The Happytime Murders reviewed by Mark Kermode

Mark Kermode reviews The Happytime Murders. A washed up LAPD detective must team up with a puppet when the cast of a ‘90s children’s TV show start getting killed off.
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[@jdbruiser]

The only thing that would make this film poorer is if they had James Corden in it.

[@silverspike1]

Oh god don't give them ideas! :D

[@One21Jiggawatts]

Corden might actually make it bad enough to be funny.

[@jdbruiser]

You're right, I pulled the oversized cat out of the bag there-damn think I strained my back too.

[@FirstPlace97]

he isn't horrible on TV

[@andrewmorgan8327]

Brilliant comment :)

[@paradoxacres1063]

Personally, I don't see what's so wrong about a Juvenile Adult Puppets movie. It's a great idea, but..it always comes down to the _execution_ of said idea, doesn't it?

[@georgemills-burrows7052]

Team America did it well

[@nunouno001]

Never did I feel my expectations plummet so hard and fast then when I saw the trailer. A great attempt & opportunity to bring back puppetry and the noir genre was completely wasted on the crudest and cheapest comedy imaginable.

[@nobodyspecial675]

I particularly shocked by the TOTAL lack of a noir aesthetic. They pulled trenchcoats and cigarettes and that's about it. Every shot in the trailer is lit so bright, you can see the entire set during night scenes. Was there really not a single guy in lighting with some suggestions? Did the director tell them to shut up or was everybody just busy laughing at puppet sperm?

[@nicholasdickens2801]

It does feel that way, just going for a terrible ‘Bridesmaid’ type vibe.

[@scotty_blocks]

'Meet The Feebles' is classic Peter Jackson, like 'Bad Taste' and 'Brain Dead'.

[@TheHDreality]

I was actually at the audience screenings, and yes, the movie was very different early on, frankly, significantly better, more character moments, just as weird and filthy scenes, but fewer of them and they didn't run quite as long. Honestly though, I don't think the issue was the screenings trying to get a laugh out of every scene so much as the interviews they did the audience after tended to focus on the crazy comedy scenes, not because they were asked about, but because they are very much the thing that sticks around in your mind in the 20 minutes they give you after the film to answer questions and talk to the hosts. I'd like to see a directors cut of this movie, simply because having seen it again after the pre-screening, which didn't even have finished visual effects and green screening, I want to go back and wash my mind out with the original movie I saw that genuinely made me and everyone laugh and feel for the detective and his partner losing nearly everyone to the plot developments.

[@hvitekristesdod]

I like Meet the Feebles but I’m a Jackson fanboy and I love his sense of humor and his knack for the bizarre and tasteless. It has a weird kind of mad charm to it. It’s definitely not for everyone though

[@jeremyeutis7245]

MEET THE FEEBLES> always MEET THE FEEBLES

[@wacabell]

I absolutely love 'Meet the Feebles'

[@WakingParadise97]

dammit Mark, Meet the Feebles is great

[@sadboybb5570]

I don’t know why but I actually had a lot of fun with this film.

[@thrashpit1207]

Meet the feebles is good actually

[@scotty_blocks]

Yes, yes it is.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

I had heard this from someone so I checked it out (it's on KZbin) and, to be honest, I couldn't get into it. It just didn't hold my interest and had kind of low production standards. Amazing that the same guy who made it would go on to make one of the most critically acclaimed book adaptations ever (Not the disappointing _The Hobbit_ but _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy).

[@cptrelentless80085]

Sodomy!

[@oberon358]

MtF is awesome, this movie looks tame in comparison.

[@nicholasdickens2801]

Meet The Feebles is a classic.

[@dannypalin9583]

You know what's tragic? Kevin Clash was under suspicion of being a sexual predator and quit the Muppets in general around 2012. Then, he comes back to work on this train wreck of a movie.

[@scottdylan758]

Taking animated or muppet characters, putting them in an adult comedy & having them doing X-rated things is such a past its sell by date gimmick. I'll pass.

[@callmetiger7186]

There are a few faults that if fixed would make for a decent film but I’ve already said it tries too hard and it’s blatantly clear they went back atleast 50 times to reshoot scenes to appease the test screening audience and that’s what ruined this film....they tried too hard with the jokes and gross humour when they could’ve just made a classic film noir, very similar to Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

[@freemantle85]

Red Flag number one, it stars Melissa McCarthy

[@rolandbaldwin]

Freemantle85: Exactly! She is terrible. dsadsa dsadas: It's not misogyny. She's just an awful actress. Not funny and always in these cheap and shitty comedies.

[@jamescarr3983]

dsadsa dsadas I agree she’s hilarious. She’s great in spy

[@McSuperfly101]

She’s actually a really funny actress... I love that one movie where she plays a fat person who falls over.

[@McSuperfly101]

dsadsa dsadas - Not to mention that one where she’s a loud fat person who swears a lot... the woman has incredible range.

[@disenchanted987]

There is a production that takes the same idea and is actually good. It's called Avenue Q.

[@ChrisH78]

Getting strong Theodore Rex vibes from this.

[@midasbaijense8379]

I rather liked Meet the Feebles. The satirical elements are decent and it has a very strange mood.

[@CS-mo7xp]

I didn't even notice that muppet's head in the pic until about half way through the review.

[@TommyB1905]

I take all of Mark's critiques on board, however... Puppet jizz

[@MrMmnngghh]

Fannequin batter

[@jeremyfisher42]

It’s the sausage party effect, for some reason people seem to think having something that looks like it should be for a young audience- swear and use adult humour is in some way made funny

[@skijumpnose]

Jim Henson rolling in his grave

[@charliepanayiotou4305]

Meet the Feebles came out before he died - mind you, that's meant to be good unlike this...

[@lananieves4595]

You're in trouble when you can't even put together an engaging trailer. Some of the worst movies I've ever seen had great trailers. This movie clearly doesn't even have three minutes of decent footage, in TOTAL, to edit into a deceptively good trailer. Not remotely interested.

[@billallen8151]

Sounds like this one might be coming to Netflix very soon. Look forward to it.

[@hummens44]

I remember Meet The Feebles, it was a really uneasy, unpleasant experience.

[@smutleybutcher]

I think you’ve used the wrong synonyms for “hilarious”, “ballsy” and “entertaining”. Try again.

[@BluRayMan12]

This had one of the worst trailers I've ever seen (certainly since the Kevin Spacey cat movie Nine Lives) but I felt that I had to see it even as a very casual Muppets fan (I particularly love Christmas Carol and Muppets 2011.) Don't get me wrong it's absolutely atrocious but I found it hard to get worked up over because you can tell that it has been severely compromised to focus on the most lowbrow jokes possible and there's the skeleton of a potentially much better film somewhere within it. Remove the bad jokes and you could have a really inventive noire parody with puppets (even the final cut has some inventive puppetry and it is very clearly a product of Henson alumni.)

[@commieRob]

"[Meet the Feebles] did everything this movie is doing, did it better, did it first, and was terrible." Perfect.

[@awesomefrankrapid]

The best thing about this review is learning that Mark thought Team America was great

[@aazell]

For adult puppets done right see the "Smile Time" episode in season five of the Buffy spin off Angel...

[@leonallen5834]

Is this a remake of The Fuzz (On Netflix,) which was actually really cool.

[@samm8994]

Odds on this making it into Mark’s Top 10 Worst Films come December?

[@mattsterne9034]

Odds on it being number 1

[@gigabit409]

Ah I have missed a great Kermode rant

[@One21Jiggawatts]

How does it compare to Cool World?

[@Crispman_777]

It's already been done by a one off TV series called The Fuzz.

[@laughingatbirds]

Whoah, whoah, whoah! Meet the Feebles is bloody brilliant!

[@dariushcreates]

I wanted this film to be good! Its unique, brought back puppetry and noire. Not sure If I should check it out if it doesn't have any charm. But I hope they atleast make a sequal so they get another shot at telling a story and seeing more of these characters for Eg. Det. Phillip Phillips

[@AB89DIK]

"I do believe that other's opinion are available" Kermode said that! I can't believe it.

[@slimmy_0076]

This movie had the story of zootopia/tropolis and the comedy of Schindler’s list

[@SmokeSolo1975]

It was done before with Peter Jackson doing Meet the Feebles

[@henryglennon3864]

Damn it, Hoggle!

[@theevokeruser2356]

I just want to see Kermode review Cold War : /

[@agreewithme458]

I enjoyed it, but immediately knew it was not going to be everyone's cup of tea. I can laugh at cheap and dirty comedy, but from the vibe of most of these comments it's like the muppet show crowd accidentally walked into a sausage party screening...

[@tehpickle1250]

I love Bad Taste and Braindead. I have absolutely no idea why I've never gone out of my way to watch Meet the Feebles. I'll have to remedy that.

[@charliepugh6049]

Just stick with Avenue Q.

[@aazell]

Melissa McCarthy is truly the female Kevin James... All her films deserve a place in the bargain bin at Sainsbury's.

[@moonpatrol9717]

the bargain bin is too good for her movies. chuck them all in a box & sell it for 50p instead.

[@0ooTheMAXXoo0]

I'd give it 7 out of 10. Not bad at all. Would love to see the director's cut.

[@boreeeed]

You might not see this mark, but if you do, i just gotta ask you, do you think it's worse than movie 43? i might be wrong, but i don't think you were as harsh against that.

[@SpencerMoleda]

Sorry to break from the pack, but Meet the Feebles is an absolute gem.

[@fairypoo]

The writers of this film somehow made something that could have been good, a dark humoured film, just made something so strangely crass. The issues aren't the actors it's the writers and director

[@KesselRunner606]

Melissa McCarthy does prat falls and fanny fart jokes, but this time with puppets to show she has range.

[@rlyytinen1985]

I think Meet the Feebles is hilarious

[@jononejon]

BORAX! I love meet the feebles

[@Hundeputzmunter]

What a statement this film could have made if they'd done a straight noir instead of a gross-out 'comedy'

[@bengejuknowit3048]

It's just a NO, NO! Why does this even exist? Next it will be Peppa Pig in Love Island!

[@nathanwalkley417]

The funniest part of the film was the bloopers during the credits

[@dowling1981]

There will be legal action taken against everyone linked to the genesis of this 'film'.

[@hipsterelephant2660]

Meet the Feebles was great, imo.

[@NeonNans]

Worst film I've seen this year by far.

[@NeonNans]

I guess ive not seen either of those or Slenderman yet haha

[@edwardcampion4700]

Looks like a candidate for the top ten worst that is

[@amasulem]

I bet it makes a shed load of money

[@EdwardOberon]

Director's Cut pls

[@johnbarnes888]

Studios should focus on making films that are good instead of what they think will appeal to people. If it finds an audience by being good, that’s great but if no audience, at least you’ve made a good film

[@cameronclarkhull]

this film was terrible... Melissa dragging jokes for ages.

[@cameronclarkhull]

read my mind ;)

[@saxbend]

My problem was that I felt prevented from enjoying it as a dark comedy by the very sincere racism allegory happening at the same time. There was plenty of material that should have been funny but the film made me think of things that definitely shouldn't be laughed at at the same time. And then when the film put that allegory aside for a few moments and had a chance to be funny it was just cheap puerile stuff that Avenue Q had already done a hundred times better.

[@JohnGhost]

What a load of bull this is, I feel bad for anyone that is bothered to actually go and see this movie

[@maldoror01]

I liked Meet the Feebles...

[@leekalba4652]

Meet the Feebles at least had the power of transgressive shock value, whereas this is 30 years later, post-internet. Hell, there was a TV show, Gregg the Bunny with very similar ideas. It didn't last, either.

[@CraigCairney83]

I actually didn't mind it. Each to their own tho!

[@FirstPlace97]

The problem with mainstream American comedy is that they try to smile when they tell "jokes" and try to hold your hand and make you laugh.

[@MrMmnngghh]

True, it's a rare U.S.A. comedy that doesn't do that but still hits the mark. If you haven't seen it yet, have a look at "Party Down". Only got one season on Starz in the U.S.A., if I remember rightly, but in terms of character and script driven comedy without the signpost gags it's a winner.

[@user-rd5wj2mm8n]

Worst case, it's not a particularly good and/or funny, but judging by the comments here you can't help feel misogyny is turning the poorer reviews into hate bile.

[@jayzee6196]

Kermode's words, "I didn't laugh once". Hmm I can't ever recall him laughing at anything lol. I liked the film and completely disagree with his review 🙈

[@zarad2824]

i'm so excited to see this >-> lolz

[@Phoneybeetlemaniacxs]

Thing is humour is subjective while I find Melissa McCarthy as funny as sandpaper on my balls someone can find her hilarious. Thing is with this thought muppets being x rated equals funny. Know what if I want to watch that avenue q has been out longer than this movie. Thing is that I think Melissa McCarthy has been let off the reigns again

[@Phoneybeetlemaniacxs]

dsadsa dsadas what it is directed to someone who happens to be a female, gender should not be brought In it’s subjective I can think of men I find unfunny woody Allen Leslie Nielsen. I discount others from finding hr funny

[@seanmcguigan436]

Watched it last week. Incredibly bad. On a par with Ted 2 or any Adam sandler film from the last 20 years. Atrocious!

[@petermears5770]

James Corden ....... Vomit!!!..... in fairness, J Corden is worse than this film!!, I found it thought provoking.

[@trexguy]

Agreed. It was awful. Huge waste of a funny premise.

[@oliviagiles]

yeah 'Meet the Feebles' was horrible and I love the Peter Jackson but YUK I hated it. Even in the trailer for the Happytime murders you could see that the same feck'n movie

[@edcampion3998]

A film.made by muppets

[@grantbartley483]

I left the film after five minutes