It all begins with a hilarious romp involving a fish called Wanda. Now, years later, the gang is back once again to test the world's threshold for laughter and silliness.
To avoid any confusion, "Fierce Creatures" is not a sequel to "A Fish Called Wanda." Though it reunites the cast and even reuses some aspects of its plot, "Creatures" is, as Kevin Kline puts it,"an equal, not a sequel."
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Fierce Creatures At Showcase |
Rollo engineers a seemingly sure-fire marketing plan to boost attendance. The zoo will stock only "fierce creatures," defined as violent predators willing to at least bite off an entire hand.
But when the keepers realize that all the soft, cuddly animals in the zoo will have to be destroyed to make way for the man-eating ones, they revolt vehemently and comically, to the delight of the audience.
Meanwhile, ambitious executive Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Rod's dim-witted son Vince (also Kline) head out to England to supervise the execution of the plan. Vince's only concern is to impress his father (and scantily-clad Willa), while Willa is determined to turn the zoo into a chain of theme parks. After mass advertising and ridiculous marketing ploys pervade the sanctity of the zoo, Willa has a change of heart and agrees to help Rollo take back the zoo.
"Fierce Creatures" is definitely not "A Fish Called Wanda," but it possesses the same level of wackiness that made its predecessor such an international hit. The idea was for the cast to return, playing characters who are different enough from their "Wanda" roles to be able to challenge the actors. At the same time, though, the characters still maintain the charm and quirkiness that made them so wonderful the first time around. This idea is a definite success.
The film's greatest comic moments are inspired by jokes about fetishes and animal sex, by the displays of physical comedy from the actors and by many of the characters' offbeat personalities. There are also a countless number of Freudian slips that tend to get tiresome, but, at their freshest, they are absolutely hilarious.
One sequence that will have people roaring with laughter involves a group of the zookeepers attempting to spy on Rod McCain. This scene embarrassingly results in a sticky situation for Rollo - involving a sheep and two women in a compromising position.
After receiving an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in "A Fish Called Wanda," Kline returns to play a dual role. As the father, Kline excellently portrays a ruthless businessman who has an affinity for flatulating. As the horny and bumbling son, Kline once again demonstrates his immense talent and range as both an actor and a comedian.
While Kline provides much of the comic relief in this film, Jamie Lee Curtis contributes the more dramatic aspects. Her character is one who clawed her way past the glass ceiling and made it to the top of the executive hierarchy, yet never found out what her true values were. That is, until she encountered the zoo and all its wonders. Curtis' character goes on an emotional journey of the heart, and the audience goes along for the ride.
John Cleese and Michael Palin, best known for their work in Monty Python films, are two comedy veterans who are the epitome of comic chemistry. With Cleese as Rollo and Palin as fast-talking insect expert Adrian "Bugsy" Malone, the two act as if they were born to entertain together. Whether it is secretly stripping down in a closet, or discussing matters of the zoo, this British duo really knows how to produce the laughs.
It should probably be reiterated that "Fierce Creatures" is not the same as "A Fish Called Wanda." It is also definitely not as good. But with an all-star cast, solid writing, hundreds of cute animals and a great deal of creativity backing it up, "Fierce Creatures" delivers almost as lethal a blow to the funny bone.
Where are your pants, John Cleese?