Keep in mind, all this magic is being pulled off by a handful of toy dolls bought from junk shops. All of the costumes and accessories are handmade, along with the miniature sets and little tiny props. A lot of the FX are unpolished, particularly the clumps of hair glued to the plastic faces of the male dolls. But that is all part of the magnetic appeal these dolls hold. There is almost no animation at all. There is an instance with primitive stop-motion for a saloon girl dance, and maybe a passage-of-time jump cut climbing a mountain, but that’s about it. The lips don’t move; the actors just speak over the pictures of the doll heads. What makes this all work is a genius method Wolverton uses of handheld camera shots, moving around the stationary dolls. This creates a kinetic feel throughout the picture that never diminishes.
“The novelty never wore off, as Adventures Of Miss Happy is not even close to being run-of-the-mill.”
I know there is some disbelief that this material can fill two whole hours. It does, and then some. I was so riveted by Miss Happy’s predicament, I refused to run out to the restroom. I had to pee so bad I had tears of urine, but I simply had to find out how Miss Happy was going to get out of it. I am a grown man in my mid-50s, and I was hurting myself because I was emotionally invested in a toy doll. Explain that. The only explanation is fantastic cinema storytelling with a fantastic story to tell. While the movie is currently being advertised as a storybook film for kids, Adventures Of Miss Happy is an experimental masterpiece with huge cult potential. Wolverton conducted an experiment, and the experiment worked. It worked for two whole hours, which I wouldn’t have believed possible. I am so glad Wolverton did it.
I feel a lot of adults will identify with the core themes of Adventures Of Miss Happy, namely how she is forced by her circumstances into transgression. I always appreciate when a movie acknowledges the pressures of how unfair life is. The things one has to do in order to make ends meet may not be honorable, but neither are the ends not meeting. That the doll is driven to robbery as opposed to prostitution makes things interesting, as Miss Happy has got that spunk. There were several scenes that bordered on awe-inspiring, even with just dolls. The campfire with real fire was haunting. The boat ride moved me as much as the one in Aguirre: The Wrath Of God. This represents a huge accomplishment in experimental cinema, with the western embellishments being like the fine stitching on a tall cowboy boot. Maybe kids will like it, but there will be a lot of love from mature audiences. Adventures Of Miss Happy will make you happy in ways you never could expect.
Adventures Of Miss Happy screened at the 2026 Wild Bunch Film Festival.
"…an experimental masterpiece with huge cult potential."
