Plot: What’s it about?
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters who know how to get a scoop, but their latest assignment could be one that even they can’t crack. The two have come to London to interview fashion guru Lady Holiday (Diana Rigg), but they soon become involved in a major crime scandal, with tons of twists and turns. It seems Lady Holiday’s priceless diamond necklace has been stolen and as such, our two ace reporters on the trail and with their snooping skills, they might just be able to solve the mystery indeed. As if the case wasn’t tough enough, now the crime is being pinned on Miss Piggy, who swears she is innocent of the charges. Now Kermit and Fozzie must track down the real criminals, restore Miss Piggy’s good name, and pen one heck of a story, all while danger, grand musical numbers, and even some romance all bubble up. This won’t be an easy mission to be sure, but if anyone can solve this case, it just might be these two.
I think the first muppet movie was fun to watch, but as the series has extended, the sequels have gotten worse and worse. Such is the case with The Great Muppet Caper and even with Jim Henson at the helm, it fails to recapture the spirit of that original picture. This is by no means a bad movie, but it offers little in terms of big laughs and unless you really love the characters, I don’t think you’d be missing much here. The usual muppet antics are present, but not much of the fresh material seems to work well, so we’ve seen all of this stuff before. But Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and the others strike a chord with some folks and if that’s the case with you, I think you’ll be pleased enough to watch this a time or two. I would much rather revisit The Muppet Movie and see the characters in better form, but if you’ve just watched it, this one might serve to make you laugh a few times also. John Cleese, Jack Warden, Charles Grodin, and Diana Rigg are some of the cameo performers, all of whom add a little more humor to this movie. I think this is one of the weaker entries in this series, but fans will still want to check it out, to be sure.
Video: How does it look?
The Great Muppet Caper is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition included on the disc’s flip side. As with the other movies in this series, this release shows real age signs and grain seems to be the most prominent one, to be sure. The print has a heavy layer of grain at times, but it sometimes eases up, though the grain is still evident. I also saw nicks, dirt, and debris, which don’t help matters much. The colors and contrast are lessened by the grain, but still look solid, which is good news. I think time has taken its toll on this one, but I don’t think we’ll see a better edition, at least not anytime soon.
Audio: How does it sound?
A newly minted Dolby Digital 5.1 track is included, but it offers little improvement overall, if you ask me. The audio has a rather thin sound on the whole, but this has always been the case, so it isn’t just the fault of this new mix. The surround presence is decent, but often seems hollow and that is a let down, to be sure. The music, sound effects, and dialogue come through in decent form, but still have a thin presence, which isn’t too cool. This disc also includes 2.0 surround tracks & subtitles options in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some Muppetisms, which are very brief muppet features, but no other supplements have been tacked on.
