Fierce Creatures (1997)

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Fierce Creatures is a decent movie with a poorly developed plot, albeit a terrific comedic cast. I would certainly be rating this film much lower if it was not for the undeniable chemistry and comic timing between Kevin Kline, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin. It is a pleasure to see them all together again after their stellar work in A Fish Called Wanda, it is just a shame they could not have been given better material. Kline is certainly the breakout performance here, playing two characters, one of which I was not aware was him until the end of the movie, it is always a pleasure to watch this versatile performer. The plot is entirely ineffective, following a group of people struggling to run a zoo. We see them trying to keep their business alive, but are never given a reason to truly care about these characters or their situation. The characters themselves are very poorly developed, literally as two dimensional as comedy film characters can get. We learn extremely little about everyone bar Vince, they are never given anything such as a distinguishable trait to make them more interesting.Could have been gold, but it falls flat. As much as it is a pleasure to see these four on screen once again, Fierce Creatures is a let down for fans of both Monty Python and A Fish Called Wanda, if you see it on television it is worth a watch, but do not go out of your way to see it. A self centred director takes over a zoo, much to the staffs dismay. Best Performance: Kevin Kline

Fierce Creatures (1997): Dir: Fred Schepisi, Robert Young / Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Robert Lindsay: Not a sequel to the superior A Fish Called Wanda as it is a reunion of the cast. Title may be suggesting man as nature's most destructive domination. Interesting concept involves a failing zoo and the idea of presenting the wildlife as more fierce. Any animal that is not considered fierce is removed. To prevent this employees go about faking injuries and scheming up stories of wild anteaters. Very creative until a rather corrupt ending. Directors Robert Young and Fred Schepisi are backed by fine imagery but the screenplay had potential, which failed to come together with the clever result of the other film. John Cleese pulls off any humour as the zoo owner who feels some regret and sympathy for the rejected animals. The rest of the cast fail to repeat the previous brilliance. Jamie Lee Curtis is plainly not funny and mainly seen as a romantic ploy. Kevin Kline is flat as a father and son duo. Michael Palin as a janitor tends to overact. A Fish Called Wanda is a clever caper with top notch acting from this very cast. Fierce Creatures had potential before it went to the dogs and that is something considering what it fails to measure up to. In the end it is just a lousy follow up to A Fish Called Wanda, which was far more fierce. Score: 5 ½ / 10

John Cleese is much more enjoyable as characters who more closely resemble the refined, innocent man finding himself turning to sinful desire and being conflicted about the entire process (such as he played in a fish called wanda) and is not nearly as interesting to watch as the fast talking, sarcastic, hyper, off-the-hinge, raspy voiced, domineering man in charge (such as he played in fierce creatures and rat race). Sadly the latter has become his go to role and it lacks depth of some of his former roles of conflict over innocence and desire.Kevin Kline was much more interesting to watch as the dangerous, manly, cunning, jealous, criminal airhead that he played in a fish called wanda more so than the character he played in this movie which was more less masculine, more effeminate (scarf wearing entrance), metrosexual, suit and tie, submissive, airhead, incompetent son who pervertedly and awkwardly pines for dates with the ladies.

A comedy ??! Maybe. But for me the misunderstanding points where (John Cleese) was considered as a loose stud went on and on and on. I only liked the first one of the telephone call. The matter of (Kevin Kline) playing 2 characters wasn't understood. Even the 2 characters were so silly themselves; especially the father's one; it gave us free farts along the way for nothing but exciting the nausea. Another character, the one played by (Michael Palin), was totally unfunny. In fact the comedy in this movie suffered from being nonexistent. The talking scenes are plenty with no ironic stuff; unless it's about (Cleese) being a playboy!. Save the sequence of thinking (Cleese) as a killer, the action comedy was miserable as well. I freaked out due to the huge spider which they used more than once. Not to mention the idiot ending where everything was simply solved by the death of the original owner. If one thing was watchable and entertaining then we're talking about seeing (Carey Lowell) while being just in her black underwear. Although I'm not of the ones who see how the first gathering of the four leads (A Fish Called Wanda – 1988) was the greatest comedy, or a great comedy, but undoubtedly it's more thrilling and comedic than (Fierce Creatures). Maybe this one would be interesting to some middle aged, middle class men who would feel attached to John Cleese's character, since the crazy situations make him win the love he wishes and never had the boldness to achieve it. Otherwise it's one heavy movie with empty circles that alleges being funny. Therefore saying that this is a comedy is like saying that you saw the Invisible Man in no Invisible Man movie; it's possible !!