*Originally written August 29th, 2018*
I wasn't massively sure what to expect with The Happytime Murders, I remember being massively intrigued by its premise (It was around the time I watched the hugely underrated puppet crime show 'The Fuzz', which I highly recommend seeking out), but I expectations were pretty much shattered by a lack of interesting trailers and the inclusion of Melissa McCarthy.
My main problem was the lack of dedication to a hard-boiled detective film with puppets, it frequently derails itself with a bunch of cheap and crude gags rather than tell an engaging story, although there are flashes of genius here and there. I have a huge soft-spot for private detective stories and a dark, adult rated one involving puppets could have been excellent.
If you've seen the trailer, then you know a lot of humour is based around sex or swearing. If cute, child-friendly looking puppets saying "fuck" a lot will make you laugh, then you're in for a great time. That's not to say it's massively unfunny, there are funny moments here and there, mostly due to it just embracing how crude and juvenile this is. I was reminded of Sausage Party, but this was nowhere near as boring as that. The biggest shame is that the best jokes are in the trailer. The excessive silly string jizz scene is by far the most outrageous moment and it does work, it just sucked they decided to spoil it in the trailer.
Where the film mostly lands is with its puppetry and characters. There is real creativity on display here and it pays off. The puppet work is some of the best I've scene in film, it's helped by the work of CGI, but it all works and made for some impressive set-pieces. As much as this film doesn't work a lot of the time, I am glad someone got given the budget to make an original and creative film like this, which is rare.
I'd also happily see a film franchise with these characters. Our lead character Phil Phillips is an array of private detective cliches, an alcoholic with a troubled past who has to get things together to solve the murders of the cast of a loved '80s kids show while dealing with his ex partner. It's a character that embraces the cliches and it works. I just wish they played it a bit more straight. Oh, and completely dropped Melissa McCarthy, she is just the worst in this. Every joke on her part is just about how unattractive she is. It's the same overplayed joke she does in all her films.
I wish I had more to say about The Happytime Murders, but I enjoyed it. It's crude, offensive and not clever, but it knows this and creates an interesting world of humans mixed with puppets. There are far worse ways to spend 90 minutes. Nowhere near as bad as the critics made it out to be. Shame we'll probably never get a sequel.
6/10 Dans
The Happytime Murders is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
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