In what could be the one of the best opening movie scenes I've ever seen, for example, Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo hover next to the opening credits in a hot air balloon, wondering how soon they will finish. Read full review
80
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
As before, much of the dialog neatly walks the line between true wit and silly (and sometimes inside) jokes. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
The film boasts fewer guest-star cameo appearances than the first time around but those who are here do a good job, and Miss Piggy's Busby Berkeley-type dance and the water ballet are fun to watch. Read full review
70
The New York TimesVincent Canby
Here is a thoroughly genial movie, a combination of A.A. Milne, Busby Berkeley and a small bit of Blake Edwards. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
John Cleese, Peter Ustinov, Robert Morley, and Muppet creator Jim Henson make cameo appearances, but they're all upstaged by an uncredited Peter Falk, whose monologue on a park bench opposite Kermit the Frog is an exercise in virtuoso daffiness. Read full review
60
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
The songs are routine, but the inconsequential plot leaves plenty of time for engaging asides like the blandly silly dinner-table dialogue between a well-bred couple (Cleese and Sanderson) determined not to notice that their home has been invaded by little furry creatures. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The Muppets are a wonderful creation, but they lose their special quality in "The Great Muppet Caper." They behave like clones of other popular kiddie superstars -- like the basic cartoon heroes they once seemed destined to replace. Read full review
40
Washington PostJudith Martin
It's no accident that the word "great" appears in the title of the new film featuring Jim Henson's felt television puppets. The Great Muppet Caper. Like its predecessor, this film is its own best fan. Read full review
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