Creature selvagge

Let me take it out of my system first. There never will be another A Fish Called Wanda. That comedy was one and only, perfect, brilliant, mean, witty, the best film about culture clashes, the best backstabbing comedy, the best - everything. For me, Wanda is a Citizen Kane of the comedy. Period. What makes is outstanding, are the four partners in crime as written by John Cleese and played by Cleese himself, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, and Kevin Kline that were simply incredible, and, let's face it, despite being criminals and back-stabbers, you would love them all. I know I did.

When Fierce Creatures was released 12 years ago, I ran to see it and I was bitterly disappointed. I expected Wanda, Part 2 - which is impossible because ...see the first paragraph. Last night I caught FC on TV and I have to admit that it IS a good and funny film. It knows that it is a follow up to A Fish Called Wanda. It references to the perfect predecessor, makes you laugh, and lets you meet again with the fabulous four and many supporting players from Wanda. Fierce Creatures has gained Cult Status with years, and I am now a part of its following. The script was written by John Cleese and the plot is convoluted and silly at the same time. The best, the funniest moments play off mistaken assuming that John Cleese's character Rollo, ex-cop appointed the London Marwood Zoo Director, is a sexy beast for whom one woman is not enough. The scenes between Cleese (Rollo Lee) and Willa Weston, an American business-woman (Jamie Lee Curtis) are the funniest. The weakest links in the movie are IMO Michael Palin who unlike his character Ken in AFCW can talk and he just would never shut up. His character became boring and annoying very soon. The same sadly should be said about Kevin Kline playing two roles, the Australian billionaire Ron McClain, ruthless, obnoxious, and vulgar, and his weakling loser son Vince whom his father despises. Needless to say there is not much love lost between an arrogant father and his estranged son. The film has so many hilarious jokes and witty references not only to A Fish Called Wanda but to Monty Python series that by the time of the conclusion, I had enough fun and laughs to tolerate and forgive the loud and messy final act.

This movie failed at the box office because it was mistakenly assumed to be a sequel to "A Fish Called Wanda," just because it contained the same starring cast. That's a crying shame, because not only is it irrelevant to Wanda, it's a good 10 to 15 times better. Wanda was about two pairs of crooks(American and British) with annoying hang-ups who try to pull off a huge heist in London. In this movie, the cast tries to protect a zoo from a corporate takeover which will ruin it. The company in charge wants the zoo to get rid of all their cuddly animals and focus completely on,...well you can guess by the title. Michael Palin's character is nowhere near as pathetic as in "Wanda," and Kevin Kline's character(or at least one of them) is someone you can be far more sympathetic with. Plus the ending is much happier.

Pick this one over "A Fish Called Wanda" the next time you're browsing through the DVD sales rack. You'll be better off with it.

When a old farting heartless corporate mogul (Oscar-Winner:Kevin Kline) takes over a failing Zoo. The mogul is hoping to make money out of it by hiring a new Zoo director (John Clesse) by making the animals fiercer under the supervision of a bright business woman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the dumb mogul's son (Played by Kline also). The new Zoo director has to deal with a resentful staff and other complications.

Directed by Robert Young (Splitting Heirs) and Fred Schepisi (Mr. Baseball, Roxanne, Six Digress of Separation) made an uneven but entertaining fitfully comedy that doesn't quite pays off as it should but it is Kline's comedic dual performance comes off best. The sexual tension between Clesse and Curtis is quite funny also. The film was originally filmed in 1995 by Young and then largely re-filmed by Schepisi. Then they edited Young's and Schepisi's version together into one film. Clesse, Curtis, Kline, Michael Palin, Maria Aitken and Cynthia Clesse. Which the six actors are in this film, also were together before in the instant classic comedy "A Fish Called Wanda". Panavision. (****/*****).

"Fierce Creatures" was marketed as a somewhat adventurous endeavour in teaming up much of the old team from the highly acclaimed "A Fish called Wanda" to do another film that was completely different and had nothing the same, except much of the cast.

Does this have the same sparkle? The short answer is no, but it is still good viewing. It tells the story of a highly greedy and successful business magnate, Rod McCain (Kevin Kline) who has just taken over a zoo in England. However, business regulations require that the zoo return 20% of revenue or it will be shut down. Put in charge is Rollo Lee (John Cleese), who is then somewhat overthrown by new recruit Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) and McCain's 'idiot' son Vince (also Kline). Essentially the film deals with the three of the new directors and their different schemes for making money and raising the revenue to 20%, but with plenty of sexual tension and comedies of error along the way.

It's a lot of fun, I think I've made that clear. It's by no means the best comedy put on film but it has a lot of the same laughs as a normal Cleese-written comedy; in some ways the character of Rollo Lee is very much like the character of Basil Fawlty. Kline is brilliantly hilarious as usual, he's the standout, while Curtis, Michael Palin, Robert Lindsay and Ronnie Corbett all give spirited performances. It's also nice for an Aussie to see Bille Brown making his big screen debut as the terrible right-hand man Neville.

Overall, it's an above average piece of writing, directing and performing that gives you a laugh. Perfect for a night in. 3 1/2 stars out of 5.

This isn't a very important film so I'll be brief in what I have to say. Fierce Creatures is a generally amusing and quite enjoyable comedy. It stars the same four leads as did the 1988 hit, `A Fish Called Wanda' and even contains some in-jokes on that same film.

While never groundbreaking or thought provoking, Fierce Creatures does what it says it should do. The concept is quite imaginative, the four leads perform their roles superiorly and there is an impeccable comic timing.

Those with low expectations will come out very satisfied, and while it's easy to nit-pick and find faults, Fierce Creatures is a very good film that's not to be taken very seriously. 6.9 out of 10.