"THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS"........WTF......(WHAT THE FLUFF?)

The Happytime Murders (2018)    If you subtract the endless array of pretentious production company logos at the beginning and the equally interminable 15 minute credit crawl at the end.....the actual film here runs about 70 minutes.........

                Unfortunate.......cause the movie  becomes tiresome and redundant at about the 30 minute mark......

                 We're sure somebody thought this was a cool idea......R-rate Muppets swearing, screwing and blowing each other's heads off with shotguns, leaving a cloud of......fluff.

                   Sure we can imagine the pitch.......throw in 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit", the Leslie Nielson 'Police Squad' movies and Melissa McCarthy doing a worn out, tiresome version of the abrasive cop she played in "The Heat"........

                   Oddly, the film shows minimum interest in dealing with the 'oppressed minority' issue that's part of any movie that sets up a universe of humans co-existing with fantasy creatures.....

                   What this film's really about is presenting the spectacle of a Muppet cow and a Muppet octopus having orgiastic sex   (now there's somethin' you don't see every day.....)

                   And let's not forget the sight of our noir-ish, Private Eye Muppet ejaculating miles of Silly String........no doubt the filmmakers thought moviegoers would consider that alone worth the price of ticket.....

                    Uh.......no. (Not that we didn't snort out a few chuckles........but that was only due to Maya Rudolph's exquisite timing as the Muppet hero's faithful secretary, getting a bottle of Windex ready as her boss splooges all over his office....)

                    True enough, we found ourselves laughing a few times........but we could also hear the sound of the late Muppet genius Jim Henson spinning in his grave at the thought of this movie, concocted by his son Brian.......

                     And not because of all the raunch, foul language and sex.......no, we think Jim would be far more appalled at the lazy writing and complete lack of imagination........sticking the Muppet characters in what looks like a overlong, terrible 'Saturday Night Live' skit.......

                    Brian Henson dubbed his production company 'HE' (Henson Alternative).......here's an alternative for you, Brian.......instead of making a movie that's basically one dumb, dirty joke stretched way past its breaking point.......how about making a real fluffin' movie?  With Muppets, too.

                    1 & 1/2 stars (* 1/2).....for Maya Rudolph alone.
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