MEET THE FEEBLES (1989) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1998 Ted Prigge
Director: Peter Jackson Writers: Peter Jackson, Danny Mulheron, Stephen Sinclair, and Frances Walsh Starring: Mark Hadlow, Ross Jolly, Brian Sergent, Peter Vere-Jones, Mark Wright, Donna Akersten, Stuart Devenie
A friend of mine said to me about three minutes into watching Peter Jackson's "Meet the Feebles" that (I'm paraphrasing) "This is nothing but an obnoxious, nasty version of the Muppets; everything that's going on is just being aimed at the lowest common denominator." To which I relpied "Yeah...so?"
"Meet the Feebles" is one of the creepiest, most disgusting films I've ever seen, and also one of the more interesting, to say the least. As my friend said in the quote, it's a nasty version of the Muppets, kind of like the vile behavior. The film's about a group of living puppets all working on a one-hour variety show a la the Muppets, but all on their very first show. And the film takes place in a short period time before this show, as we are introduced to every single character on the show, some of which get more attention than others, and are shown as bluntly as possible.
The film exposes all the melodrama of the backstage of the show, including several stores going on at the same time, such as one featuring Heide the Hippo, an overweight actress hired only because she's a star, which is also the reason she's married to Bletch the Walrus, the show's double-crossing, asswhole producer, who's carrying on an affair with Samantha the Siamese Cat, his voluptuous secretary. Meanwhile, we meet the quiet, lovable Robert the Hedgehog, the least depraved of the sort, who has fallen in love with Lucille the Poodle, who has the eyes of Bletch's Peter Lorre-accented assistant, Trevor the Rat, who shoots S&M films on the side.
You think these characters are bizarre? Here's a couple more: there's the show's bitchy director, Sebastian the Fox, who has a musical suprise near the end; the dim-witted Sid the Elephant, who has accidentally gotten a, um, chicken pregnant (don't ask me how); Harry the Hare, another star who has found out that he may have AIDs; Wynard the Frog, the shaky knife thrower who does morphine every thirty seconds to calm the pain of a past war where he was held captive and forced to do Russian Roulette (yes, there's a "Deer Hunter" parody); and a Papparazzi fly who shows up now and then.
This should basically give you an idea of what the film is like: it IS the Muppets made afoul. This is exactly why the film is fun, though. And I was wrong about my first impression that it was merely just this. Underneat we have a hilariously scatching satire of the line between how we view celebrities and how they really are. On stage, Harry the Hare may seem like a lovable Bugs Bunny rip-off, but what you don't know is that the minute he leaves the stage, he's off to take on two chick bunnies in his dimly-lit room.
No, it's not accurate; it's a puppet movie, and it takes everything it can to the extreme at any moment. But this is exactly what the film is about and why the film is fun. Although barely released in the States, this film has a cult status, and it's easy to see why. I can understand why this film would seem very fun after a couple friends come over and following a brief downer of some heavy liquor. It does pander to the lowest denominator, that's why it's fun. And because it has some general depth, it can also hold up when sober.
If there's anything wrong with the film, it's that it's too long. 97 minutes is nothing normally, but when you have puppets talking and doing shit for that long, it seems like an eternity. Although several things are a riot, this film just needs some good editing, especially in the middle where it drags horrifically, making for a generally uncomfortable experience. Although I have to admit I don't know what could be cut.
But that's all made fine by an ending which is so over-the-top, so much a parody of "Carrie" and "The Wild Bunch" that I suddenly lept to my seat when it began. Yes, it's another typical Peter Jackson gorefest, but he does them so well that I can't see how anyone could complain with a straight face.
I kept thinking back to what my friend said (who left after five minutes or so to do something "better"), and how I wished he had stayed until the end. Although it's often a big task to watch, the reward for making through it is a fiercely funny and satirical film which may be foul, disgusting, and horrific to watch, but at the same time, entertaining, mesmerizing, and unforgettable, which isn't always a good thing, but here's an exception.
MY RATING (out of 4): ***1/2
Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/8335/
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