Review of The Happytime Murders (2018) by Hector V — 22 Aug 2018

They had me at puppets, man. Puppets cussing, puppets with guns, puppets getting blown up by said guns, all with that authentic Henson touch. Oh yeah, they really, really had me. Unfortunately, the wonderfully promising R-rated gimmick of The Happytime Murders only results in a half-baked noir procedural lacking in all the elements making its muppety salaciousness anything beyond just okay.

What The Happytime Murders lacks is a sharp directorial energy driving the film forward. Apart from one good scene of Philips and Edwards storming a shady compound in the desert, there's little to no style in Brian Henson's (son of the legendary Jim Henson, RIP) directing. It's a real shame given the rife potential a film blending puppets and crassness should innately hold. The noir element isn't played up enough, either, and only goes through the most basic of motions as Philips passively chugs on booze and cigarettes. It's a matter made worse by the incongruently bland scenes shot in open daylight that would fit in anywhere but a noir film. A darker, ultra-serious style may have achieved a better, more genuine feel to the style of film Henson is half-heartedly trying to emulate.

The intricate storytelling the genre is known for is also lost in the rubble; all the pieces of a noir narrative never come together satisfactorily. Philips has a good character arc that holds the film together, though it could use a little creative spice, and his partner in Melissa McCarthy at least has something going on with her spite for him and her troubling sugar addiction. And apart from the many other throwaway human characters (Maya Rudolph and Elizabeth Banks are notably miscast as Philips' secretary and old flame, respectively), none of the puppets being offed are fleshed out enough to care for, sadly, leaving the central piece of the film a vague afterthought.

Somewhere in there there's a strong story about politics and a puppet overcoming prejudice, but that interesting story is mostly skirted by as the film progresses. Rather than focusing on telling a well-structured, compelling story with real comedy, Henson and his screenwriter, Todd Berger, try to coast by on the puppets' vulgar shock value. The audience's indulgence for the low-brow humor is quickly wrung dry by the end of the first few scenes, and almost none of the ensuing comedy is particularly funny.

The Happytime Murders is a barely serviceable stab at the makings of a great idea. Peter Jackson may have done it first in 1989 with Meet the Feebles, but I'll be darned if the Henson puppets don't make The Happytime Murders somewhat watchable, at the very least.