Movie Reviews

Remember The Muppets? Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy? I sure do. Grew up watching that show which was made huge thanks to Jim Henson. When he died in 1990, his son Brian took over the reins but never managed to equal his father’s success. That didn’t stop him from trying though. His latest effort? An R-rated comedy full of sex, murder and puppets.

In the world of The Happytime Murders, puppets are being treated as second-rate citizens but former police officer gone private investigator Phil Philips (voice of Bill Barretta) manages to do just fine for himself. That changes when he is dragged into a case where the cast of an old tv show is being killed. In order to solve the case, Philips is forced to work together once again with his ex-partner Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy). Something that becomes a lot harder when all the evidence starts pointing towards him.

Henson and writer Todd Berger took elements from the likes of The Big Sleep, Chinatown and 48 Hours, threw it all together in a blender and then added puppets. Which sounds like a fun enough premise except that the jokes are mostly lame beyond belief and consist of little more than seeing puppets curse, do drugs or ejaculate. Which is kinda funny for all of 5 minutes. Go watch Ted again instead. Or stare at a wall. Both are better ways to spend your time than watching this crap.