‘The Happytime Murders’ Movie Review

‘The Happytime Murders’ (2018)
The Jim Henson Company

Directed by: Brian Henson
Written by: Todd Berger & Dee Austin Robertson
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale, Leslie David Edwards & Bill Barretta.

‘The Happytime Murders‘ hit theaters this weekend. On paper, this film has a lot going for it – a raunchy comedy where live actors and puppets share the screen, a solid cast including Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Joel McHale & Leslie David Baker, directed by Brian Henson, produced by Henson Alternative, etc. Unfortunately, the movie just doesn’t deliver on it’s potential. The story follows former puppet cop turned P.I. Phil Phillips (voiced by actor Bill Barretta) who is brought in to consult on a case where cast members of a former TV show called ‘Happytime’ are being killed off one-by-one. He’s paired again with his former partner Detective Connie Edwards (McCarthy) who no longer gets along with Phillips after she was wounded back when they were partners and blames Phillips for the whole debacle. The film has trouble deciding whether or not it wants to be a noir crime piece or a buddy-cop movie and, perhaps as a result, fails to achieve either. There are laughs to be had but only because of the over-the-top puppet exploitation (if that’s even a thing?), some fairly ludicrous scenarios involving puppet vs human violence as well as what can only be described as puppet porn.

The real-life actors try their best, but they all seem to be either under obligation to knock out this film or just plain weary of being there. Elizabeth Banks truly commits to her part and Maya Rudolph shines the brightest out of the cast but the plot is so threadbare that it hardly seems to matter. In fact, in a world where puppets can be cops and McCarthy has the liver of a puppet, I found myself bothered by details like “How can McHale’s FBI agent status allow him to relieve an LAPD Detective of her badge?!?!”. Yeah… the plot is that bad! ‘The Happytime Murders’ fails to achieve the same level of ludicrous fun that ‘Team America: World Police‘ gave us nearly 15 years ago and isn’t nearly as clever as ‘Avenue Q‘ in terms of funny puppet raunch. If you are desperate for a new film to see this weekend and don’t plan to bring the kids, then maybe this one will be for you. Otherwise, I’d recommend waiting until this movie hits Redbox or possibly skipping it altogether. On a scale of 1 – 10, there just isn’t enough stuffing to give this film anything more than a 3.5.

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‘Christopher Robin’ Movie Review

‘Christopher Robin’ (2018)
Walt Disney Pictures

Directed by: Marc Forster
Written by: Alex Ross Perry & Allison Schroeder
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, Brad Garrett, Bronte Carmichael, Peter Capaldi, Toby Jones * Sophie Okonedo

Winnie-The-Pooh has been around for just over 90 years. In that time, we’ve gotten theatrical versions, radio broadcasts, animated specials and more. However, for all of the media and formats I’ve seen, none of them has been filled with as much heart and beauty as the new live action film ‘Christopher Robin‘ which hits theaters this coming weekend. The film opens with young Christopher Robin spending time with Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger & Company in the 100 Acre Woods for the last time before he heads off to boarding school. Through a series of scenes, we see Christopher grow up, lose his father, meet a girl, fall in love, go off to war and come home to settle into the grind of a daily job and raising a family. Through it all, Pooh wonders when he might see Christopher Robin again and, upon being unable to find his friends in the woods, he sets off on his own to look for Christopher Robin in London to enlist his help.

The plot is predictable to the point of cliche BUT…. not only is that my only real complaint, it is an issue that is easily brushed aside given the ridiculously talented cast and the gorgeous cinematography. Watching this film makes you feel as if you are being read the very best story ever by a loving, trusted parent. The voice acting of Jim Cummings as Winnie-The-Pooh is emotionally rich with every slight vocal inflection. Brad Garrett perfectly captures Eeyore’s patented ennui, Nick Mohammed does a great job of fretting as Piglet and Peter Capaldi‘s high-strung Rabbit is also spot-on. The live-action cast is not to be outdone by their voice acting counterparts. Ewan McGregor has never been anything less than phenomenal in anything he’s ever done and Hayley Atwell always lights up the screen be it big or small (although I would have liked to have seen more of her as her character didn’t have a great amount to do in this film). Their on-screen daughter, Madeline (played by Bronte Carmichael), is certainly a star on-the-rise and turns out an excellent performance here.

The cinematography is divine and beautiful and intimately draws you into the narrative. Director Marc Foster has outdone himself with this delightfully charming film that will no doubt bring joy to children of all ages. I give ‘Christopher Robin’ a very solid 8 out of 10. Whether you’re a long time Winnie-The-Pooh fan or even if you’re new to Pooh, I would highly recommend adding this film to your “must-see” list at a theater near you!! Just remember that it’s BYOH. (Bring Your Own Honey)