Fierce Creatures (1997)

Directors:

Fred Schepisi
Robert Young

Writers:

John Cleese (writer) &
Iain Johnstone (writer)

Release Date:

24 January 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Don't pet them.

Plot:

Zookeepers struggle to deal with the policies of changing directors.

Plot Keywords:

Zoo | Animal | Marketing | Actor Playing Multiple Roles | Black Mood

Cast

John Cleese	...	Rollo Lee
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Willa Weston
Kevin Kline	...	Vince McCain / Rod McCain
Robert Lindsay	...	Sydney Lotterby
Michael Palin	...	Adrian 'Bugsy' Malone
Ronnie Corbett	...	Reggie Sea Lions
Carey Lowell	...	Cub Felines
Bille Brown	...	Neville
Derek Griffiths	...	Garry Ungulates
Cynthia Cleese	...	Pip Small Mammals
Richard Ridings	...	Hugh Primates
Maria Aitken	...	Di Harding
Michael Percival	...	Ant Keeper
Fred Evans	...	Flamingo Keeper
Lisa Hogan	...	Sea lion Keeper

Also Known As:

Death Fish II (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34999) | South Korea:15 | Ireland:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Germany:12 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

England, UK

Company:

Fish Productions

Trivia:

Made by the same team as A Fish Called Wanda (1988). The two films have more than 20 cast and crew members in common, including all the major performers from the earlier film (although some of them only have bit parts in this movie).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Willa tells Vince she had an extraordinary experience with the gorilla, we hear her say "yesterday", but she is obviously saying "this morning".

Quotes:

Willa Weston: You know what you are? You're pronoid.
Vince McCain: "Pronoid"?
Willa Weston: Mm-hmm. It means that contrary to all the available evidence, you actually think that people like you. Your perception of life is that it's one long benefit dinner in *your* honor with everybody cheering *you* on and wanting *you* to win everything. You think you're the prince, Vince.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in What the Pythons Did Next... (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Hungy Heart

Insanely funny

Rollo is the director of a London zoo which is not making enough money for billionaire Rod McCain, who doesn't need the money but doesn't care. His idea is to get rid of all animals that are not "fierce creatures" because the less dangerous animals don't produce enough revenue. The zoo employees try in vain to persuade Rollo that some of the animals are in fact fierce, but it doesn't work. Rollo's solution turns out to be quite hilarious, and not as demented as it might seem.

But Rod is not happy with the job Rollo is doing, and he sends Vince and Willa to make improvements. With hilarious results. The zoo employees look like NASCAR drivers and every exhibit appears to have a sponsor.

Add to that a naughty sense of humor. For example, while Rollo is hiding some of the less desirable animals in his sleeping quarters, Willa (on the phone) thinks he has numerous women with him. Plenty of other evidence of Rollo's supposed womanizing gets him in even more trouble. And then there is the time the woman falls down steps and needs an ambulance. One has to forget the concern that might be felt for characters in pain in most movies or TV shows, and just enjoy the moment.

John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis both do fine jobs here. Cleese has an insane sense of humor, though his consideration for others lacks the outrageousness of Basil Fawlty. That's probably a good thing; Kevin Klines's two characters do enough of that sort of thing. Curtis does her best work when not even saying a word, making expert use of facial expressions. Plus she has a hot body and shows it off in tight and often revealing outfits.

I don't think I'd recommend this for children. But it might appeal to the Monty Python fans.