‘The Happytime Murders’ Early Buzz: This Could Be The Worst Movie Of The Summer

By Jacob Hall/Aug. 22, 2018 3:37 pm EST

Well, the first reviews for the film are in and they’re…not good. In fact, more than several critics are calling this the worst film of the summer, if not the year. Take a look for yourself.

Collider’s Jeff Sneider didn’t write a review, but he did post a positive tweet. One of the few.

IGN offers one of the most positive reviews of the bunch, singling out the craft of the puppeteers and how the raunchy humor works to make a point:

So I know I saw it for free while high on sugar, but I liked THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS. Not sure what Film Twitter was expecting from an R-rated puppet comedy. Sure, the ads give away the best gags, but I dug the world, the characters & the MYSTERY. Plus, Melissa & Maya are funny AF.

— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) August 22, 2018

Daily Dead provided one of the few truly and completely positive takes:

The New York Times isn’t effusive in its praise, but it is certainly kinder than many other critics:

Nerdist found the two main characters, Melissa McCarthy’s cop and Bill Barretta’s puppet P.I., to be a surprisingly effective duo:

The Hollywood Reporter is warmer than most, praising the script and Henson’s direction:

However, the kind notices end there. IndieWire straight-up calls the film the worst release of the summer:

ScreenCrush echoes that sentiment, calling it the worst movie of the summer as well:

An admirably debased but deeply unfunny Muppet noir that opens with a porn-addicted bunny getting his head blown off, it peaks with a Robert De Niro-inspired puppet ejaculating silly string all over his office, and presumably ends with a post-credit scene in which all of the actors fire their agents (full disclosure: I fled the theater during the blooper reel).

Vanity Fair takes it a step further and calls it the worst movie of the year:

The Guardian doesn’t have many nice things to say either:

Variety says that the film front-loads its dirtiest jokes and then runs out of steam:

Pajiba says that Henson’s eye and ear for comedy ultimately ring hollow:

The Village Voice despairs at the lack of imagination on display:

The Happytime Murders opens in theaters on August 24, 2018. Look for /Film’s review soon.