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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

The Happytime Murders
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Elizabeth Banks, Leslie David Baker, and Bill Barretta
Synopsis: Jim Henson was a wonderful creator. He gave the world "The Muppets" and "Sesame Street," among others. These are characters and titles that are part of our culture and endure. But that legacy, aside from involving puppets, has nothing to do with "The Happytime Murders," a new endeavor from his son, Brian. It was produced through his company called "Henson Alternative," and it's certainly different from what you usually expect to see when the name Henson and puppets are involved. This is a broad comedy built out of what's supposed to be a pulpy detective story set in Los Angeles. The gag is that it's a world where puppets are living with humans, and they aren't exactly a well-respected class of folks. One puppet, Phil (Barretta), was the first to become a detective on the LAPD. But an incident in his past cost him his job, and cost puppets their reputation. Now he works as a private detective trying to protect the group he feels he let down. And when a group of puppets made famous for starring on a show called "The Happytime Gang" start turning up dead, Phil gets embroiled in the case, and reluctantly teams with his old partner (McCarthy). It's a chance for redemption for the both of them, and it has a connection to the fateful incident that happened more than a decade earlier. The bones of a good idea are here, and there is a very talented group of humans working in this film. However, the way this is put together is way too over-the-top. I loosely described the plot as puppet erotica, and while that might be going a smidge too far, this is a film that certainly wants to push the bounds of puppet storytelling, and not in a good way. It also drags despite being relatively short and is pretty predictable. I appreciate Brian Henson trying to expand into different kinds of storytelling, but this film just doesn't work. It's too weird and too crash without providing enough pop and humor.
Rating: R for strong crude and sexual content and language throughout, and some drug material.
Verdict: One star out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Wednesday, August 29: "Operation Finale"
Friday, August 31: "Kin," "The Little Stranger"