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When John Cleese was interviewed a few years back for a Fawlty Towers video box-set he had this to say of the movie Fierce Creatures:
"If I had my time again I wouldn't make Fierce Creatures, you're up against an expectation .... I could not win"
He was only stating the obvious. Compared to the mammoth success of A Fish Called Wanda, any movie he released would have been struggling to keep it's head above water.
So consequently when Fierce Creatures was served up to us it left more people yawning than rolling in the aisles. It was a funny, but not outstanding movie that just so happened to be subject to extraordinary expectations. It was a movie that, to quote Cleese again, "could not win".
Had it been a "kick-ass" (everything's bottom's isn't it!!), absolute dynamo of a film, even BETTER than Wanda, full of frantic energy, engaging suspense and "don't call me stupid" esque catch phrases, audiences would have been satisfied and the high they were on from "Fish" would have been maintained. But Fierce Creatures was not that movie and honestly, what movie could have been?. Fierce Creatures WAS a good movie (in my opinion), it just wasn't GOOD enough to follow something as hugely successful as A Fish Called Wanda.
That's not meaning to say that A Fish Called Wanda's huge success was Fierce Creatures's ONLY detractor. Fierce Creatures would have been slightly disappointing anyway (again, in MY opinion only) with or without Wanda. It had very funny premises that I believe could have been explored more. When I first saw A Fish Called Wanda I wasn't that impressed but then I saw it a few more times and began to really like it (I still prefer Fawlty Towers or Python though). But that didn't happen for me with Fierce Creatures so I definitely don't think it's as good a film. However, the biggest weight the film had to carry is still it's comparison by audiences to A Fish Called Wanda.
Finally let me just say that I love BOTH movies, "Fish" just because it's absolutely fantastic and "Creatures" because it's funny, silly and charming, even if not a "great" film. Also, the actors are wonderful,obviously, so that's another thing that helps with Fierce Creatures.
If you haven't seen Fierce Creatures I suggest you do so. It is a good and enjoyable movie. Just don't expect what you have gotten from A Fish Called Wanda. Wanda is, without doubt, a hard act to follow.
Cosette :)
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