Fierce Creatures

"Not a sequel, but an equal", proclaimed the voice-over in the cinema trailer for Fierce Creatures. A different story, different roles, but it is the same artists behind this film as behind "A Fish Called Wanda". The roles are not that fundamentally different from the ones the leads played in "Wanda", though. Nor can Cleese's humour be mistaken.

Marwood Zoo in England has just been taken over by media mogul and financial giant Rod McCain, who wants to see money pouring into the zoo and on into his pockets. So the zoo is to feature only fierce creatures that can lure in the public for a thrill. The tight-lipped Briton Rollo Lee has just been appointed director of the zoo, but he is joined by businesswoman Willa Weston, who in turn is joined by Rod McCain's useless son Vince. Both Willa and Rollo Lee, who are drawn to each other, realise with help from the animals and their keepers that the zoo must be run with respect for the animals, while Vince is busy turning the zoo into an advertising circus in which the animals play only a peripheral role. At the same time Vince is convinced that he is quite irresistible, yet his charm bounces right off Willa.

The ending is a real happy ending. The original ending, which I would like to get acquainted with, did not go down well with the test audience, as it was too harsh and probably also more in keeping with the Pythons' humour... Money makes the world go round.

As with "Wanda", you rarely roar with laughter. Rather, you chuckle at regular intervals. Kevin Kline is quite wonderful in the dual role of the uncivilised Australian-born media king and his insufferable son. The story is a bit thin, with rather too many crude allusions to Curtis's breasts, but also several sparkling individual scenes.