Words Glenn Blomfield
Brought to you by the production company ‘HA’ Henson Alternative, the ‘R’rated side of the Muppets. Directed by Brian Henson, Jim Henson’s son, the creator of the Muppets, the felt covered puppets go off the rails, in this naughty adult comedy version.
Comedian Melissa McCarthy and Hunger Game’s Elizabeth Banks feature here, even Melissa McCarthy can’t save this Puppet/Muppet Show. Probably not having much to work with, its a noteable diatribe of cringe worthy humour. The formula of crudity, sex, drugs and violence, in my opinion, is not a winning one.
Taking on the generic Film Noir style, we have a story of a down and out puppet cop, who suffering a traumatic event now works as a private detective trying to make ends meet. Oh yeah, I should mention Puppets live in the human world, they are now part of everyday society, but of course face racism and bigotry, in a puppet sense of it all . With a uninspiring script, our Detective needs to join partnership with ex-cop colleague (Melissa McCarthy), they naturally have a hate relationship with each other, but need to work together to solve the murders of Puppets from a old TV Show…yawn.
I had high hopes for this film to pull off a adult, crazy Muppet movie, but sadly it was just plain lacklustre. The jokes are bad, and it doesn’t take to long for the film to lose its steam, drawing out the film to a long 90 minute watch. The film feels like a “behind the scenes” reel tape of the naughty puppeteers making the Muppet Movie. Pushing the envelope on how ‘rude’ and ‘crass’ you can get with puppets, has already been met with success on Kiwi filmakers Peter Jackson’s ‘Meet the Feebles’. Take it or leave it, who am I kidding? leave it. The Happytime Murders may have have a cult following in years to come with the stoner crowd, and thats exactly what it takes to endure this behemoth of a film, some type of substance abuse to numb the senses, but you didn’t hear that from me.
