How ‘Happytime Murders’ ranks on the list of the greatest puppet movies of all time

“The Happytime Murders” review

In “The Happytime Murders,” the puppet cast of an ’90s children’s TV show begin to get murdered one by one and a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case with his former partner (Melissa McCarthy). It’s basically a buddy cop film, but with adult humor and of course, puppets.

That’s puppets—not Muppets—even though Brian Henson of  “The Muppet Christmas Carol” and “Muppet Treasure Island” directed this movie. He is the son of Jim Henson who made “Sesame Street,” the original Muppets and “Fraggle Rock.” Following in his father’s footsteps, Brian Henson has had his hand in almost every puppet project you can think of since the ’80s, including “Labrynth.”

With a master puppet master like Brian Henson and the hilarious premise of stuffed children’s characters swearing and acting violently, this movie had everything it needed to be a hit—but it wasn’t.

I went into the theater with rock bottom expectations for this movie, so I actually wasn’t too disappointed. I even laughed at most of the jokes (though it helped that everyone in the theater was laughing at everything). But for Kpolly, that wasn’t the case. He thinks “Happytime Murders” disgraces Jim Henson’s good name.

That’s not to say we’re not for puppets saying the F-word, we are. But for having a director with all the background to make an adult puppet movie with intelligent, self-aware humor, the movie had no substance. Instead it was a lot of cheap blue comedy. But if you like that kind of thing and keep your expectations low, you might like it.

“The Happytime Murders” is now playing in Milwaukee. Watch the trailer below (viewer discretion advised) and listen to our continued conversation in the podcast above to hear our controversial ranking of all the Muppet movies.

Films at this year’s 10th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival include the much buzzed about documentary “Sammy Davis Jr, I’ve Gotta Be Me,” one of two new works featured by Samuel D. Pollard (The ACORN and the Firestorm, MFF 2017 and Two Trains Runnin’, MFF 2016) and “A Boy. A Girl. A Dream” by Qasim Basir (Destined, MFF 2017).

The popular Groove Theory musical showcase will be back at this year’s festival, hosted by R&B Live-Milwaukee. Featuring local artists performing songs from classic black films, the event takes place on Friday, October 19 at 8 p.m. at The Cooperage.

The Black Lens kick-off party takes place Friday, October 5 at Ivy House. Doors open at 7 p.m. with a presentation and overview of the films beginning at 8 p.m.

Milwaukee Film will announce additional event and ticket information in the coming weeks. For now, take a look at the titles and trailers of everything the Black Lens series will be screening.

Black Lens 2018 Films

“Little Woods”

Tessa Thompson (“Dear White People”) and Lily James (“Mamma Mia 2”) stun as sisters ensnared in a web of economic misery in their rural North Dakotan fracking town. Mere days away from the end of her parole, Ollie (Thompson) is drawn back into the world of illegal Oxycontin smuggling in an attempt to ward off the foreclosure on her mother’s home that would leave her pregnant sister Deb (James) homeless and penniless. Deftly balancing white-knuckle filmmaking with of-the-moment social concerns, “Little Woods” is a breathtaking debut anchored by fully-formed lead performances.

“A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.”

Election night, 2016. Cass (Power’s Omari Hardwick) and Frida (Meagan Good) meet by happenstance
outside an L.A. food truck, only to embark on an evening-long journey of personal discovery as they talk
and challenge one another as the night progresses, moving from the street to the club to a Lyft and
beyond. The latest from Milwaukee Film Fest alum Qasim Basir (“Destined”) is both technically audacious (the entire film transpires over a single unbroken shot) and emotionally incisive, capturing the fraught essence of our current moment in time.

“Maynard” review

Maynard Jackson Jr. was was the Obama before Obama. He became the mayor of Atlanta from 1973 to 1994. He was known as the “enforcer” of affirmative action and voter turnout, he crafted successful diversity, inclusion and engagement templates still practiced today and transformed the reputation of Atlanta from the “heart of the confederate south” to a cosmopolitan world-class city by creating the Atlanta International Airport and winning the bid for the 1966 Olympics in Atlanta. He fought to end endemic racism in the city government and worked to end the series of missing and murdered children in Atlanta between 1979 and 1981.

Maynard Jackson Jr. was legendary. But before we saw the documentary, we didn’t really know who he was.

We’ve talked a lot about how it’s been a big summer for documentaries, but they have been on people like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Fred Rogers, who many people were already familiar with. Maynard Jackson Jr.’s story is not as well-known, but it should be. That’s the beauty and purpose of documentaries—to shed light on the overlooked and unsung heroes or learn about something or someone that’s brand new to you.

That’s what we loved about “Maynard.” It’s a powerful story of how urban cities became populated by a large black population and the impact that had on a changing American landscape in some of the major U.S. cities during the turbulent 1960s and ever-changing 1970s. But it’s also the story of a mayor, grandson, husband, father and friend whose journey was about being a human being who wanted to achieve much for himself and his people.

“Maynard” is worth seeing for his biography alone. But it’s also worth seeing for the inspiration it offers on the importance of local elections, politics and politicians—the people who dedicate their lives to their love for a city, in times of victory and in times of struggle.

“Maynard” is now playing in Milwaukee. And if you like this movie, we think you’d like: “Buck,” “Get Me Roger Stone” and listen to a podcast called “Atlanta Monster.”

“Crazy Rich Asians” review

The plot: Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse — Nick’s disapproving mother.

We feel like we haven’t seen a good romantic comedy in a decade. Apparently movie-goers agree, according to box office records. Modernly speaking, the genre has gotten painfully formulaic and it always stars the same people. But “Crazy Rich Asians” made us fall back in love with the rom-com by defying both of these exceptions. Instead of the classic chase and tension surrounding a romantic relationship, the tension in “Crazy Rich Asians” is completely between the couple and the family. And instead of seeing Catherine Heigel or Bradley Cooper, this movie features an entirely Asian cast, starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding with directing by Jon M. Chu.

The aforementioned best friend’s wedding in Singapore that leads the plot is worth $40 million in the movie. The price of admission to the theater is worth seeing this on-screen spectacle alone because the characters are, uh…crazy rich.

The high production value of this film doesn’t stop there. It’s our favorite part of the whole movie: from the soundtrack to the fashion, to the images of food and the establishing shots from around Singapore, it was all incredibly extravagant and well-done. There is so much grandiose synchronization that you half expect it to turn into a musical.

Now back to representation, because it is so important in this movie. It shows—not explains—some cultural dynamics of Singapore and those that are familiar to many Asian families. And with so much onscreen and offscreen diversity of ethnicities and personalities, it not only comes from an Asian-American perspective, but many Asian-Americans’ perspectives. That’s important and people’s reactions along with the box-office sales prove it.

“Crazy Rich Asians” is now playing in Milwaukee.

P.S. check out the Milwaukee Motorcycle Film Festival this weekend at the Oriental Theater in honor of Harley-Davidson’s 115th anniversary celebration this weekend.

“BlacKkKlansman” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it not only won the Grand Jury Prize, but the film also received a 10-minute standing ovation.

The plot of the film is based on a true story. It tells the story of a Ron Stallworth, a black undercover officer played by John David Washington. He infiltrated the Klan via telephone by convincing them that he is a white nationalist. He realizes to pull this off, Stallworth needs a white officer to actually physically show up. He enlists Flip Zimmerman played by Adam Driver (“The Last Jedi,” “Force Awakens”) to take down the Klan from the inside.

During the investigation, Stallworth is dating Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier) who is part of the Black Student Union organization in Colorado Springs. Stallworth and Dumas possess this dynamic where one is fighting racism on the inside and the other is fighting it from the outside.

“BlacKkKlansman” is more than the obvious scenario of the KKK vs. people of color. The film highlights the intricacies of Stallworth’s relationship to his role as a police officer and his relationship to the black community. Spike Lee does a very good job of bringing out these intricacies throughout the film.

Another aspect that Lee does well is how he incorporates various historical moments into the film.  He uses film and images from the beginning of cinema that features images of black men and women. There is a discussion of the disturbing film, “Birth of A Nation” and then Lee ends the movie with footage that brings you to the present, tying it all together.

We loved it. Go see it. “BlacKkKlansman” is now playing in Milwaukee.

“Eighth Grade” review

“Eighth Grade” is a (sometimes painfully) accurate story of coming-of-age in the digital age. And in this case, calling it painful is a good thing.

In it, 13-year-old Kayla (Elsie Fisher) endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence in all its anxiety, social media bubbles, parental disagreements and politics of fitting in as she makes her way through the last week of middle school.

We wouldn’t really call it a comedy even though it is very funny. It’s written by a comedian, but there are no real jokes. You just end up laughing anyway because of how relatable and specific it gets while representing how rough, scary and confusing life can be as a 13-year-old.

For being written and directed by Bo Burnham, a 27-year-old male, it’s an impressively empathetic story of a teenage girl. But then again, he is the product of his middle school awkward phase and one of the first people to come of age as a YouTube star.

Elsie Fisher’s acting is what makes it all feel real though. It’s hard to believe she’s a 15-year-old-actress, not a real teen named Kayla. Everything from her slouched body language, to her awkward small talk, her fights with her dad, to her acne are so authentic that it will make you remember things you thought you forgot about when you were that old.

It will bring you back to the time you were gawkily navigating the halls of your own middle school, but this movie isn’t nostalgic. It’s a movie about the present. It makes us remember a universally difficult age, but shows how today’s teens have to deal with everything we did plus social media, school shooter drills and higher rates of anxiety and depression.

To better understand today’s youth (unlike the dabbing teacher in it), watch this heartwarming, somewhat angsty and funny movie. Real-life eighth graders approve, too.

And if you like “Eighth Grade,” you should watch: all of John Hughes’ films, “Diary of a Teenage Girl,” “Ladybird” and “Elephant”

“Eighth Grade” is screening now in Milwaukee.

“Three Identical Strangers” review

Like any good documentary—and this is a really, really good documentary—it will explain everything. You don’t need to know any of this before you go see it. Just go see it.

If you’re still here, this is what you’re in for:

Identical triplets become separated at birth and adopted by three different families. Years later, their amazing reunion becomes a global sensation but also unearths an unimaginable secret that has radical repercussions.

It’s an unbelievable story, but a completely true one.

It’s a documentary, but not a biopic. This year, we’ve talked about how much we loved the films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Mr. Rogers, but what made “Three Identical Strangers” so good was that it was just about everyday people. It’s categorized as a documentary, but it was more like a well told story. With all the drama and mystery, it could have been filmed as a reenacted fiction with actors and a script. But as a documentary, it still had a real narrative with a beginning, middle and end while keeping it as accurate as possible by featuring the real brothers, who luckily have big personalities.

We don’t want to reveal too much. If you want mild spoilers and a deeper look, listen to the podcast above. All we’ll say here is that the film brings up a lot of interesting moral dilemmas, explores evidence for nature and nurture, entertains a bit of conspiracy and tells one hell of a good family story.

If you like this film, Kpolly recommends: “Thin Blue Line,” “Stories We Tell” and “Tower.”

See “Three Identical Strangers” in Milwaukee theaters now.

Coming soon to the Oriental Theatre

Coming soon: more women’s restrooms on the first floor, minor restorations and some great film programming.

Photo courtesy of MKE Film

August 10 is the soft opening of the two side theaters as they complete renovations in the main theatre. They’ll be screening “BlacKkKlansman” and “McQueen” for the opening weeks. Then, it’s just one great feature after another. Here’s the schedule so far:

“BlacKkKlansman”

August 10 – 24

From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee and the producers behind the Oscar-winning Get Out comes the incredible true story of an American hero. Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department, bravely sets out on a dangerous mission to make a name for himself: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. A more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), is brought into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream.

“Skyscraper” review

The film’s plot description is, “Will Sawyer (Dwane Johnson) is a former FBI agent and U.S. war veteran who now assesses security for skyscrapers. While he’s on assignment in China, the world’s tallest and safest building catches on fire — and he gets framed for it. Now a wanted man and on the run, he must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family members when they become trapped inside the inferno.” But, it’s essentially a “Die Hard” movie that isn’t as good.

What we did like was: the architectural design of the titular skyscraper, the unfunny humor that made us laugh at the attempt anyway, the suspenseful scenes at high altitudes that triggered our fear of heights and the fact that it is not trying to be a franchise.

What we didn’t like was: pretty much everything else.

If you do go see this ridiculous film, do it in the theater. It’s the only way this movie will entertain you. Or you could watch literally any other action movie instead, because “Skyscraper” is basically smashing them all together.