The Muppet Movie ambition of finding success in professional show business—while being pursued by Doc Hopper, an evil restaurateur with intentions of employing Kermit as a spokesperson for his frog legs business. In addition to the Muppet performers, the film stars Charles Durning and Austin Pendleton, and features cameo appearances by Dom DeLuise, James Coburn, Edgar Bergen, Steve Martin, and Mel Brooks, among others. Notable for its surreal humour, meta-references and prolific use of cameos, "The Muppet Movie" was released in the United Kingdom on May 31, 1979, and in the United States on June 22, 1979, and received critical praise; including two
The Muppet Movie film after the release of "The Muppets" in 2011. The success of the film gave Jim Henson Productions an opportunity to release more Muppet productions theatrically. The film's successful theatrical release encouraged Lew Grade into furthering his own film distribution company, which later backfired with the massive box office failures of "Can't Stop the Music" (from EMI) and "Raise the Titanic" (from ITC), both released by Associated Film Distribution just a year later. "The Muppet Movie" received positive reviews. The film currently holds an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 8/10, based on 48 reviews.