The Happytime Murders

Originally saw in the theater last year, I don't know why I didn't review much sooner. Either way Melissa McCarthy is great fun and so is everyone else involved. Unfortunate Happytime Murders didn't do well it's quite enjoyable and cool concept for something that was originally a kids show!

I know that the movie was ripped appart by the critics, but I had some really hard laugh on many scenes. I think that many people take the movie too serious. It is a puppet movie that deals with criminal movie clicheés, what would that be? For me it was completely clear that I will face a softly anarchistic movie with anarchistic jokes and fun. So it was. I laughed my face of, when one of the puppets "got off". Sorry, but who can't laugh at that, goes to basement to let it out! It was surely no serious story and also had some lags, but all-in-all I was well entertained. I would give a recommendation to people who like to laugh at silly things and to a not too serious audience.

The Happytime Murders is less Roger Rabbit and more Cool World or Monkeybone, the movie is much better than either of those films by virtue of having an engaging lead and a coherent story(which both other films lacked) but its humor is a mixed bag. Its brisk running time of 78 minutes makes it a quick sit, and it doesn't linger on any comic set piece too long (save for maybe a puppet sex scene that falls flat). The puppetry is impressive on a technical level and the movie does a good job of bringing to life its sleazy world of puppets and humans, but its reliance on shock humor makes some stretches rather tedious to sit through. Maybe if The Happytime Murders had been made before the glut of The Hangover clones flooded cineplexes for 10 years it might've been able to have a more lasting impression, but as is it's a comedy with a few chuckles, some decent puppet effects, and not much lasting impact.

Entertaining, funny, and incredibly immature- The Happytime Murders may feel a bit uneven- but most of the time, it still proves to be a fun f-ed up ride. The puppeteering is great, with some amazing designs, and an impressive amount of situations they put these puppets into. Even with the help of green screen special effects, the film never feels off in those moments, and is quite a talent to feat for puppet work in films and entertainment. The film is largely entertaining, providing a decently fun ride, accompanied by a surprising amount of jokes that actually land- and almost every time as well. That being said, the film does feel a bit rushed in its delivery, making things seem a bit hectic and forced to actually tie together in one film. The film can also feel a bit uneven at times, and doesn't necessarily hit the film hard, but feels a lot more weary than it could be. The story is, needless to say, a bit all over the place and somewhat ridiculous, but if you don't take it too seriously, it can be rather easy to enjoy. In the end, The Happytime Murders is far from a homerun, but it is a surprisingly decent time- with enough jokes and humor to land- not to mention it's pretty entertaining- that make it sure enough of a fun journey to sit through. My Rating: 7.5/10

Is this movie going to win any awards? Absolutely not. Does it have a clever plot? Ummm not exactly. However, it is far more fun and funny than the reviews and ratings suggest. I actually found it to be one of my favorite Melissa McCarthy movies. I thought the idea for the movie was actually pretty funny. Muppets are not just for children. If you go in not expecting a groundbreaking movie, you just might enjoy yourself. At minimum, deserves a seven.