FIERCE CREATURES

Here's a sparkling high concept comedy that is fuelled by character quirks and bizarre scenes. A gem that has to be seen. A refreshing sequel for a change, it is actually a non-sequel follow-up to A Fish Called Wanda from the late eighties, reteaming the original cast in new roles. John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline and Michael Palin have come together once again to give us a film with immense animal attraction.

Kevin Kline plays media tycoon Rod McCain, who acquires a zoo in England and decides to turn it into a more profitable investment with a minimum of 20 per cent returns. He immediately transfers ex-Hong Kong cop Rollo Lee, or John Cleese, from his Hong Kong TV station posting to head Marwood Zoo. Being a TV veteran, Rollo is fully aware that violence draws audiences and decides to do away with cute animals, opting only for fierce creatures. This results in hilarious comedy, especially when all the animal keepers try to dissuade Rollo from his policy by using devious means.

Around the same time, fresh executive Willa Weston, played by Jamie, lands up at the Atlanta headquarters of McCain's company for her first day at work and realises that the radio network she was hired to head has just been sold. As an alternative, she teams up with senior McCain's son, Vince, again played by Kevin Kline, and moves to England to run the zoo, demoting Rollo and dismissing the 'fierce creatures only' policy. They intend to improve business by turning the zoo into a theme park, which sets the ball rolling for some positively weird and inspired sequences. Manic Vince is the heartless one, with his eye on Willa and money, while Willa is the intelligent and emotional one, with her eye on an ape and on Rollo, who slowly develops the reputation of a sex-fiend through some side-splitting incidents.

Michael Palin, Cleese's Monty Python colleague, plays the all knowing insect keeper, Bugsy Malone, who just can't keep his mouth shut, the very opposite of what he does in A Fish Called Wanda. Rollo's namesake, a lemur, is also an integral part of the film. All have tremendous support from the rest of the animals and from Ronnie Corbett.

Interestingly, the film is helmed by two directors, Robert Young, who gave us Splitting Heirs and Fred Schepisi, who gave us Roxanne. This is because the first rough cut was found to be unsatisfactory and the reshoot took place much later, thanks to the difficulty encountered in getting all the actors together once again. But the film is well worth the effort, with the actors literally biting into the juicy roles penned by Cleese himself along with film critic Iain Johnstone. Don't miss it.