“Meet the Feebles” is a whimsical 1989 New Zealand film set in the entertainment industry. Director Peter Jackson, known for his fantasy epics like “The Lord of the Rings”, delivers a completely different kind of film here. The film combines puppet animation with live action and presents an absurd story full of weird characters and crazy ideas.
The plot revolves around the Feebles, a colourful troupe of puppets who perform in a variety show. But behind the scenes it is quickly revealed that the Feebles are anything but your typical lovable characters. Instead, we are confronted with a series of neurotic, dysfunctional and morally reprehensible characters.
One of the film’s madcap ideas is the character Bletch, a sleazy businessman and the show’s leading man, who is double-crossed and involved in illegal schemes. Then we have Robert, an ageing porcupine actor who suffers from an STD and regularly uses drugs. Heidi, the female hippo, is desperately trying to further her career as a singer by using her sexual charms. And finally Trevor the rat, who runs around with a gun and plans a bloody rampage.
These mad ideas run throughout the film and provide a mixture of black humour, shock elements and grotesque scenarios. There are scenes of puppets having sex, taking drugs, fighting and doing heinous things. It seems as if Jackson is deliberately pushing the boundaries of good taste to create a debunking satire on the entertainment industry and the dark side of fame.
