If you think the same cast of A Fish Called Wanda (John Cleese, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Palin) can do as well in the sequel Fierce Creatures, well, you've got another think coming! A fish . was a bedroom farce with saucy situations, clever gags and of course a competent team of performers. But this zoo story with human animals and father-son animosity never really takes off. You don't blame the director or the actors, it is the story and a load of slapstick drowning the few good lines that try to masquerade as comedy.Rod McCain (Kline) is a ruthless media mogul who among other things is running this zoo. Rollo Lee (Cleese) is McCain's Octopus TV station official asked to serve as the zoo manager. Also hired is high-powered executive Willa Weston (Curtis) whose bright ideas may help. But the drag is McCain's unloved son Vincent (also Kline) who tries his best to wipe off the slur his dad has put on him. The sum of it all is that these bright sparks want to substitute humans for animals, not a very bright idea anyway.Directors Robert Young and Fred Schepisi therefore are forced to struggle through rather inane situations dominated by slapstick. Palin is the all-knowing insect-keeper, at sea in the film. If they try to cash in on A Fish.'s penchant for male underpants and female cleavage this gag also falls flat. The title Stupid Creatures would have been more apt for this film.
