Certainly not 10/10 or even 1/10. It's original and good fun. A film that doesn't take itself too seriously. Which is why I'm amazed by the 1/10. Don't expect a blockbuster but a must see. A good night in and a good laugh.
532 Reviews
Terrible, but funny.
Sleepin_Dragon5 September 2018
It would be the easiest thing in the world to alate this film and brand it terrible, but I'm going to focus on the positives, the media hate seems this the worst film of the year, and true it's not good. However is very different, it's very original, and at times it had myself and the whole cinema laughing loudly. They took a risk, and I'm unsure it will have paid off, they went for a safe pair of comedy hands with Melissa McCarthy, and personally I found her really funny. Obviously the film has limitations with what it can do, and where it can go, but it's not so bad as it's being made out to be. The Sharon Stone scene is absolutely hilarious.
It's not a wow, but at least it's different, that deserves some credit in this day and age, right? 6/10
It's not a wow, but at least it's different, that deserves some credit in this day and age, right? 6/10
Perfectly enjoyable for what it is.
iansquidish30 August 2018
An interesting mix of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Team America: World Police that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. This film doesn't pretend to be anything other than a raunchy comedy and doesn't hold back on the gross-out humor. Performances were a bit on the splotchy side and it's easy to tell the scenes where Melissa McCarthy is improvising vs. her scripted scenes. The actual puppeteering is very well done (I would expect nothing less given the involvement of Jim Hensons's son). Overall, the gimmick and little moments are more than enough to make up for the movie's shortcomings, making it very enjoyable, though still not any sort of masterpiece.
Comedy is the real victim here.
dejected_jedi26 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
For years moviegoers have had to deal with what I call the "preview problem,", a term I just pulled out of my nether regions. The preview problem is easy to explain: the folks that make movie previews have one job and one job only, and that is to sell the film they are advertising. The trouble begins with the fact that they have gotten very good at this. It doesn't matter the quality or type of film or even if you end up liking it or not. These guys could not care less about audiences' opinions if they came in a book labeled "The Picture Book of Colonoscopies." As soon as those butts are comfortably ensconced in theater seats their job is done. And they will go to some pretty far lengths in order get that essential opening weekend box office moolah: From showing scenes that are not actually in the finished film to giving a completely wrong expectation of the movie in question.
And so, with come to The Happytimes Murders, a film that overpromises and disappoints worst than a teenage boy on prom night. On its face, the premise presented on the trailer is almost genius in its simplicity. What if we had a Muppets movie for adults? The analogy is not entirely glib being the movie was directed by the revered Jim Henson's own son, Brian, making his feature-length debut. By all expectations this should have been if not a hilarious sleeper hit, then at the very least, a little funny.
It is not.
What went wrong? It's not the fact the writers throw every tired old detective movie cliché at the screen in an attempt to remake "The Maltese Falcon" with puppets and foul language. And it is also not the issue that, as shown in the trailer, puppets simulating sex is NOT inherently funny. Team America proved that premise could be hilarious that 14 years ago. No, the trouble is that the writers et al. forgot that what makes Muppets, cartoons and marionettes interesting in the first place is that they live by their own set of rules. Consider the classic "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Cartoons living in a human world but following cartoon rules. Putting puppets in a human world, obeying human rules misses the point of puppets completely and makes for a film that annoys rather than entertain. If anything, this just proves that you can't just throw a bunch of curse words and sex jokes and expect a hit.
But even all that could be forgiven if the film didn't commit the worst sin of all and that is misusing a particular stellar cast of comedians. Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Elizabeth Banks and Michael McDonald have maybe 3 minutes of funny screen time between them. And while ostensibly the film is about a murder mystery, not making Melissa McCarthy funny is the real crime here.
And so, with come to The Happytimes Murders, a film that overpromises and disappoints worst than a teenage boy on prom night. On its face, the premise presented on the trailer is almost genius in its simplicity. What if we had a Muppets movie for adults? The analogy is not entirely glib being the movie was directed by the revered Jim Henson's own son, Brian, making his feature-length debut. By all expectations this should have been if not a hilarious sleeper hit, then at the very least, a little funny.
It is not.
What went wrong? It's not the fact the writers throw every tired old detective movie cliché at the screen in an attempt to remake "The Maltese Falcon" with puppets and foul language. And it is also not the issue that, as shown in the trailer, puppets simulating sex is NOT inherently funny. Team America proved that premise could be hilarious that 14 years ago. No, the trouble is that the writers et al. forgot that what makes Muppets, cartoons and marionettes interesting in the first place is that they live by their own set of rules. Consider the classic "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Cartoons living in a human world but following cartoon rules. Putting puppets in a human world, obeying human rules misses the point of puppets completely and makes for a film that annoys rather than entertain. If anything, this just proves that you can't just throw a bunch of curse words and sex jokes and expect a hit.
But even all that could be forgiven if the film didn't commit the worst sin of all and that is misusing a particular stellar cast of comedians. Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Elizabeth Banks and Michael McDonald have maybe 3 minutes of funny screen time between them. And while ostensibly the film is about a murder mystery, not making Melissa McCarthy funny is the real crime here.
Uneven, but oddly enjoyable and surprisingly pretty funny
aidanratesmovies18 April 2020
Entertaining, funny, and incredibly immature- The Happytime Murders may feel a bit uneven- but most of the time, it still proves to be a fun f-ed up ride. The puppeteering is great, with some amazing designs, and an impressive amount of situations they put these puppets into. Even with the help of green screen special effects, the film never feels off in those moments, and is quite a talent to feat for puppet work in films and entertainment. The film is largely entertaining, providing a decently fun ride, accompanied by a surprising amount of jokes that actually land- and almost every time as well. That being said, the film does feel a bit rushed in its delivery, making things seem a bit hectic and forced to actually tie together in one film. The film can also feel a bit uneven at times, and doesn't necessarily hit the film hard, but feels a lot more weary than it could be. The story is, needless to say, a bit all over the place and somewhat ridiculous, but if you don't take it too seriously, it can be rather easy to enjoy. In the end, The Happytime Murders is far from a homerun, but it is a surprisingly decent time- with enough jokes and humor to land- not to mention it's pretty entertaining- that make it sure enough of a fun journey to sit through.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Wait for it to end up on streaming...
rabidhockeymom25 August 2018
You know those movies where all the funny parts are already in the trailer and when you go to see it, there are no other funny parts? This was that movie. Save your money, wait for it to show up on Netflix or something, make your own popcorn and watch it then.
Fun for what it is!
UniqueParticle28 September 2019
Originally saw in the theater last year, I don't know why I didn't review much sooner. Either way Melissa McCarthy is great fun and so is everyone else involved. Unfortunate Happytime Murders didn't do well it's quite enjoyable and cool concept for something that was originally a kids show!
Presentation = Good; Comedy = Meh (Stick with The Muppets)
MikeC1926 August 2018
My expectations were low, but I didn't have to pay for my ticket, so I figured I'd go. Generally, I'm echoing most people's reactions. As far as production, it's impressive what they've done. There are so many detailed puppets in this, and that in itself is pretty impressive. I feel, also, that Brian Henson is a good director of this type of materiel. It's fine to see filmmakers pursue something "outside the box", so to speak. I just didn't find it particularly funny. It's... amusing, at most. I liked Maya Rudolph's character, she was very likable. I like seeing Joel McHale in theatrical films, as well. Once again, Melissa McCarthy didn't get on my nerves, which is good. When you see the music video at the end, and see how much work people had to do, to make this movie, you see that as a film, it's impressive. But as a comedy, it's really only mediocre.
Surprisingly gross, hilarious alternate universe for a new batch of mobile Muppets
lotekguy-123 August 2018
Let's be clear from the get-go. This is a comedy starring Melissa McCarthy and a bunch of Muppets with legs. It's directed by Jim Henson's son, Brian, who has spent many years producing and directing dad's sort of kiddie fare. All that wholesomeness apparently required suppression of adult humor tendencies which finally ruptured, resulting in this VERY RAUNCHY film that many will view as a breath of fresh air. Despite the pedigree and premise, this variation on Who Framed Roger Rabbit is closer to Andrew Dice Clay than to Sesame Street or any of the previous Muppet movies.
DON'T BRING THE KIDDIES!
Puppets live in L.A. along with humans, but only as second-class residents. A few bits slip in some racial satire with the overall broader comedy. The hero is a down-and-out private detective, salvaging a meager living after being booted from the police force for an unfortunate incident. He's a classic example of film noir dicks, complete with a dumpy office in a seedy area, and a devoted ditzy secretary (Maya Rudolph). When the puppets who starred in an old sitcom start getting bumped off, his efforts to solve the crimes first lead to reluctantly reuniting with his former partner (McCarthy) whose testimony caused his dismissal 20 years earlier. Before long, he becomes suspect Number One for the killing spree.
The dialog is clever, with scads of great throwaway lines - some of which I missed because of loud, frequent audience laughter. The mobility of the cloth-clad cast members allowed Henson to deliver some terrifically fresh and funny visuals, with slapstick and grossout gags that will make the unsuspecting blush. Or worse.
In my college days (eons ago), I bought a poster of all the Disney characters in a Hieronymus Bosch array of sexual and scatological extremes. It was hilarious. This movie delivers similar irreverence to generations who grew up with wholesome, kid-friendly Muppet antics and lessons, rarely tiptoeing beyond Miss Piggy's horniness for Kermit on the bawdiness scale.
This winds up being a treat for those who know what to expect, and particularly for McCarthy's fans. This is actually the best vehicle she's had for a while, which is good news for all comedy buffs. Even if Jim Henson might not approve of his son's choices here, those who enjoy South Park and the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming will feel right at home.
Again - DON'T BRING THE KIDDIES!
DON'T BRING THE KIDDIES!
Puppets live in L.A. along with humans, but only as second-class residents. A few bits slip in some racial satire with the overall broader comedy. The hero is a down-and-out private detective, salvaging a meager living after being booted from the police force for an unfortunate incident. He's a classic example of film noir dicks, complete with a dumpy office in a seedy area, and a devoted ditzy secretary (Maya Rudolph). When the puppets who starred in an old sitcom start getting bumped off, his efforts to solve the crimes first lead to reluctantly reuniting with his former partner (McCarthy) whose testimony caused his dismissal 20 years earlier. Before long, he becomes suspect Number One for the killing spree.
The dialog is clever, with scads of great throwaway lines - some of which I missed because of loud, frequent audience laughter. The mobility of the cloth-clad cast members allowed Henson to deliver some terrifically fresh and funny visuals, with slapstick and grossout gags that will make the unsuspecting blush. Or worse.
In my college days (eons ago), I bought a poster of all the Disney characters in a Hieronymus Bosch array of sexual and scatological extremes. It was hilarious. This movie delivers similar irreverence to generations who grew up with wholesome, kid-friendly Muppet antics and lessons, rarely tiptoeing beyond Miss Piggy's horniness for Kermit on the bawdiness scale.
This winds up being a treat for those who know what to expect, and particularly for McCarthy's fans. This is actually the best vehicle she's had for a while, which is good news for all comedy buffs. Even if Jim Henson might not approve of his son's choices here, those who enjoy South Park and the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming will feel right at home.
Again - DON'T BRING THE KIDDIES!
Raunchy jokes+no wit+Puppet sex=A very unpleasant time at the movies
MarkyMarkus25 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I will be upfront and blunt, I hated this movie. You would have a better time buying a hand puppet and.... um, well you know. Sorry for the crude humor, but that is literally all you get with this movie anyways, so consider that joke a good substitute for the movie.
First, the plot. It's your standard murder mystery in the style of a noire film from the 40's with a huge dosing of comedy. It involves a series of puppet murders and It takes a detective and her former puppet partner to crack the case. The movie however feels incomplete with vital scenes missing and almost no development of secondary characters. By the end I was wondering why the two were being celebrated as heroes. The audience know everything that happened, but the police force sure as hell doesn't, so they would have had them thrown in prison. I have heard people compare it to Roger Rabbit, but while that movie was actually a good murder mystery, this movie is more interested in being funny.... a shame really because it is not funny. Speaking about that... The biggest crime a comedy can commit is to not be funny, and boy does this movie need the book thrown at it. Let me be clear, I am no prude, crude humor can be great. In fact, I was hoping this movie would be like a favorite of mine, Team America, but that movie actually was a clever commentary on US foreign policy and Hollywood hidden behind some really funny, absurdist humor. This movie has none of that. All the jokes are the easiest jokes you can think of. You already know what the punchline will be before it happens. I chuckled at maybe 3 jokes, but everything else fell flatter than Kansas. They also tried to thrown in a racial prejudice allegory, but it goes absolutely nowhere. Lastly, they play Rick Astleys 'Never gonna give you up' and Carly Rae Jepsens 'Call me maybe'... that is the type of humor we are dealing with and yes, they were absolutely trying to be funny. I mean, it's totally funny that the no nonsense FBI agent is listing to a pop song. You are probably thinking, "Is there anything good about the film?" -The puppetry is good. -The two leads are alright
Don't bother with this crap.
First, the plot. It's your standard murder mystery in the style of a noire film from the 40's with a huge dosing of comedy. It involves a series of puppet murders and It takes a detective and her former puppet partner to crack the case. The movie however feels incomplete with vital scenes missing and almost no development of secondary characters. By the end I was wondering why the two were being celebrated as heroes. The audience know everything that happened, but the police force sure as hell doesn't, so they would have had them thrown in prison. I have heard people compare it to Roger Rabbit, but while that movie was actually a good murder mystery, this movie is more interested in being funny.... a shame really because it is not funny. Speaking about that... The biggest crime a comedy can commit is to not be funny, and boy does this movie need the book thrown at it. Let me be clear, I am no prude, crude humor can be great. In fact, I was hoping this movie would be like a favorite of mine, Team America, but that movie actually was a clever commentary on US foreign policy and Hollywood hidden behind some really funny, absurdist humor. This movie has none of that. All the jokes are the easiest jokes you can think of. You already know what the punchline will be before it happens. I chuckled at maybe 3 jokes, but everything else fell flatter than Kansas. They also tried to thrown in a racial prejudice allegory, but it goes absolutely nowhere. Lastly, they play Rick Astleys 'Never gonna give you up' and Carly Rae Jepsens 'Call me maybe'... that is the type of humor we are dealing with and yes, they were absolutely trying to be funny. I mean, it's totally funny that the no nonsense FBI agent is listing to a pop song. You are probably thinking, "Is there anything good about the film?" -The puppetry is good. -The two leads are alright
- the movie is 90 minutes long
Don't bother with this crap.
A silly puerile comedy.
Burnsknight28 November 2018
Not the abject failure critics would have you think it is.
IonicBreezeMachine5 December 2020
The Happytime Murders is less Roger Rabbit and more Cool World or Monkeybone, the movie is much better than either of those films by virtue of having an engaging lead and a coherent story(which both other films lacked) but its humor is a mixed bag. Its brisk running time of 78 minutes makes it a quick sit, and it doesn't linger on any comic set piece too long (save for maybe a puppet sex scene that falls flat). The puppetry is impressive on a technical level and the movie does a good job of bringing to life its sleazy world of puppets and humans, but its reliance on shock humor makes some stretches rather tedious to sit through. Maybe if The Happytime Murders had been made before the glut of The Hangover clones flooded cineplexes for 10 years it might've been able to have a more lasting impression, but as is it's a comedy with a few chuckles, some decent puppet effects, and not much lasting impact.
This is a shock movie without a brain
Alondro29 August 2018
I actually don't hate "Cool World" as much now. That movie at least had a solid storyline and character motivation.
This.. this was just "Hey! Let's have puppets do filthy things and then inject agenda-driven social commentary randomly and about as subtly as a 2x4 up the rear... which is a puppet fantasy, more than likely! Har har har!"
It's as if drunk stoners addicted to porn watched "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and said, "Hey, we can do that!"
No, no you can't. This was terrible. Hollywood, just stop. You suck.
This.. this was just "Hey! Let's have puppets do filthy things and then inject agenda-driven social commentary randomly and about as subtly as a 2x4 up the rear... which is a puppet fantasy, more than likely! Har har har!"
It's as if drunk stoners addicted to porn watched "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and said, "Hey, we can do that!"
No, no you can't. This was terrible. Hollywood, just stop. You suck.
Easily the worst movie of 2018
iwilldestroyhentai26 August 2018
Had a Happy Time
Breumaster17 February 2020
I know that the movie was ripped appart by the critics, but I had some really hard laugh on many scenes. I think that many people take the movie too serious. It is a puppet movie that deals with criminal movie clicheés, what would that be? For me it was completely clear that I will face a softly anarchistic movie with anarchistic jokes and fun. So it was. I laughed my face of, when one of the puppets "got off". Sorry, but who can't laugh at that, goes to basement to let it out! It was surely no serious story and also had some lags, but all-in-all I was well entertained. I would give a recommendation to people who like to laugh at silly things and to a not too serious audience.
Not as funny as JRT
ragesays30 August 2018
Meliss Mccarthy genius
fishwickjohn2331 August 2018
Most offensive thing is it just isn't funny
ntaradilis24 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The most offensive thing a comedy can do is not make you laugh. The tired setting, slow pace, juvenile attempts at humour, and lack of any characterisation beyond poorly sketched stereotype has rendered one of the least enjoyable cinematic experiences I've ever had.
The Happytime Murders centres around puppet ex-cop-turned-hard-boiled-noir-PI Phil Phillips (Bill Barretta) tracking down a serial killer who has killed his famous brother. He is aided by his former partner Detective Edwards (Melissa McCarthy) who was responsible for Phil's fall from grace. The premise of a puppet-human buddy cop movie is ludicrous and enticing enough to make a good comedy. The sad reality is a humdrum plodding through an uninspired dingy puppet stuffed world. The murders all occur within Phil's presence, which leads to the unsatisfyingly predictable police hunt of Phil, the FBI's pointless involvement, and Edwards confronting her warped hatred of Phil for saving her life to return the favour. All the above could be forgiven if the jokes were at least entertaining or witty enough to propel the film. Unfortunately, despite a wealth of comedic talent, and a solid idea, a strike rate of two laughs is not worth the other 91 minutes of utter boredom.
The Happytime Murders plays out like a Saturday Night Live skit that overstays its welcome. Don't bother giving this a cursory glance, instead watch Sausage Party again.
0.5 Stars
The Happytime Murders centres around puppet ex-cop-turned-hard-boiled-noir-PI Phil Phillips (Bill Barretta) tracking down a serial killer who has killed his famous brother. He is aided by his former partner Detective Edwards (Melissa McCarthy) who was responsible for Phil's fall from grace. The premise of a puppet-human buddy cop movie is ludicrous and enticing enough to make a good comedy. The sad reality is a humdrum plodding through an uninspired dingy puppet stuffed world. The murders all occur within Phil's presence, which leads to the unsatisfyingly predictable police hunt of Phil, the FBI's pointless involvement, and Edwards confronting her warped hatred of Phil for saving her life to return the favour. All the above could be forgiven if the jokes were at least entertaining or witty enough to propel the film. Unfortunately, despite a wealth of comedic talent, and a solid idea, a strike rate of two laughs is not worth the other 91 minutes of utter boredom.
The Happytime Murders plays out like a Saturday Night Live skit that overstays its welcome. Don't bother giving this a cursory glance, instead watch Sausage Party again.
0.5 Stars
Suckit, Big Bird
giovannibermudezjr29 August 2018
THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS is a silly buddy-cop, film-noir, puppet-porno. If Jim Henson's son doing naughty things to his father's toys is your thing, this is the comedy for you. The jokes range from mildy funny to "What the Hell did I just"... Not for the squeamish, there are several instances of explicit puppet on puppet/human action that will make you laugh as much as cringe. The mystery is intriguing, yet predictable. At first entertaining, the constant foul language does eventually become tiring. "I get it. Your puppets cuss." You leave having had some chuckles, but maybe in need of a good, hard bath. There is a fun behind-the-scenes, mid-credits blooper reel. The cast appears to have had more fun making it than you might have watching it. I give this a Solid, "Suckit, Big Bird" rating.
#TheHappyTimeMurders #GioseesMovies #RatedR
#TheHappyTimeMurders #GioseesMovies #RatedR
What the hell did I just watch...
molesworth-daniel29 August 2018
Seriously? What is all of the hubbub about?? It was Hilarious.
patricjmiller24 August 2018
I am a 64-year-old marketing guy, married to a 5th grade school teacher. Because is was available on Movie Pass, we decided to "risk our morality" and see this movie. Neither of us could figure out what all of the negativity and silly "up in arms" whining is about! We both found the movie hilarious, and far more clever than many of the other reviews are portraying.
WARNING... IT's A MUPPET MOVIE!!! If you have seen any of the other Muppet/Henson films, you know what to expect. Loads of Muppets interacting with humans...and acting silly. In this case, the jokes were raunchier, and more adult. Big whoop! But, even the crudest bits were pale in comparison to loads of other big Hollywood comedies out these days. There wasn't a single scene that was as gross and off-putting as the "taking a dump in the manhole" scene in "Bridesmaids." The whole bit with the silly string? Hilarious...and silly.
See it. Especially if you can get a discount, or matinee price. No. Don't take kids. But, I am guessing there are tons of kids these days who wouldn't even blink at the humor. We have seen a ton of movies in the past few weeks...and we both agreed, compared to "The Spy Who Left Me" or "the Meg" this was gold.
WARNING... IT's A MUPPET MOVIE!!! If you have seen any of the other Muppet/Henson films, you know what to expect. Loads of Muppets interacting with humans...and acting silly. In this case, the jokes were raunchier, and more adult. Big whoop! But, even the crudest bits were pale in comparison to loads of other big Hollywood comedies out these days. There wasn't a single scene that was as gross and off-putting as the "taking a dump in the manhole" scene in "Bridesmaids." The whole bit with the silly string? Hilarious...and silly.
See it. Especially if you can get a discount, or matinee price. No. Don't take kids. But, I am guessing there are tons of kids these days who wouldn't even blink at the humor. We have seen a ton of movies in the past few weeks...and we both agreed, compared to "The Spy Who Left Me" or "the Meg" this was gold.
If you have a taste for raunchy comedies, it will give you something entertaining to chew on
kaptenvideo-898751 September 2018
The Muppets are not that well-known where i live, so I have to quote Wikipedia just to get us a proper introduction.
They are an ensemble cast of puppet characters known for their self-aware, burlesque, and meta-referential style of variety-sketch comedy.
Created in 1955, they have fueled a long-running media franchise encompassing TV, music, films, other media, and even theme park attractions.
"The Happytime Murders" is the Muppets' newest cinema outing - and the first raunchy one. Dirty jokes come hard and fast, so be warned if you thought that this would make a nice family viewing or something. The first minutes are not that crazy but it turns very "inappropriate" soon.
Puppets are controlled by real people. One may not understand the inventiveness needed to make a live action movie including puppets - they have used green screens, several people controlling one character, and other film tricks to make it all happen.
But before witnessing the making-of clips during the end-credits, most of the audience is probably not gonna be able appreciate the artistry on display.
I, for one, thought naively that they use midgets to create motion capture of (some of) the puppet characters. But first and foremost, it makes sense to judge the movie by its content anyway - not by how it was made - and I rather liked what I saw.
Basically, it's a 1988's classic "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" pastiche, a film noir which uses the genre cliches for comedic effect. Or "Toy Story" pastiche where the original story has been replaced with one out of cop drama.
I rather enjoyed the result in any case. The reviewers at Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, on the other hand, seem to despise the movie... but I call it their loss.
As mentioned above, the result is very dirty - something one would not expect from a proper film noir, or classical American crime drama from 1940s and 1950s.
Also, the authors have decided to stay true to the Muppets' original variety-show approach which means relying much less on quality storytelling and more on satirical sketches about cops or social discrimination (in this case, puppets living among but being treated worse than regular people).
But somehow it all works. Even the trivial characters are captivating enough - at least in the context of the scene they appear in - and the general storyline about private eye and cop solving a series of murders is coherent enough to get one through 91 minutes of running-time.
I also really liked both the performances of puppets and real actors interacting with them.
Melissa McCarthy is one of the stars and offers her usual OK work - I've always considered her more of supporting player than actress able to carry the whole movie, but her growing list of starring roles proves that the producers see something in her that I don't.
Still, I would rather recommend the movie for seeing Maya Rudolph and Elizabeth Banks. These sexy and colorful minor characters are nice change for the usual generic roles that they get offered all the time.
Also, Muppet veteran Bill Barretta is phenomenally good at voicing the central hero, a disgraced detective turned private eye.
The delivery of every line is so enjoyably spot-on, straight outta any cop drama worth its salt, and the puppet seems expressive too.
Steven Seagal would probably be proud to see how much can be done with pretty much one facial expression but different body positioning. I hope he will see this movie.
So, if you have a taste for raunchy comedies, "The Happytime Murders" will give you something entertaining to chew on. At least the quality is higher than in most projects McCarthy has chosen to star in.
They are an ensemble cast of puppet characters known for their self-aware, burlesque, and meta-referential style of variety-sketch comedy.
Created in 1955, they have fueled a long-running media franchise encompassing TV, music, films, other media, and even theme park attractions.
"The Happytime Murders" is the Muppets' newest cinema outing - and the first raunchy one. Dirty jokes come hard and fast, so be warned if you thought that this would make a nice family viewing or something. The first minutes are not that crazy but it turns very "inappropriate" soon.
Puppets are controlled by real people. One may not understand the inventiveness needed to make a live action movie including puppets - they have used green screens, several people controlling one character, and other film tricks to make it all happen.
But before witnessing the making-of clips during the end-credits, most of the audience is probably not gonna be able appreciate the artistry on display.
I, for one, thought naively that they use midgets to create motion capture of (some of) the puppet characters. But first and foremost, it makes sense to judge the movie by its content anyway - not by how it was made - and I rather liked what I saw.
Basically, it's a 1988's classic "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" pastiche, a film noir which uses the genre cliches for comedic effect. Or "Toy Story" pastiche where the original story has been replaced with one out of cop drama.
I rather enjoyed the result in any case. The reviewers at Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, on the other hand, seem to despise the movie... but I call it their loss.
As mentioned above, the result is very dirty - something one would not expect from a proper film noir, or classical American crime drama from 1940s and 1950s.
Also, the authors have decided to stay true to the Muppets' original variety-show approach which means relying much less on quality storytelling and more on satirical sketches about cops or social discrimination (in this case, puppets living among but being treated worse than regular people).
But somehow it all works. Even the trivial characters are captivating enough - at least in the context of the scene they appear in - and the general storyline about private eye and cop solving a series of murders is coherent enough to get one through 91 minutes of running-time.
I also really liked both the performances of puppets and real actors interacting with them.
Melissa McCarthy is one of the stars and offers her usual OK work - I've always considered her more of supporting player than actress able to carry the whole movie, but her growing list of starring roles proves that the producers see something in her that I don't.
Still, I would rather recommend the movie for seeing Maya Rudolph and Elizabeth Banks. These sexy and colorful minor characters are nice change for the usual generic roles that they get offered all the time.
Also, Muppet veteran Bill Barretta is phenomenally good at voicing the central hero, a disgraced detective turned private eye.
The delivery of every line is so enjoyably spot-on, straight outta any cop drama worth its salt, and the puppet seems expressive too.
Steven Seagal would probably be proud to see how much can be done with pretty much one facial expression but different body positioning. I hope he will see this movie.
So, if you have a taste for raunchy comedies, "The Happytime Murders" will give you something entertaining to chew on. At least the quality is higher than in most projects McCarthy has chosen to star in.
I laughed twice in 90 minutes
jendett7 September 2018
More than half the theater left
hannah-simerly27 August 2018
I'm not even joking. Of about 25 people only 10 of us finished the movie. I was tempted to get up myself, something I've never done, but I stuck it out. I am someone who is easily entertained and will give any movie a shot, I didn't have high expectations for this but wow did it manage to be far worse than I originally thought it could be. I generously gave it 2 stars because I like the actors other work.
Not Sesame Street for sure
MooveeVu20 November 2018
Frivolous, outlandish, crude, dumb and silly.....certainly no Roger Rabbit but you get what you get.....tongue in cheek, over the top.... incorporating every aspect of every buddy cop/detective movie ever made and then exaggerating it all to the nth degree...anyone who takes it seriously is off track....nothing hilarious but humorous if taken with a pinch of salt...Jim may not be particularly proud of the content but he is certainly smiling at how far they've taken them
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