Movie · 1984 · Romance, Comedy, Family · 1h 34m · G · English
Curator score: 5.3/10 (70.4K ratings)
They're coming to take on Broadway!
Overview
When the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn't easy to find a producer who's willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won't take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.3/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.58/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Metacritic: 64
TMDB: 6.6/10
Director
Frank Oz
Production
Delphi II Productions, TriStar Pictures, Henson Associates
Cast
Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Juliana Donald, Lonny Price, Louis Zorich, Art Carney, James Coco, Dabney Coleman, Gregory Hines, Linda Lavin, Joan Rivers, Elliott Gould, Liza Minnelli, Brooke Shields, Frances Bergen, Ed Koch
Curator Review
Verdict
A charming, slightly looser Muppet sequel that trades some of the original’s road-movie freshness for Broadway dreams, New York energy, and plenty of warm, handmade comedy. It’s not the tightest entry in the franchise, but the songs, character chemistry, and earnest showbiz optimism make it easy to enjoy.
Best for
fans of family-friendly musical comedies
viewers who like upbeat 1980s New York settings
people who enjoy affectionate behind-the-scenes showbiz stories
audiences who want whimsical puppetry with a sentimental core
Skip if
you want the sharpest or most polished Muppet film
you dislike broad, chaotic comedy and musical numbers
you prefer plot-heavy stories with a strong narrative engine
Overview
The Muppets Take Manhattan is a sweet, scrappy Broadway dream wrapped in felt and punchlines. It leans into the troupe’s biggest strengths: ensemble chemistry, goofy invention, and a sincere belief that persistence and friendship can carry a show all the way to the stage.
Worth noting
Compared with the best-loved Muppet outings, this one feels a little more diffuse, but that looseness also gives it a charming, almost backstage-musical sprawl. New York becomes a playground for jokes, setbacks, and little bursts of emotional sincerity, with Kermit and Miss Piggy anchoring the whole thing.
Bottom line
If you like your musicals sunny, handmade, and a bit ragged around the edges, it’s an easy recommendation. It may not be the franchise’s most essential chapter, but it has enough heart, wit, and old-school showbiz sparkle to win you over.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Patrick Willems (3.5★) · 1672 likes
Broadway musicals really do need more frogs and dogs and bears and chickens
vi (3.5★) · 1565 likes
i fucked up... my entire computer because i wanted to illegally watch the muppets take manhattan (1984) and there's no one i can blame but myself
ella 🍷 · 1147 likes
when I say I like gritty 80s new york movies... this is what I mean
merritt k (3.5★) · 881 likes
The frog gets hit by a fucking car
demi adejuyigbe · 750 likes
I get why people might not like this as much as the others, but save for one poorly-titled musical number "You Can't Take No For An Answer" and a watery structure that makes it feel kinda like a Muppet clip show, this is still a fun Muppet movie!! Of course they did a Muppet baby series after that one sequence, it's golden!!
Rizzo simmered so that Ratatouille could boil!!