Furry Vengeance

Dir: Roger Kumble

2010

*

I can see Aardman studios making a film with the same premise that Furry Vengeance had. I can see that film being really funny too. Unfortunately, Aardman didn't make Furry Vengeance, Image nation (formally Imagenation Abu Dhabi) and Robert Simonds Productions did. Now Image nation have made some great films (The Way Back, The Beaver, The Help), so I don't really blame them. Robert Simonds Productions however, are responsible for films such as This Means War, Problem Child part 1 and 2 and the remakes of Taxi and The Pink Panther. I very much blame them. Furry Vengeance could have been beautiful if they'd just made it simple. Think Home Alone but outside the house rather than in and with animals instead of burglars. With an inventive imagination, creative writing skills and a smidgen of talent, this could have been something quite sweet and funny, for all ages to enjoy. Instead, almost everyone depicted is insulted and dragged through a hedge backwards, especially Brendan Fraser's career. Far too many annoying humans, not enough of the animals. That said, the animals are way too humanized. For example, the animals construct quite an elaborate method of getting a large rock to fall down a slope and hit one of the human's cars, including pulleys, funnel systems and catapults, when they could have just simply pushed it. The 'no humans' message is lost when the animals are seen to high-five, dance, sing and use human objects, such as a telescope. The convoluted and rather contrived story is pointless and tiring. It's painfully unfunny and best avoided.