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Furry Vengeance
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MPAA Rating: PG
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Entertainment: +1
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Content: +2
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Brendan Fraser, Brooke Shields, Ken Jeong. Family comedy. Written by Josh Gilbert, Michael Carnes. Directed by Rogers Kumble.
FILM SYNOPSIS: A real estate developer moves his family from Chicago to Oregon when his job calls for him to oversee the building of a major housing development. But when his latest project threatens the homes of the local forest creatures, the animals seek revenge by turning a peaceful cul-de-sac under construction into a battlefield of epic proportions.
PREVIEW REVIEW: The Three Stooges, I like. Wile E. Coyote, I like. Brendan Fraser and his co-starring sadistic forest critters, I ain’t so crazy about. The klutzy comedy and zany antics meant to amuse, I assume, both little ones and their accompanying goodies-buying nannies just fell flat. Hey, that kind of humor didn’t always work for the Marx Bros. I watched Love Happy the other night and found it to be the least of their efforts (also the last of their films as a team). It’s simply a mystery when any film comes together, especially one built on “zany” situations. Why did the violent slapstick work for the Brothers Stooge and not Brendan Fraser? Maybe we were able to handle the Stooges in small doses (short films, about the length of a Saturday Night Live sketch). Same goes for Roadrunner cartoons. Whereas a whole film full of scheming animals with CGI faces and pained expressions from their tormented victim loses its appeal quickly.
It’s a clean film, the producers holding back the gross-out quotient, but the creatures are incessantly sadistic as they set out to drive our put-upon hero crazy. They are even willing to cause car accidents that endanger the occupants’ lives. Their actions are often more mean-spirited than amusing. (Nothing worse than a mean-spirited forest creature.)
DVD Alternative: Beethoven. Charles Grodin, Dean Jones (against type as the bad guy). Escapist fare about a mischievous St. Bernard who transforms the mundane life of a dysfunctional family. In spite of disapproving critics, both kids and their parents seem to enjoy this film. PG (one vulgar expression for which the culprit is reprimanded).
Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Summit Entertainment
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Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.
Crude Language: A few crude situations, but fairly tame compared to most comedies of late.
Obscene Language: None
Profanity: The expression “oh my God” is uttered a couple of times and rather than the misuse of Jesus Christ’s name, someone under duress exclaims, “Miley Cyrus.”
Violence: Though cartoonish, it is endless as the lead character is hit in the groin, spewed by skunk spray several times, chased by a bear, tumbled in a Porta-Potty, stung by hundreds of bees, his face swollen into a scary disfigurement, etc.
Sex: The parents kiss at the end.
Nudity: None
Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: None
Drugs: None
Other: None
Running Time: 91 minutes
Intended Audience: Families
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