The Happytime Murders (2018)
Directed by Brian Henson
In a world where humans coexist with puppets—who are seen as lesser citizens—cast members of a beloved 1990s children's television series begin getting murdered one by one. Puppet Phil Philips, an ex-LAPD detective-turned-private eye, takes on the case at the request of his old boss in order to assist his former partner, Detective Connie Edwards.
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We could hunch down in the seats and watch puppets — Muppets in all but name — have sex, do drugs, get kinky and curse like Samuel L. And we’d laugh and laugh, at the Silly String ejaculate, the “Basic Instinct” puppet leg crossing, at violence — puppets heads exploding in a cloud of fluff, puppets yanked to pieces by dogs.
This she-Muppet will eventually re-create the notorious scene from “Basic Instinct” that made Sharon Stone a superstar.
If you need proof, look no further than the scene that sends up Basic Instinct’s interrogation sequence.
And who doesn’t like having their childhood called upon by Basic Instinct references.
If you imagine that this scene is going to descend into a witless imitation of Sharon Stone’s infamous interrogation in Basic Instinct, you are not wrong.
Sort of The Big Sleep meets Basic Instinct meets Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, The Happytime Murders wants you to laugh while never letting you forget that here is a hard-hitting parody of our racist, misogynistic society.
It’s too bad, as there is a lot of awesome talent on display, from great voice actor Bill Barretta (many of the roles in a variety of Muppet films and series, including the 2011 The Muppets ), as Philips; to Maya Rudolph ( Mr. Pig ), as Philips’ devoted secretary, Bubbles; to Melissa McCarthy ( Spy ), as Detective Connie Edwards, that old partner; plus many others.
Starring Melissa McCarthy, Bill Barretta, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Joel McHale, Michael McDonald, Ben Falcone, Dorien Davies, Cynthy Wu, Mitch Silpa, Hemky Madera, Ryan Tran, Fortune Feimster, Brekkan Spens, Benjamin Cole Royer, Jimmy O. Yang, Ryan Gaul, Jim Palmer, Dennis Keiffer, Michael Croner, Brett Wagner, Colleen Smith, Kevin Clash, Drew Massey, Patty Guggenheim, Allan Trautman, Victor Yerrid, Ted Michaels, and Brian Henson.
The scene in question—which redefines The Streaming Era—comes about midway through the year’s most excruciating and unfortunate film, a new comedy that blends the ethic and figures of the Muppets with the comic imagination of a depraved teenager forced to watch Ted on loop.
You’re much better off watching stuff like “Meet the Feebles,” “Team America,” or “Ted” than this giant, festering, awful rip off of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”