Fierce Creatures

Plot synopsis:
The film opens with Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) arriving in Atlanta to take a high ranking position in a company recently acquired by Octopus Inc.'s owner, Rod McCain (Kevin Kline). But Rod informs her that he has already sold the company where she was to work. Willa then agrees to run another recent acquisition, Marwood Zoo, in an attempt to create a business model that can be used for multiple zoos in the future. Rod McCain's son Vincent (Kevin Kline), who feels an unreciprocated attraction to Willa, announces that he will join her at the zoo.
The newly appointed director of the zoo is a retired Hong Kong Police Force officer and former Octopus Television employee, Rollo Lee (John Cleese). In order to meet Octopus's revenue target of 20% from all assets, Rollo institutes a "fierce creatures" theme on the assumption that dangerous and violent animals will attract more visitors. All animals not meeting those requirements must go. All the animal keepers, including spider-handler Bugsy (Michael Palin), make various attempts to get Rollo to change his mind. One of which is getting Rollo to exterminate five cute animals himself. But Rollo, seeing through their prank, fakes the animals' extermination. Rolls keeps the animals in his bedroom which later caused Willa and Vincent to misunderstand that Rollo is having sex orgy with female staff.
Rollo discovers that several staffs are faking horrific animal attack injuries. Rollo fires several warning shots at those responsible and Reggae (Ronnie Corbett) rushed in, mistook one of them is shot. Rollo then finds a visitor who has had a genuine accident but, not believing it is real, tastes the blood of the visitor whilst loudly proclaiming that it is fake. Just then Willa and Vincent arrive and this fiasco sees Rollo demoted to middle management. Vince even threatens to fire him if his apparent activities with female staff do not cease.
Vince covers zoo and animals alike with advertisements after secretly garnering sponsors; dresses the staff in ridiculous outfits and installs an artificial panda in one the enclosures. His continued attempts to seduce Willa fail, while she comes to enjoy working at the zoo, after having a close encounter with a silver-back gorilla. She finds herself attracted to Rollo after becoming fascinated by his apparent ability to attract multiple women. When Rollo attempts to have a discussion about Vince's marketing plan, she suggests they have dinner. But she is forced to postpone when she remembers Rod is coming from Atlanta to discuss the running of the zoo.
Worried that the visit may be part of a plan to close the zoo, Rollo and the zookeepers quickly bug Rod's hotel room to find out. Although the plan goes awry, they learn that Rod wants to turn over the zoo to the Japanese to make a golf-course and is not intending to die.
Upon discovering that Vince has stolen sponsorship money he raised, Willa warns him to return it, or else, she will tell Rod. When Rollo attempts to work out how the theft can be traced,he and Willa finally kiss, just as Vince arrives to return the money. A confrontation takes place first at the zoo office, and then outside as Willa, Rollo, Bugsy and several others attempt to stop Vince from running off with the money. Bugsy refuses to shut up, so Vince loses his temper and grabs a pistol from the management office. Rod arrives just as Vince is being subdued and announces the police are on their way to arrest Vince for stealing. Vince tries and fails to shoot his father, but then Bugsy takes the pistol and accidentally shoots Rod between the eyes.
In the panic that follows, a plan emerges to fool Neville (Bille Brown) and the arriving police. The keepers work together to dress Vince up as Rod, since he can imitate his father's accent fairly well. When the police and Neville arrive, Vince (as Rod) tells them that he has re-written Rod's will, specifying that the zoo will become a trust of the caretakers while Vince will inherit everything else, and he wants all of them to be witnesses. After signing the new will, Vince locks himself in a caretaker hut where he feigns Rod's suicide. Although Neville becomes suspicious, he is left dumbstruck when he discovers the dead body of his boss in the hut (and Vince promptly fires him before he can recover).
Now free, the zookeepers destroy the evidence of McCain's ownership. Vince becomes the new CEO of Octopus, while Willa and Rollo happily begin a new life together continuing to run the zoo.

Tags: cult, comedy, humor

Review:
"Fierce Creatures" was marketed as a somewhat adventurous endeavour in teaming up much of the old team from the highly acclaimed "A Fish called Wanda" to do another film that was completely different and had nothing the same, except much of the cast.Does this have the same sparkle?
Put in charge is Rollo Lee (John Cleese), who is then somewhat overthrown by new recruit Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis) and McCain's 'idiot' son Vince (also Kline).
It's by no means the best comedy put on film but it has a lot of the same laughs as a normal Cleese-written comedy; in some ways the character of Rollo Lee is very much like the character of Basil Fawlty.
Yes, I know it wasn't as good as A Fish Called Wanda (which it was the unofficial "sequel" to - being not a continuation of the same characters, but featuring all the same lead actors, in roughly the same configuration and relation to one another as in the previous film).
All the while, a budding romance between Cleese and Curtis is playing out behind the scenes, and the two eventually join forces to try and save the zoo from the clutches of the crass and evil conglomerate.Any one of the comic scenarios the film-makers bring up would be worth exploring to the end.
Although Cleese's character is somewhat 'Fawlty-esque', and let's face it - this is what he does best, I found it thoroughly enjoyable.Jamie lee Curtis and Michael Palin do equally well, though Palin's character is almost as frustrating / annoying as was his role in 'Wanda', but I don't think this detracts from the enjoyability factor of the film.This is an uplifting, and heart-warming affair, packed full of laughs, but with a more than reasonable plot line, and I really liked the ending, which cleverly capitalizes on Klines excellent character acting.If I had to level any sort of criticism at 'Fierce creatures', it would be in the soundtrack department - i just didn't think it was as good as it could have been - but this makes little difference to the overall flow of the film, and I have no hesitation in awarding it 9.5 out of 10, and recommending it to anyone that enjoys a well made and endearing, quality comedy..
It may be that Michael Palin is just so damn funny and typically Monty Python-like in the film, it may be that Jamie Lee Curtis has a surprising amount of comedic talent, it may be that Kevin Kline is excellent in both of his roles in the film...
The acting is very good, but one wouldn't expect any less from such names as John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin.
I understand that this is, in some ways, apparently a sequel to the late-80's comedy A Fish Called Wanda; now, I haven't seen that film, so I can't really comment on how the two relate to each other, but if "Wanda" is in any way as funny as this movie, I'm gonna have to see it sometime.
What makes is outstanding, are the four partners in crime as written by John Cleese and played by Cleese himself, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, and Kevin Kline that were simply incredible, and, let's face it, despite being criminals and back-stabbers, you would love them all.
The best, the funniest moments play off mistaken assuming that John Cleese's character Rollo, ex-cop appointed the London Marwood Zoo Director, is a sexy beast for whom one woman is not enough.
The film has so many hilarious jokes and witty references not only to A Fish Called Wanda but to Monty Python series that by the time of the conclusion, I had enough fun and laughs to tolerate and forgive the loud and messy final act..
Kevin Kline plays a double role as a media mogul (obviously based on Rupert Murdoch) and the mogul's parasitic son, totally indifferent about animals; both characters will probably make your skin crawl.Most of the humor here involves things such as men getting caught with their pants down and Freudian slips.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin play the only two 100% respectable characters in the movie, but you gotta love the other stars' performances.
When a old farting heartless corporate mogul (Oscar-Winner:Kevin Kline) takes over a failing Zoo. The mogul is hoping to make money out of it by hiring a new Zoo director (John Clesse) by making the animals fiercer under the supervision of a bright business woman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the dumb mogul's son (Played by Kline also).
The bad guys are Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, and John Cleese, at least until Curtis and Cleese fall for each other.Cleese intends to make money from the zoo by offing all the cuddly little animals and replacing them with "fierce creatures." The tree huggers who run the zoo and love all the animals try to convince the dim-witted Cleese that the cuddly things are in actuality deadly when provoke, telling him tales of people who have torn to shreds by an angry lemur and other nonsense.Cleese is persuaded not to kill the animals but he advertises them all as Dangerous to Man and, to boost profits, drags in merchandising in various forms.
One has to forget the concern that might be felt for characters in pain in most movies or TV shows, and just enjoy the moment.John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis both do fine jobs here.
Despite the fact that this movie isn't a sequel to "A Fish Called Wanda", many people like to compare this "Fierce Creatures" with it.
This movie is from the same people who starred in the english comedy "a fish called wanda"!!A tycoon takes over a zoo.
Eventually the son and the zoo staff come up with a way to save the zoo!!If you Kevin Kline(in 2 roles),John Cleese(The Out of Towners,The World is Not Enough), Jamie Lee Curtis(True Lies,Halloween) and Micheal Palin(I dont know anything about him,Sorry!!) , then you might like this farce about a very strange zoo with the "fish called wanda" gang!!!.
As with Wanda, though, it's Kevin Kline who really steals the show - this time in a dual role, as the Murdoch-like head of the conglomerate and his stupid slimeball son who has big plans for the zoo (as well as getting into Curtis's pants).
As with Wanda, though, it's Kevin Kline who really steals the show - this time in a dual role, as the Murdoch-like head of the conglomerate and his stupid slimeball son who has big plans for the zoo (as well as getting into Curtis's pants).
Jon Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and  Micheal Palin make this one of the funniest movies of all time..
John's and Kevin's characters were not as interesting to watch in this film when compared to their performances in a fish called wanda.
John Cleese is much more enjoyable as characters who more closely resemble the refined, innocent man finding himself turning to sinful desire and being conflicted about the entire process (such as he played in a fish called wanda) and is not nearly as interesting to watch as the fast talking, sarcastic, hyper, off-the-hinge, raspy voiced, domineering man in charge (such as he played in fierce creatures and rat race).
Sadly the latter has become his go to role and it lacks depth of some of his former roles of conflict over innocence and desire.Kevin Kline was much more interesting to watch as the dangerous, manly, cunning, jealous, criminal airhead that he played in a fish called wanda more so than the character he played in this movie which was more less masculine, more effeminate (scarf wearing entrance), metrosexual, suit and tie, submissive, airhead, incompetent son who pervertedly and awkwardly pines for dates with the ladies..
It seemed that after the legendary Monty Python films and TV series, the brilliant Fawlty Towers and the hilarious A Fish Called Wanda, writer-actor John Cleese couldn't go wrong.
Rather than laughing, it pained me to see such a talented cast as Cleese, Palin, Kline, Curtis and  Aitken wasted in undeveloped roles as they waddle through this puerile, unfunny and badly written film.How can people say this is better than Fish Called Wanda?
I think the box office takings speak for themselves: Wanda - US$150 million, Fierce Creatures - US$20 million.I tried watching this film a second time, to see if it gets better, it didn't.
Whatever you do, forget this piece of trash and watch something by Monty Python or A Fish Called Wanda, which is John Cleese at his absolute writing and acting best..
"Fierce Creatures" reunites basically the entire starring cast from that movie (John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin and Kevin Kline) but gives them a totally unrelated and original story to work with (although the very last scene of the movie does pay homage to the earlier movie, as Cleese's character inadvertently calls Curtis's "Wanda.") So this isn't a sequel in any way, shape or form.
But if you've ever seen "A Fish Called Wanda" you're going to be painfully aware that this isn't as good.In this, Curtis is actually playing Willa Weston, an employee of a media mogul who's just bought a zoo in England and - unknown to Willa, who's sent to take charge of it - is planning to close it.
(Cleese is perhaps the only one of the stars who I thought was as good and as much fun as in "Wanda.") Kline played both the mogul and his son Vince, sent with Willa, and in love with her (and equally convinced that she's in love with him) while Palin played one of the zookeepers, with a particular soft spot for tarantulas.It is, in fact, nowhere near as good as "A Fish Called Wanda." What I liked about it, though, was that it did make me laugh out loud several times - and many so-called comedies don't do that, and don't even come close to doing that.
The actors are great, they work well together but the script just seems flat.One amusing little bit is that again John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis wind up as lovers as they did in their previous movie.
With the return of the main cast of Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin and Cleese, its follow-up, "Fierce Creatures" overcompensates with its touchy-feely sentimentality for animals locked in cages.
Here, some jabs are taken at American corporate greed, and, at least, Kline gets to play dual roles again--more obviously this time by playing two different characters, but Curtis is entirely reduced to being a prize for the hero, and instead of counter jab at the English, there's a running gag of Cleese being mistaken as sexually promiscuous.Sure, it's funny in parts.
This film reunites the cast of "A Fish Called Wanda." I've never seen it but I have seen "Fierce Creatures" and Kevin Kline is one of my favorite actors.When I watched this film I laughed as much as I laughed during Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
John Cleese appears to now have "got lucky" with his previous effort, "A Fish Called Wanda" as this garbage, masquerading as a comedy fails to meet any criteria required of one.The crude caricature of an Australian media magnate, played by Kevin Kline sums up the movie.
I would certainly be rating this film much lower if it was not for the undeniable chemistry and comic timing between Kevin Kline, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin.
As much as it is a pleasure to see these four on screen once again, Fierce Creatures is a let down for fans of both Monty Python and A Fish Called Wanda, if you see it on television it is worth a watch, but do not go out of your way to see it.
A follow-up to the wildly popular 'A Fish Called Wanda', starring the same four legendary actors, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin.
In order to boost profits, Lee decides to institute a "fierce creatures" policy that means, that only potentially deadly animals will be featured in the zoo.Clesse's Writing is funny at parts, but at times, it's dumb.
Even Maria Aitken, who was great as the wife in A Fish Called Wanda, has a small part in this film, which she plays well.The script for this movie is excellent.
Fierce Creatures is the quasi-sequel to the great A Fish Called Wanda, a movie I need to revisit as well.
Well, of course it's no "A Fish Called Wanda", but be realistic; how often can one obtain perfection?This still has a lot of laughs for me, like when the zoo workers try to convince Cleese how dangerous some actually harmless animals are, or the corporate sponsorship gags, or even how Kline and Curtis mistook Cleese for a sex machine.
Well, the comedy quad of John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, and Kevin Kline have done it again.
A fish called Wanda was a classic Adult comedy.this has a PG so its more Carry On.this has its share of belly laughs.the movie has a Terrific cast.Kline was great as the inept son.Cleese was also excellent.the supporting cast Robert Lindsay Ronnie Corbett and Derek Griffiths are given little to do which was a shame.the music score by my favourite composer is probably his worst score ever.Carey Lowell one of the best ever Bond Girls has a thankless role.but as a comedy it made me laugh.nice and colourful a great movie.
The cast is still great as is the script.Rollo Lee(Cleese)is determined to change the image of his zoo by only putting fierce animals in the cages for the public to see while his staff(which includes the always funny Michael Palin)tries to stop it.
That is to say, none of the actors involved in the two movies -  John Cleese, Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline - play the same characters, and the setting is completely different.
It's not nearly as good as "A fish called Wanda", which deserves to be remembered.To me, this movie fails not so much in the comic timing or its delivery - the situation development is clearly Cleese, and smacks of the classic 'Fawlty Towers' episodes - but the subject matter.
The big brash head of the company (Kevin Kline) demands a 20% return on his money from all his enterprises, so he hires a chinese ex-policeman called Rollo Lee (John Cleese - and no, he doesn't look chinese at all) to supervise the zoo's earnings and get them over the 20% limit.
To do this, he demands that the only animals allowed in the zoo are supposed to be fierce man-eaters, to get the audiences.Well, the boss sends two supervisors; his son (Kevin Kline again, he can't resist those roles where he gets to dress up) and a girl called Willa (Jamie Lee Curtis).
This is one of the funniest pictures I have seen .Even though their was some confusion regarding if this was a sequel to a Fish Called Wanda which it wasn't.People just thought that because of the actors.but this movie is hysterical and a little violent but funny violent not morbid.****.
Arguably the greatest quartet of actors (John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin) assembled for a movie return one more time in "Fierce Creatures", an unofficial reunion of the major players from the excellent "A Fish Called Wanda".
Kline's son (played by Kline again) and new employee Jamie Lee Curtis come to take over the duties of former director John Cleese (keeping him on in a lesser role) and Curtis falls in love with the way the zoo is while Kline thinks about nothing except making money.
So is John Cleese, Michael Palin, Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis.Fierce Creatures is not a sequel to the hilarious A Fish Called Wanda from 1988, it just a film that contains the same main actors playing entirely different characters.Cleese plays Rollo Lee a former Chinese policeman now Director of an English Zoo for a new parent company ingeniously named Octopus Inc. It is Octopus's policy to bring all businesses up to a rigid 20% profit margin or risk being closed down.
because its a different movie and i think the critics were expecting a sequel of Wanda...what they get is something even more original, even funnier and in keeping with British farce with a plot...we get good comedy, beautiful ladies and brilliant performances from the animals...one of the funniest scenes is the hotel spider set always makes me laugh.If u ever need to introduce a fierce creatures policy - watch this film on NOT how to do it.....its an education.
At the same time Rollo must contend with Willa Weston and Vince McCain (Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline) who are overseeing this latest acquisition by the company to make sure it makes money.You see the problem with this comedy is the fact they have tried to basically remake 'Wanda'.
The film comprises of the actors from A Fish Called Wanda, but unlike the previous movie, the comedy in Fierce Creatures is much more Pythonisque.
I didn't really enjoy "A Fish Called Wanda" mostly because of the total lack of scenes between Cleese's character and Michael Palin's.
Anyway, A Fish Called Wanda was a fantastic comedy written by John Cleese, this follow-up may not be as funny, but it is quite fun to watch.
The moments between Rollo (John Cleese) and Willa (Wanda- I mean Jamie Lee Curtis) are even more forced than in A Fish Called Wanda, which was at least part deliberate.
Fierce Creatures (1997): Dir: Fred Schepisi, Robert Young / Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Robert Lindsay: Not a sequel to the superior A Fish Called Wanda as it is a reunion of the cast.