The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Review Request: The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Just how great are the Muppets? One of the most exciting aspects of media in 2026 is that The Muppet Show will be making a return with a whole new revival over on Disney+. This is exciting because these charming puppets have been entertaining audiences for a good 50+ years at this point. Big screen. Little screen. Musicals. Homages to classic literature. It does not matter when, how, or where, the Muppets will entertain you, nonetheless. Most have seen the original run of The Muppet Show or the big screen efforts like The Muppet Movie of Muppets Christmas Carol, but one effort still flies a bit under the radar in 2026, The Muppets Take Manhattan.

Does this still capture the same energy and zaniness of some of the best films in the franchise? Director Frank Oz obviously knows a thing or two about the Muppets and gives them plenty of opportunities to get the laughs and put smiles on the audience. The cinematography feels ripped from the era of film with that “film” feel. Most importantly, the camera works well to deliver some impressive puppetry throughout the film. The framing is always conscious of hiding the “strings” so to speak. There are some interesting twists like Miss Piggy riding roller skates by using a body double in wide shots. They capture an idyllic feel of New York City at the time that captures the wonder of the big city. But at the end of the day, this feels like a Muppet movie and that is the most important thing. The true shining moments in the film do come from musical numbers, especially the staged ones. The colorful presentation, the attention-grabbing numbers, and the energetic music all come together in quite an engaging and impactful way.

Does the story work well and lean into the strengths of the Muppets? The overall concept is intriguing with the gang heading to the big city and to Broadway specifically to sell their new musical and get it on the big stage. This opens the door to plenty of silly shenanigans and Broadway politicking. But when things don’t go so well, Kermit hangs back and the rest go to the four winds to support themselves. The biggest lack of magic in The Muppets Take Manhattan that keeps it from being one of the best Muppet films is that it is missing the wonderful dynamics with the characters. Since they are all isolated, you lose out on the magic together. The film feels more like Kermit Takes Manhattan. Miss Piggy is there too which opens the door for a wild subplot of her jealously spying on Kermit because she lacks trust in her “Kermie”. The scattered nature of the plot does give the narrative an uneven feel but some of the random shenanigans of the crew are hilarious and lean into those characters’ strengths. There might be a few too many (if not funny diversions) like a Muppet Babies dream sequence and Kermit loses his memory, but the film wraps it up in a big and satisfying way.

How does the cast stand out? First off, all the Muppet performers are doing amazing work (as always). Jim Henson, Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Richard Hunt, and Jerry Nerlson all deserve to get their names stated because there would be no Muppets without this incredible crew of voice performers and puppeteers. Like any good Muppet film, you are going to have some surprise appearances. But before that, there are a few earnest and solid turns from Juliana Donald and Lenny Price who are portraying characters with significant runtime in the story. You do get a wonderful unhinged and fun turn by Dabney Coleman during an early sequence in the film. There are a few memorable cameos from Gregory Hines, Joan Rivers, Elliott Gould, and Brooke Shields. You even get a quick appearance from Liza Minnelli (as herself, of course). They all understood the assignment and probably had as much fun as we had with the film.

Is The Muppets Take Manhattan a worthwhile venture with our favorite puppet crew? The Muppet gang certainly delivers and offers plenty of fun musical numbers along the way. This might not be as consistently funny or heartfelt as other films in the franchise, but it does deliver a big moment as it comes to a wonderful close. The film might not fully have committed to the title (with many shenanigans left on the writing room floor) but it is still a consistently entertaining and wonderful ride.

Special thanks to Matt Genovese for nominating The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)!