Fierce Creatures (PG-13) ★★★

Anyone who has missed Basil Fawlty since the end of the BBC TV series Fawlty Towers need look no further than Fierce Creatures. Although age had mellowed him a little and he's going by a different name, there's no doubt that John Cleese's screen persona is derived from England's most inept and inhospitable hotel manager. The same manic energy, the same impatience, the same capacity for getting into unbelievably comic situations, and even the same mustache are evident. All that's missing is a porter from Barcelona named Manuel.

After the unexpected success of 1988's A Fish Called Wanda, John Cleese began planning a movie that would reunite the entire cast. After flirting with the concept of a direct sequel, he decided instead to invent new characters for the actors to play. Eight years later, Cleese's idea finally reached screens, and, while it's not quite as bold, funny, or endearing as Wanda, it's still good for numerous hearty laughs, which is more than can be said for most comedies these days.

Fierce Creatures had something of a troubled production history. A version of the film was ready in late 1995, but, after test audiences hated the original ending, Cleese decided that certain scenes should be re-filmed. However, Michael Palin was unavailable for nearly eight months. By the time all the actors were ready to regroup, director Robert Young was working on another project. So Fred Schepisi (along with his cinematographer, Ian Baker) was brought in for the re-shoots. Happily, the transition is seamless. It's impossible to determine what was part of the original version and what was added in the second phase.

Cleese's script (co-written with Iain Johnstone) reads like a series of skits loosely connected by a flimsy storyline. The chief pleasure here is that several of the individual sketches are gut-bustingly funny. One of Cleese's fortes has always been humor based on mistaken assumptions, and Fierce Creatures features quite a lot of these (for example, the "girls" that everyone thinks Cleese is hiding in his room are actually animals, not women). There's also enough crude (but still effective) sexual innuendo that an "R" rating wouldn't have been out of the question (although the MPAA granted a "PG-13"). Only the flatulence bits don't really work.

The rather convoluted storyline starts in Atlanta, where Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) arrives for work in her new post with Octopus Inc. to find out that multi-billionaire Rod McCain (Kevin Kline) has changed her job description. Now, along with his bumbling son, Vince (Kline again), she's supposed to go to England to take over management of the Marwood Zoo, which has to boost its profits by 20% or face closure. Meanwhile, the current zoo manager, Rollo Lee (John Cleese), has decided that the best way to increase revenue is to promote violence ("Sylvester Stallone did not get where he is today by playing in Jane Austen", he says). As a result, only fierce creatures are to be retained in captivity. Much to the consternation of the various animal keepers (Michael Palin, Cynthia Cleese, Ronnie Corbett, ex-Bond girl Carey Lowell), Lee decides that all the tame, cuddly animals must be eliminated -- one way or the other.

Expectedly, the best thing about Fierce Creatures is Cleese. We see him so infrequently these days that any extended appearance is welcome indeed. The comedian's mannerisms and reactions can turn an ordinary scene into something funny. Kevin Kline gets to play two roles, and, while he is given a few opportunities to recall Otto from Wanda, his performance isn't as fresh or unique. Curtis, despite being at her sexy best, doesn't make Willa as real as Wanda. Michael Palin, who stuttered his way through the first movie, can't stop talking this time around. Wanda supporting characters Maria Aitken, Tom Georgeson, and Cynthia Cleese (John's daughter) are joined by a few new faces. But, while this ensemble cast exhibits chemistry, it's not at the same high level that it was during the original grouping.

This isn't a great movie -- the comedy is uneven and the connecting storyline is weak -- but it's still a lot of fun. So, while it will never replace any of the top comedies on Cleese's resume, Fierce Creatures works well as a complement to either Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda, or, preferably, both.

© 2020 James Berardinelli