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John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Robert Lindsay ... see more see more... , Maria Aitken , John Bardon , Ronnie Corbett , Peter Anthony Elliott , Tom Georgeson , Kate Harper , Gareth Hunt , Pat Keen , Leslie Lowe , Carey Lowell , Choy-Ling Man , Mac McDonald , Michael Percival , Tim Potter , Kenneth Price , Richard Ridings , Ricco Ross , Amanda Walker , David Wood , Alisa Berk , Tessa Crockett , Ron Donachie , Jenny Galloway , Leon Herbert , Anthony Pedley , Kerry Shale , Derek Griffiths , Billie Brown , Cynthia Cleese , John Alexander , Jack Davenport , Valerie Edmond , Dennis Lill , Nicholas Hutchison , Jennie Goossens , Stewart Wright , Susie Blake , Elizabeth O'Brien , Peter Silverleaf , Iain Mitchell , Fred Evans , Lisa Hogan , Kim Vithana , Shawn Francis , Julie Saunders , Terence Conoley , Georgia Reece , Hilary Gish , Nick Bartlett , Kate Alderton , Jo Ann Geary , William Grove , Francis Pope , Jacqui Thomas , Phillip Hill , Holly Hoffman , Mario Kalli , Tina Masskell , Brian King , Kevin Moore , Peter Elliott

The starring cast of the hit A Fish Called Wanda reunited for this farcical comedy, which star and co-screenwriter John Cleese described as "not a sequel, but an equal." When London's Marwood Zoo is p... read more read more...urchased by Octopus, Inc., the multi-national holding company run by New Zealand publishing tycoon Rod McCain (Kevin Kline), the staff is given a firm order: if the zoo is not turning at least a 20% profit soon, it will be shut down. Willa Weston (Jamie Lee Curtis), who was recently hired by McCain to oversee another firm that bit the dust, is assigned to keep a watchful eye over zoo director Rollo Lee (Cleese), who gets the idea that since people seem to enjoy aggressive, violent entertainment at the movies, the zoo should round up and execute all the cute, benign animals and replace them with more vicious specimens to boost attendance. Needless to say, talkative zookeeper Adrian "Bugsy" Malone (Michael Palin) is appalled at this suggestion and attempts to disguise the more timid beasts with fake fangs and daubings of artificial blood. Meanwhile, Rod and his son Vince (also played by Kevin Kline) want the animal displays to be more spectacular, and they hope to boost income by introducing corporate sponsorship with logos pasted on the cages, the staff uniforms, and even the animals themselves. An already complex situation is further tangled by the efforts of Vince, Rod, and Rolo to seduce Willa, whose obsession with the bottom line is compromised by her fondness for the gorillas. Fierce Creatures was originally shot in 1995, but when the original version tested poorly, producers John Cleese and Michael Shamberg opted to reshoot part of the film (most notably the ending), with director Fred Schepisi replacing Robert Young for the revised sequences. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

55% liked it

14,276 ratings

Critics

53% liked it

32 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Fred Schepisi, Robert Young

Release Date: January 24, 1997

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DVD Release Date: January 20, 1998

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Flixster Reviews (598)

  • blkbomb
    September 7, 2011
    blkbomb
    Vince: Round here, he's known as Rod Almighty! 

    "Don't pet them."

    What many have said is that Fierce Creatures is crap compared to the hilarious A Fish Called Wanda. I will say that even if we didn't have A Fish Called Wanda, this would still be a major disappointment. The movi... read moree just doesn't work. It's half as smart and one third as funny. The only thing it has going for it is its returning cast from Wanda. John Cleese always makes movies at least watchable and I will say that this was at least watchable.

    The story takes place in a zoo where a bunch of zookeepers and its original director fight to keep it alive despite a father-son(Kevin Klein) that hurt its integrity and threaten to shut it down. There's nothing here that is at all hilarious and when its at its best, it just manages to be amusing. It all manages to seem like a cash in on Wanda, which in reality, it is.

    Basically the movie recycles the same jokes throughout the movie and the sad thing is that the jokes weren't funny the first time. It's all sexual innuendo sometimes including animals and the jokes are always used in the same context; making for an extremely dull comedy. This was a disappointment in every possible way.
  • moonrivers
    May 23, 2011
    moonrivers
    An hour and a half of smiling!
  • FrizzDrop
    March 22, 2011
    FrizzDrop
    The formula seemed right, as it worked for the critically acclaimed, Oscar winning, laugh riot that is A Fish Called Wanda, but in this toned down, cute animal fest, the same dynamic was lacking. Though John Cleese, who is a great screenwriter as well as a comedian among men, was... read more just as brilliant as ever, the error of casting Michael Palin as some boorish bug zoologist, and Kevin Kline as a spoiled (though it wasn't truly evident) heir to a father who is also played by Kline, was misusing the cast's talents for mediocre roles. Jamie Lee Curtis, who has played the sex centered love interest time and again, should have been given more credit in her role, which underwhelmed. It had some great potential, and there were the occasional laughs, but this just as good as the original. *Spoiler Alert-In the very last scene Cleese calls Curtis Wanda instead of Willa, which at least was a great ode to their past performances together.
  • Passenger1986
    October 3, 2009
    Passenger1986
    If I asked you to name a great movie starring John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin, what's the first thing that comes to your minds? OK, A Fish Called Wanda. And I would say well, you're right. A Fish Called Wanda is a marvelous farcical tour de force. But... read more it's this team-up I really prefer. Probably long forgotten by a majority of people, it's the little film that provides big laughs.

    Although the core cast is the same as A Fish Called Wanda, it is not a sequel of any sorts. While the plot of A Fish Called Wanda is quite enjoyable, Fierce Creatures tries something a little different than a jewel heist-caper. The story goes thus: with an English zoo taken over by Octopus, Inc (hee hee. Little touches like that get bonus points from me. Even a bad film can score a few with things like that), the zoo is under pressure to gain more money. Rollo Lee's (John Cleese, a comedic genius who has never fallen from grace) proposition is to rid the zoo of the "cute and cuddly factor" and keep the vicious, fierce creatures since violence brings in the cash.
    I want to stop the plot synopsis for a moment and comment on how much I love the theme the film is already trying to set up: the idea that people, in order to bring in the long-green/cabbage/insert own slang for money here, people rely on the primal urges of humanity. Even more relevant today, with everything supposedly going "darker and grittier". However, there are two definitions to that term. The true definition is to add a little more reality to something usually considered fantastical. Deeper characterization, making things a little more grim, bittersweet endings, that sort of thing. Watchmen is like that. It's like a deconstruction of your standard superhero comics.
    The other definition, unfortunately, is the one most people latch onto: darker and edgier must mean more violence, T&A, swearing and such. No real deep, underlying themes of the complexity of human life, just guys shooting people while making out with busty blondes who use the F word every three words or so.

    How does this tie in to the plot theme? Well, the second definition of darker and grittier is what Rollo relies on to sell. It takes a jab at the idea that making EVERYTHING dark is a sure-fire way to get money (after Batman Begins, the idea reared its head again). I can see it now: "Frisbee too lame now? Try Kool Extreme Frisbee, dood! It has sharp edges, is painted blood red and takes no shit from anyone! Throw it at your mother, throw it at your teachers, throw it at The Man! The Kool Extreme Frisbee has a bad attitude and lets no woman push him around! KOOL EXTREME FRISBEE! Buy it or be a lameoid!"
    If anyone felt the need to gouge out their eyes after reading that, I apologize. To anyone who wants one now... what the Hell, man? Anyway, my point is, some things do not need to be dark and edgy. Which is also what the movie is trying to say, among other things. Zoos in particular do not need to resort to this kind of gimmick.

    Wow, I haven't really finished explaining the plot but look how big this review has gotten. Anyway, to help oversee the new direction the zoo is taking we have the cocky Vince (Kevin Kline, who also plays Vince's father Rod and is one of the most convincing non-Australians to ever try an Australian accent) and go-getter Willa (Jamie Lee Curtis, one actress I hope isn't thinking of retiring anytime soon). The staff at the zoo are attempting to keep their jobs and resort to all sorts of antics to do so.
    One such example is when the staff fake animal attacks, stating that the usually docile creatures are out for blood. Rollo is shocked at this turn of events and it seems to draw interest from the people currently at the zoo. Of course, this leads to a Fawlty Towers-esque resolution but since Cleese co-created it, you expect that kind of shout-out.
    Although it's already interesting in its own rights, one further aspect I like is that one of the zookeepers (Ronnie Corbett) is trying a different approach. He's wearing a snazzy jacket, has beautiful women assisting him and his appeal is based on showmanship. While he has good intentions and is doing an admirable job, I can't help but wonder if this is another dig at the methods businesses and industries use to draw in crowds. Rather than let the animal's allure do it for him, he's appealing to baser instincts too, only not violence. Rather, he's relying on sex appeal and bright colours to appeal to the masses (OK, that one's not so much about baser instincts but it does work from an advertising standpoint. Apparently, people really love their shiny things). Again, not faulting his good intentions and his novel approach (compared to his co-workers at any rate).

    While they are both very different films and I like them both, the key reason I prefer Fierce Creatures to A Fish Called Wanda is the relationship between the characters played by Jamie Lee Curtis and John Cleese. In A Fish Called Wanda, she's a jewel thief seducing his character, a lawyer, but ends up falling for him for real. Here, she's as interested in the welfare of the zoo as Rollo is and seems genuinely interested in him (though that might also be in relation to her perception of him being some sort of Lothario, in a recurring sex joke that I actually found amusing). Likewise, he grows attached to her and he's a sympathetic man, despite what the staff initially think.
    There's a part early on in the film that paints him in an unfavorable light at first until the truth is revealed, which involves the staff with their animals and them forcing Rollo into something he really doesn't wish to do.

    A smaller thing I owe this movie for is introducing me to a wonderful song. There's a scene in the film in which Vince tries the gimmick of celebrity endorsements and one of which is a tortoise which he says is now "Bruce Springsteen's tortoise". To that end, he plays the song Hungry Heart. Up until seeing this movie, I had never heard that song but it was so amazing that I just had to obtain it. So, to whoever decided to include that song: thank you so very much for introducing a young man to the wonders of Springsteen beyond the already rockin' Dancing In The Dark.

    So, just because it's not exactly like A Fish Called Wanda doesn't mean it's any less valid. It doesn't try to be like it, it just tries to have fun. And it is a lot of fun. It's inventive, it's clever, it's funny. I really hope they get together at least one more time.
  • SirPant
    September 28, 2009
    SirPant
    I didn?t think they could go wrong after the success of A fish called Wanda but unfortunately they did. Shame.
  • deano
    January 7, 2008
    deano
    The cast from A Fish Called Wanda obviously had fun making this nonsequel, but its broader tone provides less of the deft British wit that made their first effort so entertaining. John Cleese plays a stuffy civil servant sent to increase a zoo's profit margin, a task he em... read morebraces by suggesting to relocate all cuddy animals and concentrate solely on "fierce" creatures. Jamie Lee Curtis is the corporate shark sent to help Cleese; Michael Palin is one of the flustered keepers. Kevin Kline plays two roles, neither very successfully. The plot essentially disappears midway through the disjointed film, although the rising sexual tension between Cleese and Curtis is pretty funny.
  • DrStrangeblog
    October 12, 2010
    DrStrangeblog
    Funny in spurts and better than expected. Not a glowing recommendation is it? Best to say that if you enjoyed 'A Fish Called Wanda' then you'll probably find some chuckles here too.
  • SunilJawahir
    March 18, 2009
    SunilJawahir
    Maybe not as good as A Fish Called Wanda but pretty close.
  • jim222001us
    March 5, 2009
    jim222001us
    Fierce Creatures isn't a sequel to a Fish Called Wanda, but it does bring the whole cast back together. It's about workers at an English Zoo who are trying to keep it from being taken over.

    It's not as good as Wanda, but the cast is still in good form. Kevin Kline isn't as ... read moreingenious as he was in a Fish Called Wanda, he's still pretty funny though. The worth seeking out if you liked A Fish Called Wanda.
  • AlaineB
    April 23, 2011
    AlaineB
    This felt like humor from at least a couple decades ago rather than 1997. If you like English-ish humor you'll probably enjoy this. I thought it was just OK. Good cast.

View All Fierce Creatures Reviews

Critic Reviews

Susan Wloszczyna
January 1, 2000
Susan Wloszczyna, USA Today

The spirited cast of Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Monty Pythonites John Cleese and Michael Palin is willing. But this tossed-together trifle about an unassuming British zoo taken over by a money-...

Carrie R. Wheadon
March 20, 2012
Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media

Some funny moments peppered with lots of sexual innuendo. Full Review

David Nusair
April 10, 2008
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

Chock full of wacky misunderstandings and bawdy innuendo... Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson
January 1, 2005
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com

Fiercely funny! Full Review

Luke Y. Thompson
May 7, 2003
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times

A sporadically funny but very confused follow-up to A Fish Called Wanda.

Clint Morris
April 27, 2003
Clint Morris, Moviehole

If you disliked "Wanda", you'll loathe this!

Ken Hanke
April 24, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Pretty funny semi-sequel to A Fish Called Wanda.

Dan Lybarger
February 23, 2003
Dan Lybarger, Nitrate Online

It has little of the wit and none of the bite of "A Fish Called Wanda."

Karina Montgomery
January 25, 2003
Karina Montgomery, Cinerina

close nut no banana

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
August 28, 2002
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Rollercoaster ride of comic pranks. Full Review

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    • Vince McCain/Rod McCain: (Describing Rollo) He looks like he's borrowed his body for the weekend, and hasn't figured out how it works yet!
    • Vince McCain/Rod McCain: I don't like you. You're weird and unattractive.
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Fierce Creatures Trivia

  • In which film does Jamie Lee Curtis play Willa Weston?  Answer »
  • what 2 movies starred Jamie Lee Curtis,Kevin Kline and John Cleese?  Answer »
  • Which of the following comedians did not appear in Fierce Creatures?  Answer »
  • Is the film Fierce Creatures a sequel to the hit comedy A Fish Called Wanda?  Answer »
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