THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (2018)

Directed By: Brian Henson 
Written By: Todd Berger 
Story By: Todd Berger & Dee Austin Robertson 
Cinematography: Mitchell Admunsen 
Editor: Brian Oids 


Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Michael McDonald, Joel Mchale, Cynthy Wu, Jimmy O. Yang, Ryan Gaul, Ben Falcone 


A murder mystery set in a world where humans and puppets co-exist, but puppets are viewed as second-class citizens. When the puppet cast of an '90s children's TV show begins to get murdered one by one, a former cop, who has since become a private eye, takes on the case.

Don’t get me wrong I love the muppets they are a childhood favorite and mean a lot to me. So I was looking forward to this film even if I knew it was more adult.

I can see the attraction for this film. As it seems more of a gimmick then a film. As the film is about puppets Being in the real world and then being a part of a murder mystery.

The problem is that it fails as a real mystery. As that seems to be a second thought and a reason to make it as tawdry as possible. As usually film noir and detective stories usually expose the dark and dirty underneath the usually clean and bright sunny side that most choose to show.

So as this film goes along it seems to take glee in showing puppets doing dirty things and using bad language. As comedy even though ghastly things happen if you truly think about it and put it in co text which the film seeks you not to. As In That way it get away with a lot a normal movie would have trouble with.

Though this is mainstream. As there is the film MEET THE FEEBLES. That is also grim and funny using puppets in the same way. Even though that movie is more satarizing the muppet show and is much more shocking. This one is just more mainstream, but at least the former works as a film. This more exists just to get off on the spectacle of watching puppet behaving badly. So much so that this feels. For like a fetish film with a story.

As it seems to take great enjoyment in showing these puppets doing all kinds of bad behavior that seems like for comedy but is just unsettling. As the behavior just keeps adding up and half the time not for story reasons. It just seems more there just to be there. So that it takes on a certain distasteful tone that never let’s up.

Take for instance Melissa McCarthy’s character sugar addiction but more like a drug addiction. Most mainstream films wouldn’t have a protagonist that is a drug addict. Especially as a comedic subplot.

I’m not trying to be a party pooper when it comes to the film it is mildly Funny in some scenes, but everything seems so set up and half the jokes seem to have an odd rhythm where there seems to be a pause between the jokes. Like for a reaction that might not be coming. Where we sit and wonder who is this movie made for? what kind of audience?

This just seems like a film that was seen to be a general audience appeal but feels like will only entertain a certain niche audience. Sort of like the stripping scene with the rabbits. Where they are turned in by the stripper doing things with carrots. Chopping, biting, skinning them. It’s something that affects them only bit for the rest of us we see it as either humorous or strange. That is the way the film feels As it seems to want to bathe in the idea of seeing puppets in a different way a more adult way. Which works but not if there is no reasoning or a strong reason/story behind it all.

It feels like the New genreration of the muppets with not so many traditional characters and taking it in a different way. To become more modernized and not be caged into only children’s entertainment. Trying to push the boundaries to show that they can be used in more traditional and adult manner. Though it seems here they are trying to break every taboo and lose focus of the story. So that the offensive behavior and jokes just feel repetitive after awhile as you get used to it. So that they keep trying to one up themselves but by that time it feels basic because it is empty as there is no real reason behind it.

They even take some of the fun out of it. As most puppet movies have cameos by celebrities. Here they smartly stay away. The live action cast tries and are serviceable it none of them are noteworthy. As even Melissa McCarthy seems to be bringing back her THE HEAT type of character.

So that it comes off as a product and a rather unsatisfying one. As it is just plain lazy and not well thought through. Where most things seem to happen to be provacative

 Grade: D