Roman
Polanski is human garbage, but somehow that doesn’t spoil Chinatown or Rosemary’s Baby for most viewers. Animated franchises
are somewhat different. We feel a more personal connection to the characters
and therefore often project a kindly Geppetto image on their creators. That is
why it is so disappointing when animation stars disgrace themselves. Sadly,
John Kricfalusi, the man behind Ren &
Stimpy, is a case in point. Ron
Cicero & Kimo Easterwood chronicle the up-and-down history of the beloved
show and its problematic creator in Happy
Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Technically,
The Simpsons predated Ren & Stimpy, but it was still one
of the original prime time weekly cartoons that developed a popular following
for its rude style of humor. It was a breakout hit for Nickelodeon, but success
went to Kricfalusi’s head. Eventually, he made diva-like demands of the
network, including complete creative control, even though they owned the
property. Not surprisingly, Nickelodeon was forced to fire Kricfalusi, who
subsequently gave his darker impulses free rein while mismanaging his own studio.
Frankly,
the clear “hero” of HHJJ and by far
the most sympathetic figure we hear from is former Nickelodeon executive
Vanessa Coffey. She is the one who zeroed-in on the Ren and Stimpy characters
during Kricfalusi’s very different initial pitch and asked him to develop a
show around them. She was also the person who curbed his excesses, at least for
a while. Throughout her interview segments, Coffey has nothing but affection
for the characters and her comments on Kricfalusi are far more diplomatic and
reflective than he has a right to expect.
A
good chunk of the film is devoted up-front to a deep dive into the show’s world
and its assorted characters. It might even be too deep for non-fans or even
casual admirers. However, things start to get interesting about halfway through
when Cicero & Easterwood provide a detailed blow-by-blow of Kricfalusi’s
network conflict. Then they become uncomfortable.
