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Fierce Creatures (1997)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
Laid low by numerous descents into bestial humour, Fierce Creatures still includes bouts of true comedy from its talented but underused cast. In the world of high finance, commodities such as zoos are viewed in purely balance-sheet terms, to be retained or let go depending on whether a profit is shown. Marwood Zoo, recently acquired by the sprawling Octopus Inc., finds itself in in just such a position, poised under the knife of predatory billionaire Rod McCain (Kevin Kline). To streamline operations, a disciplinarian Japanese businessman, Rollo Lee (John Cleese), is installed as the new zoo chief. Unfortunately, to the dismay of the assorted keepers, this means retaining only the animals that are likely to cause panic and bloodshed if they happened to escape.

In the far removed Atlantan headquarters, new employee Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) is thrown the opportunity to oversee the reshaping of Marwood (after finding out that Rod sold her TV company on the very day she joined). Ever interested in creating a favourable impression (upon Rod), as long as this doesn't involve sleeping with his ineffectual but manipulative son Vince (Kline again), Willa accepts. To Vince, business is merely an excuse to steal money and force staff members into having sex with him (under the mistaken belief that people actually like him). Willa is having none of it though, using the get-out clause that she's relocating to Marwood.

Meanwhile, back at the zoo, Rollo is encountering resistance from his handlers. Distraught over his heartless behaviour, colourful figures such as Adrian "Bugsy" Malone (Michael Palin), Reggie Sea Lions (Ronnie Corbett) and Cub Felines (Carey Lowell) are plotting to thwart him. One attempt centres on the idea that the cuddliest, cutest animals in the place will soften even the flintiest heart. This is a bit of a miscalculation though since all Rollo does is shoot them himself, thus solving the problem of what to do with all of the non-fierce creatures. From this disastrous ploy, events spiral out of all proportion, culminating in Rollo featuring in the local paper as some sort of crazed, gun-toting vampire. It is into this chaos that Willa ventures, anxious to prove her managerial capabilities and financial acumen, yet trailed by the lustful Vince.

Based upon the tried-and-tested ingredients of anarchic situations and overbearing characters that commonly inhabit Cleese productions, Fierce Creatures features these in abundance. Marwood is an inherently unstable establishment, a critical-mass of zany animal enthusiasts and unpredictable beasts. The simple expedient of stirring a manic, driven Cleese and a gaggle of interfering Americans into the mix causes the whole place boil over beautifully. However, while the desired result is occasionally achieved, Fierce Creatures is defined more by the lows rather than the highs. There are times when the pace creeps ever upwards (increasing the comic tension) but these rarely fulfil their promise, instead tending to dissipate their all important momentum. Generally the comedy is basic, derived from scatological gags and a succession of misunderstandings, and that just isn't enough.

Cleese is fine as the uptight, ex-cop, hyper-English Rollo, desperate to whip the zoo into shape in a bid to avoid getting fired. Unfortunately Cleese has both played this riff too many times before and done it with more spirit. Here his comic edge is dulled because, under the false bravado, Rollo is as warm and caring as anyone else at Marwood. This lack of contrast and a decent bad-guy role (to counteract the saccharine keepers) sorely hampers Fierce Creatures. Kline is impressive as both Rod and Vince but, despite their obnoxiousness, they lack the essential despotic spark. Hence the film ends up a tangle of chases, prat-falls and under-utilised performers. All of the zoo workers fill a particular niche in the movie environment but there's just too many of them to exploit usefully (a gross waste of potential).

Ultimately this patchy comedy doesn't match up to the sophistication and timing of A Fish Called Wanda, perhaps an unfair (if valid) comparison. What it does have are a number of extremely amusing sketches, linked together tenuously, plus the eternally comical sight of Cleese becoming a sex object for no concrete reason. Cleese doesn't believe he's a ladies man and Vince surely can't, but the evidence seems to be there for Willa to see. Equally impressive are the animals themselves, who do what's required on cue (though this makes you wonder how many takes were required). Fierce Creatures is the sort of animal fun that many casts would be proud of; the problem here is that we know that they can do better.

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