The Happytime Murders
(2018)A serial killer is targeting the members of an '80s TV show in this mystery comedy starring Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph and Joel McHale.... More
In a world where puppets co-exist with humans as second class citizens, puppet private eye and disgraced ex-cop, Phil Phillips, is hot on the trail of the serial killer who murdered his brother and is now targeting the cast members of the famous '80s television show, “The Happytime Gang.” Phil teams up with former police partner (McCarthy) to catch the killer before his next victim - Phil's ex (Banks).Hide
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Directed by Brian Henson ('Labyrinth', 'Muppet Treasure Island', 'The Muppet Christmas Carol')
Starring Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Leslie David Baker, Jimmy O. Yang, Cynthy Wu, Pamela Mitchell
Written by Todd Berger
Studio Jim Henson Company
Flicks Review
BY Daniel Rutledge Flicks Writer
There's a lot of potential in this racy puppet caper that carries the Henson legacy on, but unfortunately too many of the jokes are lame. Dirty puppet movies aren't new and while it is always a novelty to have them swearing, fornicating and killing, most of the gags done here have been done better elsewhere, before.... More
The setting and tone are a lot of fun - I mean, who doesn't love a lead who’s a chain-smoking failed cop turned private detective making a living in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles? The murder mystery set-up is predictable but perfectly serviceable and the supporting characters are all endearing enough. It's also cool having puppets treated as second class citizens, even though that allegory is only hinted at rather than explored.
Although R-rated puppet comedy isn't new, it's uncommon to have one with such an unmistakably Henson feel. Some of these furry characters even feel like caricatures of their Muppet cousins. Being set decades after the heyday of the titular Happytime Gang gives the whole thing a feel of the Muppets growing disgusting as they grew old and all landing on their knees, or worse.
However, that all adds up to a great base from which great comedy should be grown, and unfortunately that's where Todd Berger's script doesn't deliver the goods. There's talk of velvet vaginas, a puppet jizzing scene and even a mention of bukkake, but a lack of wit meant I was often sighing where I should've been cackling.
I suspect The Happytime Murders will be a hit with a lot of stoners when it gets to streaming services, but if you want to watch a dirty puppet comedy, you should definitely seek out Meet the Feebles or Team America: World Police instead.Hide
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The Happytime Murders
The Press Reviews
As with all overwhelmingly poor movies, it’s the delicate confluence of many varied factors that creates the critic’s familiar feeling of despairing hopelessness in the cinema. Full Review
It's more than funny enough, packing lots of genuine, if frequently tasteless, laughs into its relatively brief running time. Full Review
If The Happytime Murders isn’t the worst movie of the summer, I tremble at the thought of whatever’s coming out next week. Full Review
Stuffed with lifeless gags, this cringeworthy puppet provocation is too pleased with its own naughtiness. Full Review
Its most fatal miscalculation is the decision to frontload so many of its crassest setpieces into the first 15 or 20 minutes, depriving the rest of the film of the shock value... Full Review
...in a deserted cinema at 10am, this film still made me laugh out loud a few times. On a Friday night, after a few jars with a like-minded crowd it might just be terrific. Full Review
Who Framed Roger Rabbit meets Meets The Feebles, in a disappointing adult comedy that never lives up to the promise of its premise. Full Review
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