“No Sesame, All Street” is the tagline for “The Happytime Murders,” and it certainly fulfills that sentiment. True to the red band trailers, the 91-minute feature is raunchy and profanity-ridden, and contains more innuendos than an episode of “Animaniacs.” The end result is an edgy bore that squanders its potential. Very much like the puppets that grace the screen, “The Happytime Murders” is overloaded with fluff.
“The Happytime Murders” takes place in a world where humans and puppets live side by side. Think “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” meets the Muppets, except not everything is so cute and fluffy under the surface. Puppets are largely viewed as second-class citizens and berated by their human superiors. The setting is the film’s greatest strength.
Viewers see puppets in everyday life accomplishing adult activities which are the most humorous moments in the film. Observing Fraggle Rock-esque creatures create puppet pornography or snorting sugar through licorice will emit at least a chuckle from even the most skeptical viewer.
When it comes to story, the film tears at the seams. “The Happytime Murders” will leave little to the imagination for anyone who is familiar with film noir or buddy-cop narratives. The film follows a disgraced cop who teams up with his old partner to solve a murder mystery. It is a common plot that is often overused. The only difference here is that it is done with puppets.
Our main protagonist, Phil Philips, is serviceable and has a few witty one-liners, but the character is an archetype of a gruff detective with a rough past. Melissa McCarthy (“Life of the Party”) portrays Detective Connie Edwards, whose characterization is exactly what one expects from the former “Mike & Molly” star; loud, obnoxious and more annoying than Jar-Jar Binks on a 10-hour loop. The rest of the supporting cast contains comedic mainstays, such as Maya Rudolph (“Life of the Party) as Philips’ secretary, Joel McHale (“A Futile and Stupid Gesture”) as a disgruntled FBI agent, Leslie David Baker (“The Office”) as a police lieutenant; and Elizabeth Banks (“Power Rangers”) as a burlesque dancer from Philips’ past.
Pacing is a major issue for this feature. The runtime is short, but the film drags and meanders around with little sense of direction. The generic story does not help as it stumbles through the motions of a murder mystery. If not for the puppet gimmick, this film would be thrown away at first glance.
The concept of raunchy puppets is not new. Examples from the past include the 1989 Peter Jackson (“Lord of the Rings”), black comedy “Meet the Feebles,” the Tony Award-winning musical “Avenue Q” and the short-lived Fox sitcom, “Greg the Bunny.” Despite following in these footsteps, “The Happytime Murders” does little to innovate or build upon the subgenre. If anything, the film succeeds at proving that being raunchy does not equal being funny.
The overall concept of “The Happytime Murders,” while done better in the past, is an interesting one, and the mechanics of the human/puppet world leads to some creative moments. The puppetry is superb and demonstrates the directing talent of Brian Henson (“Muppet Treasure Island”).
Despite this, the movie drags in pacing, and McCarthy’s character is just irritating. If it were not for the puppet aspect, this movie would be forgotten in two seconds. If this film is viewed, watch at matinée price. If muppet satire is what quenches the thirst, watch a bootleg of “Avenue Q” on YouTube. Otherwise, “The Happytime Murders” is as flimsy as marionette wires.
2.5 stars out of 5
Image from MovieClips Trailers via YouTube.com
