Furry Vengeance
Posted on August 17, 2010 at 8:06 am
Some movies are content to settle for the lowest common denominator, combining trashy ethnic stereotypes, bathroom humor and cheesy slapstick jokes in the hope of luring audiences for a cheap laugh.
But some movies aspire to go even lower. “Furry Vengeance” is that movie.
Keep your children far away from this odious film about an unscrupulous developer who is bulldozing a forest to make room for houses and ultimately, “a shopping mall with a forest theme.” Brendan Fraser plays the local manager for the developer. He has moved his
wife Tammy (played by Brooke Shields) and his son Tyler (played by Matt Prokop) from Chicago to the small town of Rocky Springs to supervise the construction of a few homes, not realizing that the master plan is to demolish the entire forest. The woodland creatures
(led by a wily raccoon) have figured out the sinister plot and launch an insurrection against Frazer and his company to protect their forest.
The movie “Idiocracy” imagines a future day when our society will be so dumbed down that we will be entertained by TV shows consisting of nothing but jokes about a man being hit in the crotch. Well, gentle readers, that day is here. Brendan Fraser not only suffers the predictable “I-landed- on the peak of a roof and it went right into my crotch” pratfall, but also the “a raccoon is biting me the crotch and won’t let go” and even some new ones: after he has been submerged in the pond Fraser announces, “I need to remove a leech from my no-no zone.” Then there’s the time his woodland foes adjust his lawn sprinkler to spray him in the crotch and the embarrassed Frazer announces ” look at Mr. Pee-Pee pants.”
It’s hard to think of who might not be offended by this wretched movie. Frazer’s ruthless Asian boss from the home office talks in a screechy sing-song voice, relies on calculators, electronic gadgets and hand sanitizers. The equally unscrupulous money men from India fare no better (“If my Indian investors wanted to be reminded of pollution they would stay home in Calcutta. Stinko!”) And of course, the movie doesn’t miss the opportunity to make fun of the difference between American Indians and citizens of India (“Wigwam? Teepee? Squaw?”) Then there’s the stereotyped Mexican laborer at the construction site, or the elderly teacher who is senile and annoys everybody with her slow pace and long lapses.
The entire movie is speckled with excrement, both literally and figuratively. Brendan Fraser gets trapped in a port-a-potty which rolls over and over and gets turned upside down. Birds with extreme digestive problems dive-bomb their enemies and spatter them with bird poop. When the Indian financier is about to sign the contract, a big wad of excrement spatters on the document and a discussion ensues about who is going to clean it off. And when it seems the prop department might have run out of excrement, skunks spew thick clouds of noxious fumes and animals spray other bodily fluids on their beleaguered foes.
Gender is treated in an equally appalling way. Fraser, with soap in his eyes, reaches out for a towel and ends up drying his face with his wife’s bra, which then unaccountably slips onto his arms so that it looks like he has been wearing it. At this moment, the woodland creatures raise the curtains so that the construction workers outside believe Frazer is a cross-dresser. The animals further cement this idea when they trick Fraser into wearing his wife’s pink exercise outfit (with the words “yum yum” written on the butt) out in public.
Normally, I try to find something good to say about each movie I review. Dear readers, I am speechless.
Parents should know that this film has non-stop extremely crude and graphic humor with many crotch hits and a lot of animal poop. Some of the humor is based on ethnic and gender stereotypes including some mild homophobia.
Family discussion: Does this movie make you think differently about the impact of human activities on animals and the environment?
If you like this, try: “Alvin and the Chipmunks” and “G-Force”
Another mom who reviewed this movie said it’s a live-action ripoff of a much cleverer animated film, “Over the Hedge”:
http://www.tampabay.com/features/movies/article1090763.ece
Is it Fraser or Frazer?
It’s spelled Fraser but pronounced Frazier. Thanks for the comment, Lucy!
I happened to like both Alvin and the Chipmunk movies and have been a fan of theirs for over 50 years.
its a sham when a movie comes along that give animals a chances to show there side that you would nock it maybe we should show how there hunted or shot and killed or raccoons how 6 or more dogs run the sh t out of them then they shot them lets show how blood they are after they have been killed have you ever worked with a wild animal i think not so next time be a better judge then you have as far as the movie goes from what i have seen of its there woods but we are not satisfide with what we have we will not be happy till one day well say to our grand kids when they ask what is that pa pow and i will say thats a picthure of a raccoon and ill say its an animal that is xtinket know man killed it off and destroyed there natural habitat so i say two you get out from be hind your type writer and go spend some time with an animal rehaber rehaber helper eric hoppe
I am tired of movies that show people puking and being sick all the time and most of them are on around dinner time for most citizens. I am tired of movies showing dogs licking children in the mouth for that is not sanitary. I think this is a little improvement over this, not much mind you, but improvement. I really do not think we need to see more poo and puke in any movies and dog licking humans in the mouth. The dog licks its private parts all day everyday as that is its nature. Children should not be exposed to that in their faces or mouths. Get rid of that stuff and make simple movies like we used to for kids.
Wow, this review was awesome and hilarious. This movie looks beyond awful. When will Brendan Fraser ever learn?
Eric Hoppe- maybe whatever point you were trying to make about animals would be more relevant if you could spell or use punctuation.
I enjoy movies, but rarely go anymore thanks to drivel like the one reviewed. I can remember the days when there were only 2-3 movies released every month. Far too many movies are getting made nowadays, but very few are any good.
Oh, and Eric Hoppe’s comment made me want to poke my eyes out while singing “Tip Toe Through the Tulips.
Thanks, Suzi! I’m an Alvin and the Chipmunks fan, too, though do not think their movies are up to the level of their earlier work with Dave Seville. Please know, however, that I would never use my “if you like this try” section of the review to insult a film, so if I include it, it is a genuine recommendation.
I think you may have misunderstood my review, Eric. Animals as well as people have every reason to feel insulted by this awful film. I love movies that show the importance of respecting nature and our fellow inhabitants of this fragile planet and recommend them throughout this site. But this film is more likely to provoke animal hatred than sympathy. So, just because it pretends to be on the right side does not make it sincere or worth watching. I appreciate your comment and if you do see the film, let me know if you agree.
Funny comment, Todd! And drivel is the right word.
Wow, Nell, you gave a movie an “F.” It must really be bad. The previews made this look God-awful, and it wasn’t my kind of movie. Here’s hoping it will bomb at the box office, or at least that the trend for this kind of brainless, tasteless humor will soon peak.
Hi.
I went and watched Furry Vengeance last night with my mom.
I’m 12 years old and I thought it was EXTREMELY corny and stupid.
Do not waste your money!
Thanks, Darby! As you can see, I gave it an F, so I am sorry you had to suffer through it, but I am glad we agree. Thanks for helping me warn people away from this awful movie!
I’ve had the good fortune to be able to avoid this movie but I’ve talked to a couple of folks that were dragged to it by their youngsters.I won’t repeat all the harsh comments from those moviegoers but will say when a seven year old is actually insulted by the poor quality of the special effects that should tell you something.
Eric, over the years I’ve seen many variations on the spelling of the word extinct. Yours (xtinket), by a wide margin, wins the grand prize.
Great comment, Brian, thanks!
Well, I laughed, even reading this review, probably go today!
Frankly I liked the movie a lot. And I thought Brendan Fraser was funny. 🙂
Glad to hear it, ProActor. Thanks for writing.
WHAT?!?! OMGoodness – It was beyond banal and base! I laughed so hard, I cried (and truth be known, peed in my pants a little cuz I didn’t want to miss anything to go to the bathroom). So, this highly educated Mensa-level Ms. Pee Pee Panties with 2 elementary school kiddos gives 2 enthusiastic thumbs up (plus a couple big piggie toes up) for Furry Vengeance. Of course, I also love Something About Mary, American Pie, & Men In Black… total comic relief!
I’m a huge fan of “Men in Black,” too, Mensa Mom. Thanks for sharing your appreciation of this movie.
Thanks for this review – I really rely on your reviews, especially when they point out ethnic stereotypes. It’s not that my kids won’t encounter stereotypes, it’s just that I prefer not to sanction them when we watch movies. So thank you!
Thanks so much, Kris! It helps a lot to know that someone appreciates my flagging ethnic and other stereotypes as a concern for parents. Much appreciated!
I have a 2 year old son. My ex wife wants to take my son to see this movie. I do not think this is appropriate for my a 2 year old boy whom is being split between both parents. What do you think ??
That’s a tough situation, James. I do not recommend this movie for any age and 2-year-olds are too young for most theatrical releases. I hope the two of you can find some way to come up with a consistent policy on media and other core issues. I’d be glad to explain my concerns to her in more detail if she is interested and she can write to me at moviemom@moviemom.com.