Director – Brian Henson (The Muppet Christmas Carol, Farscape)
Starring – Melissa McCarthy (The Heat, Bridesmaids), Bill Barretta (Muppet Treasure Island, Nightmares and Dreamscapes), and Elizabeth Banks (Slither, Power Rangers)
Release Date – 2018
Rating – 4/5
In middle school I got the horror bug and started collecting movies. Mostly VHS at this point but I was still trying to collect any and all horror I could get my hands on. When I hit high school I started collecting VHS and DVD and one of my favorite memories is watching Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles on DVD. My friend had paid a ridiculous amount for the film on DVD and after a few weeks I convinced him to give it to me. I loved it and I wished that horror and exploitation fans had more films with puppets to check out.
That changed around the time I started writing reviews. I crossed paths with indie filmmaker Dustin Mills and his first feature The Puppet Monster Massacre. I fucking loved that film and a year or so later he released another puppet flick titled Snuffet which was another phenomenal film. Around this same time I received the no budget horror musical Misfit Heights. Not long ago the Melissa McCarthy lead The Happytime Murders was released in theaters from director Brian Henson. This was one I couldn’t wait to check out. When the news of the blu release broke out I reached out and was lucky enough to get a review copy. I’m so glad I was able to check this one out.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows former disgraced police detective turned private eye Phil (Barretta) who is working a case for a very attractive client when his brother is murdered. The murderer is targeting puppets that once worked on the hit television series Happytime Gang. His investigation forces him to cross paths with his former partner Detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy). The two no longer get along but they are forced to work together to catch the killer who is someone that has been hiding in plain site the whole time.**Spoiler Alert**
I went into this one expecting some laughs but nothing more but I was really surprised by how much I liked it. I’m aware that the masses didn’t care for it but I like what I like. I do have to admit that I am not a fan of Melissa McCarthy but I did love her in this film.
The acting in this one is top notch. I loved the cast and I loved the voice acting. I’m a big fan of Elizabeth Banks and I really loved the sleazy role she took on here. This is a side we rarely see of her in her films. McCarthy as I stated earlier did a fantastic job in this one. I’m not really a fan of hers but this one did make me open to checking out some of her other films. Her comedic timing is spot on. I also enjoyed the voice acting from long time voice actor Bill Barretta. His character is very enjoyable and he really brought him to life.
The story for this one reminded me a lot of Mills’ Snuffet which was also set in a world where puppets are considered second class citizens and someone is targeting them. That is the only similarities. This one has a ton of laughs but the who done it angle quickly falls apart when the viewer can quickly predict who is behind the elaborate murders.
Finally, there is no carnage in this one. If you want bloodshed you are looking at the wrong film. With that being said, the effects are decent but the puppets are great. Some were built merely for laughs and it works. Overall, The Happytime Murders is a funny movie that catches unfair hate. People hate on the cast instead of the film itself which is a true crime. I recommend checking this one out as soon as possible!
