Fing!, 2026.
Directed by Jeffrey Walker.
Starring Mia Wasikowska, Blake Harrison, Taika Waititi, Iona Bell, Penelope Wilton, David Walliams, Richard Roxburgh, Robyn Nevin, Kaiya Thayn, Sidhant Anand, Kian’dre Price, and Adam Fraser.
SYNOPSIS:
Librarians Mr. and Mrs. Meek indulge their demanding daughter Myrtle’s every wish. When she wants a Fing, they search deep in the jungle. After finding one, Myrtle faces off against a Viscount who wants the rare creature.
Much of director Jeffrey Walker’s Fing! involves a smart-ass spoiled child barking orders in the direction of anyone and everyone, but enough about Taika Waititi’s supposed animal expert, debt-riddled Viscount. This is also a story about an actual child, newcomer Iona Bell’s Myrtle, who, for whatever reason, never has enough presents from her outrageously enabling librarian parents, played by Mia Wasikowska and Blake Harrison.
This girl doesn’t know the meaning of gratitude, family, or love, and is ready to demand more the second after receiving a gift. She is spoiled rotten, and yet somehow The Viscount comes across twice as selfish and greedy, bossing around his Nanny (Penelope Wilton) to make breakfast (only to then complain about it), or which at one point included wiping his ass (something he said she could have stopped doing when he was 20). Less grown up than Myrtle (somehow), he also decides he wants a Fing (a mythical creature from an exotic jungle that, in appearance, looks like an oversized furball with a single large brown eye) just because she does. Being librarians, they, of course, borrow a rare book that looks like a bestiary in a video game for information on its whereabouts.
Even if this is an amusing juxtaposition that will hopefully teach younger viewers a thing or two about bad behavior, the first half of Fing! (which sees screenwriter Kevin Cecil adapting the book by David Williams) is so drawn out that some families might not stay to find out if Myrtle stops treating her parents like gift baskets, changes her attitude, and learns valuable lessons about family and friendship. Roughly 45 minutes is a long time to sit with this off-putting child, even if we know a character arc is eventually coming and the color palette and production design are as wonderfully whimsical as a Wes Anderson film or a Roald Dahl storybook adaptation.
Fortunately, those who do stick around will soon be rewarded with something touching and magical that takes advantage of its 1980s setting and hit songs to comment on the power of music and what it can make people feel, no matter their age. The songs are unquestionably overplayed in cinema, but they both work here for a younger audience and are cleverly woven into emotional beats.
It also helps that once Myrtle gets a taste of her own medicine (Fings are temperamental creatures who apparently love custard), her personality takes a turn as she becomes concerned about putting a stop to his recklessness and taking care of him. It is an experience most children probably go through when having a pet for the first time, so it is appreciable that this family-friendly flick is interested in doing something different from the rest of the genre. Brought to life with a mix of pleasant, practical effects, sometimes enhanced with CGI (typically for the occasional fantastical environmental background), the film also has a resplendent retro aesthetic that fits the storytelling.
Naturally, as Myrtle comes to a much more loving understanding with her quirky parents (it is admirable how seriously silly they take their profession), makes a friend, and tames the titular creature, it’s all building to a showdown with the supreme manchild Viscant, desperately in search of possessing this rare specimen to pay off bills and keep his estate. Sometimes his persona is over-the-top irritating, but as he once proved by directing Jojo Rabbit, the enigmatic Taika Waititi also has a charming knack for working with children and bringing out the best in them. He also makes small, amusing choices as an actor, such as keeping up his knocking motion even after someone has already answered the door. Fing! Has an off-putting start, but by the end, there is a total fing-clipse of the heart.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder
