The Corner Penthouse

What do you get when Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, directs and produces an R-rated puppet movie? The Happytime Murders, of course. Is it any good? Read on to find out...


In a sunny Los Angeles where puppets are second-class citizens to humans, Phil Phillips (Bill Barretta) - once the LAPD's first puppet police officer, now a weary private investigator - finds himself dragged into a world of mystery and murder, as someone is targeting the cast of a beloved classic puppet television show. To have a chance at solving this case, Phil must bury the hatchet and team up with his former human partner, Detective Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy).


The Happytime Murders plays out like a raunchy version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Swap out cartoon characters for puppets, swap out Eddie Valiant for Detective Edwards, and Roger Rabbit for Phil Phillips (though Phillips is the P.I. here), and it all fits perfectly. That's not to say that both movies are on the same level. The Happytime Murders isn't as good as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but if you have an appreciation for off-color humor, it provides a good time.


That said, there is way too much cursing. It seemed as if every single line reaffirms the movie's R-rating, and it got old really quickly. It's also unrealistic as professional cops and F.B.I. agents would not talk like that on the job. My biggest issue with the movie is the casting of Melissa McCarthy. Not for one minute did I believe her to be a cop. Also, her voice is very grating, especially when she yells; which is nearly ALL THE TIME! It's like nails on a chalkboard. A better actor would have been more appropriate for the role.


That's not to say that the casting is all bad. I was especially impressed with Maya Rudolph as Bubbles, Phillips' bubbly, sweet-voiced secretary. The character is a throwback to 1930s detective movies. It's the type of role I've never seen her play before, and it suits her nicely. She's prime suspect in the case of the movie thief. She steals every scene that she's in.


Ghostbusters (2016) fans may be interested in knowing that two of that movie's stars appear in The Happytime Murders. Of course, there's Melissa McCarthy (Abby Yates), but there's also Michael McDonald (Stonebrooke theater manager) as Ronovan Scargle. This marks the fifth time the two actors have appeared together in a film, after Ghostbusters (2016), The Boss (2016), Spy (2015), and The Heat (2013).


At a runtime of 1:31:15, The Happytime Murders is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p transfer. On the audio side, there are two English tracks - DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio and Dolby Digital 2.0 Descriptive. The film includes English SDH and Spanish subtitles. The first print run includes a beautiful embossed slipsleeve.


All of the bonus features that can be found on the disc are in HD.

• Audio Commentary with director Brian Henson and puppeteer/voice actor Bill Barretta
• Deleted Scenes (14:24 total) - The six scenes are "Puppet Poachers", "Meet Jenny", "Meet Edwards", "Larry's Funeral", "Ronovan Poisoned", and "Jenny's Arrest".
• Gag Reel (2:47) - Outtakes and line flubs.
• Line-O-Rama (2:35) - Alternative takes of various lines.
• Virtual Environments (2:15) - Go behind the scenes to see the transformation of the film's virtual environments including visual effects through backdrops, action scenes, and the movements of the puppets themselves.
• Avatar Demo (2:45) - VFX supervisors discuss how The Happytime Murders created a new realm of puppet movies by using avatars to make the puppets come to life.
• VFX Breakdown (4:08) - An overview of the impact of visual special effects in the film.
• Trailers - "Trailer 1" (Red Band, 2:28) and "Trailer 2" (Green Band, 2:06).

Also included in the Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack is a second DVD disc, which contains all of the bonus features listed above. The movie on the DVD is presented in its original 2.40:1 aspect ratio with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. On the audio side, there is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track and an English Descriptive Dolby Digital 2.0 track. The film includes English SDH and Spanish subtitles.


An iTunes digital copy code voucher is also included in the standard two-disc Blu-ray case. For whatever reason, the studio chose an iTunes only digital copy which doesn't work on either Movies Anywhere or Ultraviolet/Vudu. I thought the whole point of the studios coming together to create Movies Anywhere was to eliminate the separate digital copy services so everything is in one place. The only other recent title that I've seen this done with was I Feel Pretty, which was also made by STX Entertainment. I'm thinking it's STX's fault, not Universal's, as this problem doesn't exist with other Universal titles that STX is not affiliated with.


The Happytime Murders is available on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack and individual DVD.










All images were taken from the IMDB gallery of the film or were provided by Universal. The Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack has been provided by Universal for review on this site.