Parents' Guide to

The Happytime Murders

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Vulgar humor outweighs positives in raunchy puppet movie.

Movie R 2018 91 minutes
The Happytime Murders Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 23 parent reviews

IncognitoMom
IncognitoMom Parent of 10, 13, 14, 15 and 16-year-old
March 22, 2023
age 18+

Awful movie.

Sad that this trash was made by Jim Henson’s company. It is vulgar and full of violence and sex, yet made with puppets so it’s enticing to kids. Distasteful on many levels. Avoid.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
breck I.
breck I. Parent of 10, 12, 14, 15 and 16-year-old
February 8, 2023
age 15+
I don’t like Happytime murders

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 23 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS, private detective Phil Philips (Bill Barretta) lives in a world in which puppets aren't viewed as humans' equals. Phil was once a cop, partnered with Detective Edwards (Melissa McCarthy), until a mishap cost him his job. Then a pretty puppet, Sandra (Dorien Davies), walks into Phil's office and hires him to look into a blackmailing. His first clue brings him to an adult video shop, where a masked killer shoots everyone in sight, including the bunny Mr. Bumblypants (Kevin Clash), who was once on the popular 1980s TV show The Happytime Gang. Phil learns from his brother, Larry (Victor Yerrid), that the show is going to be syndicated, which will bring in new cash for the cast. But then Larry is also murdered. As Phil investigates further, now reluctantly re-paired with Detective Edwards, other members of the Happytime gang meet their ends, with Phil nearby each time. Can Phil and Edwards solve the mystery before Phil gets blamed for the murders?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (23):
Kids say (15):

Despite some good ideas, a likable cast, and a halfway decent mystery, this vulgar, naughty puppet show is far more interested in being juvenile and shocking than in being entertaining or inventive. Brian Henson, son of the legendary Jim Henson and the director of The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, somehow thought this was a good idea, even though movies like Team America: World Police, Ted, and Sausage Party already pushed the envelope for raunchy humor in otherwise "kid"-oriented formats.

None of the so-called envelope-pushing humor here is funny -- not puppet sex, not puppets being addicted to sugar like a drug, and not the heavy swearing. Unfortunately, that stuff makes up most of The Happytime Murders. McCarthy is, as usual, amusing, and she shares some fun chemistry with Phil's character. But ideas like puppet "racism" and sugar addiction are barely explored, plopped casually into the movie as if they, too, were simply jokes. The movie is paced well and the story isn't bad; if only it could have focused on something other than tired, nasty humor, it might have been worthwhile.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Happytime Murders depicts addiction. Does it seem any less intense because the characters are puppets or because they're addicted to sugar? Are these sequences funny?

  • How violent is the movie? Does the violence have less of an impact because it involves puppets?

  • How is sex portrayed? What values are imparted?

  • How does the movie's over-the-top humor compare to the more wholesome humor of the Muppet movies?

  • What does the movie have to say about discrimination? Does it offer any lessons that can be applied to real life?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate