Plot: When the puppet cast of a 90's children's TV shows begin to get murdered one-by-one, a disgraced puppet investigator takes the case.

My expectations for this have been more up and down then a roller-coaster.

After seeing the trailer, it shocked me, made me laugh and think about how good this concept could be. I did have my reservations, as it has Melissa McCarthy in it and she has a low success rate with me and the reviews coming from America were scathing to say the least from the critics.

It started rather well. It introduced to this world that had a premise much similar to that of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But it seemed the writing and tone was flirting with that of Team America: World Police. I was loving the puppet designs, which is no surprise as they come The Jim Henson Company and got quickly engaged with those characters.

One aspect got introduced and already felt like a waste of space. Thankfully, it was not detracting my enjoyment of the film.

The story moves along quite nicely, and even though the story brought nothing new and the twists towards the end was not ground-breaking, I was still having a pleasant time. There is a moment where the humans take centre stage which slowed it down for me. But thankfully, it doesn't last long, and neither does the film. It's a swift duration and gets out when needed. If this was anything close to 2hrs, it would have certainly been a slog by the end.

All the puppet work and voice work was great and totally trumped the human actors. Bill Barretta as the lead did a great job, had a solid backstory and had good dialogue with strong execution.

I mention a part of the movie that felt like a waste of space, and that was Melissa McCarthy. As soon as she arrived on screen, it just felt pointless. Her character was just getting in the way all the time and was there for cheap laughs. Granted, the gags weren't terrible. But they weren't exceptional either.

Thankfully, someone that I can always rely in for gags did it again in the form of Maya Rudolph. Everything I've seen in her either as a lead or supporting, she always delivers and/or steals the show. She fitted the tone perfectly and contributed whenever necessary.

It was a shame to see Elizabeth Banks under-used as I am a big fan of hers and she always seemed committed to any work she is given. If her character was given more development, then I think the human element would have made this film a much more intriguing watch.

As mentioned before, the look of the puppets was a big strength of the film. Others I felt were the editing and I guess the general production design and cinematography weren't bad either. It moves along well and always kept my attention and that was thanks to the editing. The snappy duration could be its saving grace with the audience. I always appreciate a film that gets out when it should do.

In regards to the negatives, I think just the general missed opportunity of making the most of this concept. It never felt fully utilised and by the end of it, I think it would have done better if it was made int he 90's as I think that would have been better written and received audiences and critics.
Plus I think the comedy should have been better. Most of it is alright, but the rest of it felt forced. There is one that could have been the scene of the year. But in the end it kind of over-stayed its welcome. But fair play to them for going that far with the crass tone.

I think the reviews its getting are a tad harsh. But I can see in parts where they're coming from. But for me, it is solid at best. The puppets are what keep this film going and the story is perfectly fine despite being something you've probably seen before and should keep you engaged throughout.

Once again McCarthy didn't work for me, and by the looks of the American box office, this could be a career low for her.

I can see this doing better on the small screen when it comes out on DVD or on-demand. I wouldn't rush out to see this. But if you are intrigued by it and The Muppets or Sesame Street with added crude humour, it wouldn't do any harm in checking it out.

Rating: 7/10