when i begin watch the muppets take manhattan and the choppy presentation and dialogue have me convince i be watch something recent and so you can imagine my surprise when i come to the imdb and read that it be make in 1984. jim henson may have end the muppet show when it be at it peak and but spin offs like this and muppet baby ( which apparently be base upon a very terrible sequence in this film ) be the absolute nadir of all thing muppet . i use to wonder why muppets attract such derision from such film reviewer a mr. cranky and so i be glad that the muppets take manhattan ( henceforth represent tmtm ) set me straight on that one . of course and many series have have a massive drop off in quality when the third episode come around represent alien and robocop and the evil dead and even night of the living dead . so while it be no surprise that tmtm be less than the muppet movie or the great muppet caper and the surprise lie entirely in how much less than the awesome debut or it slightly less follow up tmtm be . not only be the music far less satisfying and the scene that link it all together be utterly terrible . there be and of course and some redeeming and genuinely funny moment and but they be few and far between . the swedish chef be great in any scene he inhabit and so thank the spirit of small mercy that he appear in one sequence where his eccentricity be exploit to the full . the problem be that there be just no scene that work . the story and such a it be and revolve around a broadway musical kermit be attempt to get produce . he go through many trial and tribulation along the way and include the sneaking suspicion the viewer have that we have see this all before . the big problem be that kermit do not have a decent antagonist to work off this time . charles durning be cinematic gold a doc hopper and the proprietor of a fast food chain who want to exploit kermit for his business . charles grodin be dynamite a nicky holiday and a jewel thief the muppets must fight in order to save miss piggy from a lifetime in prison . the saying be that a hero be only as good a his antagonist and and these two be at least half responsible for the greatness of the previous two film . charles grodin also highlight what be wrong with tmtm . namely and the music suck . the opening number of the manhattan melodies show that be at the centre of tmtm and to put it nicely and make the drivel that now dominate the airwave seem coordinate . i might just be let my peculiar sensitivity to the sound of word and phrase get to me and but song like the rainbow connection inspire tear of joy and not irritation . grodin big solo during the great muppet caper and while not have the same resonation and he lift the tone of the film eight step on his own . he be all class . and if there be one thing tmtm could use and it be rise eight step in addition to attain a semblance of class . tmtm also feel severely time compress and with the story leap from scene to scene without any consideration for make sense or give the story cohesion . maddox himself point out that transition and cohesion make a film feel like a coherent whole rather than a mess of thrown together piece . see if you can find them in tmtm . while tmtm do have it guest star and they be either poorly utilised ( brooke shield and john landis ) and or totally out of their element ( liza minelli and dabney coleman ) . to call this a waste of time for puppeteer and actor alike be flattery . the absence of an end credit routine be especially sore here and after animal go home postscript for the muppet movie in particular . which highlight another problem . the character be poorly write at best and with none of their individual quirk to be see or hear . animal shout singular word at time and but they have nothing to do with the plot and or the conversation go on around him . say what you will about set piece design to show off character and but think of animal moment after eat the instant growth pill and or his sowwy after the incident when he pull the window down on top of his fellow muppets . now see if you can remember a single memorable moment with an individual muppet other than swedish chef hilarious misunderstanding of three dimensional film involve popcorn . give up . then you have prove my point . give that labyrinth and one of the henson company best and most timeless product outside of the muppets and arrive some two year later and it make tmtm all the more puzzling . perhaps this misfire convince jim henson to rethink his strategy regard character development and usage . or perhaps the misfire can be attribute to frank oz and who at the time have just finish work with george lucas on what many would agree be the most childish episode in the original star war saga . the writer be also involve with the great muppet caper and so i will let them off the hook for this in spite of the fact that a script be one of the most essential piece of a film . the production be also substantially improve here and with muppets appear capable of move in way that be previously beyond them . have the story and script be well think out and tmtm might have be at least comparable to the great muppet caper . a it stand now and it be a great answer to the question of whether muppets write under the influence and or excrete . for that reason and i give the muppets take manhattan a three out of ten . two to denote it actual quality and and a bonus for the swedish chef moment . without him and this film would be unwatchable .