464. The Happytime Murders; movie review

THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS
Cert 15
91 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong sex references, language

Melissa McCarthy in a film with puppets! I am surprised to reveal that The Happytime Murders was not as bad as I feared.
It certainly isn't cuddly and includes material which should only be broadcast well beyond the 9pm watershed.
Yep, The Muppets have turned blue in more ways than one.
The Happytime Murders is set in Los Angeles where puppets are a minority who face constant discrimination from mocking humans.
Long-time Muppet puppeteer Bill Barretta is the human behind Phil Phillips - a down-at-heel private eye who was once the only puppet on the LAPD.
He had a falling out with his ex-partner (McCarthy) and now spends more time staring at the bottom of a glass than investigating cases.
However, he becomes embroiled in a murder inquiry after it becomes very personal with the demises of friends and acquaintances.
Despite her protests, McCarthy's character has to accept him as a consultant on a case which becomes more bizarre by the minute.
Brain Henson's film is near the knuckle both in terms of sexual content, drugs and violence.
Yes, I am afraid puppet pubic hair is on view, the fluffies aren't adverse to sniffing and many of them are literally blown to smithereens.
It is utterly irreverent and about as far from the tone of The Muppets TV series and movies as could be.
Is it funny? Well, in my view it is patchy. I did laugh out loud three times but there were many gags which missed the mark.
But while it is not as bad as I expected, it is merely one of 2018's also-rans.

Reasons to watch: Irreverent puppetry
Reasons to avoid: Not funny enough

Laughs: Two
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: Puppet nudity!
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Director quote - Brian Henson: "I think what people are concerned will clash is that The Jim Henson Company is very well known for producing children’s television and family entertainment. And I’ve always pushed it a little bit."

The big question - Will Kermit and Miss Piggy go bad next?

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