At their Danhurst College graduation ceremony, the Muppets put on an original show called Manhattan Melodies. In realistic fashion, every Broadway producer in NYC turns down their pitch. Kermit loses it, and the Muppets leave Manhattan save for a wily Miss Piggy. Kermit works at a diner staffed by rats as cooks, and starts a relationship with Jenny, the diner’s owner’s daughter. Eventually, Kermit manages to get a producer to finance the show, but he loses his memory after being hit by a car. Assuming the identity of the elite advertising frog Phil, the Muppets are in a real pickle until all is made well in the end with a staged wedding becoming a real wedding between Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

While The Muppets Take Manhattan has its cameos, it’s less overstuffed than The Muppet Movie. These feel more organic to the story and don’t call attention to themselves. Joan Rivers is especially good as Eileen, a makeup salesman who has a batty scene with Miss Piggy. There’s a real sense of gloom to the movie as well. You almost get the sense Jim Henson didn’t want to produce a Muppet feature anymore; this is Frank Oz’s solo directorial debut. Kermit fights with most of the Muppets, including Miss Piggy, looking irrational, and comes off as super stressed out. These Muppets are a little more grown up than before and have real human problems. Sure, the movie has jokes, but it also has a side of pathos.