Krazy Kat

MURDER OF A CAT (A-minus) - This silly whodunit about a manchild investigating the suspicious death of his pet is quirky and hilarious, thanks mainly to the over-the-top performance by its star, Fran Kranz. Some will be put off by the ridiculously broad hijinks; but if you buy into it and go with the craziness, you'll be discover a hidden gem.

Kranz plays Clinton, a rude, snotty know-it-all who has no car, lives with his mom (Blythe Danner), and makes figurines that he sells from his front yard. When his cat is found in the curb with an arrow sticking out of its gut, Clinton vows to track down the killer. He teams with Sheriff Hoyle (J.K. Simmons), dressing up like a detective and going undercover at the local superstore to investigate the mysterious crossbow arrow and to sniff around the store's creepy owner, Ford (Greg Kinnear), and shady employees. (It's a tribute to first-time director Gillian Greene that she gets those three solid character actors to fully commit to this odd little project and turn in winning performances.) Clinton finds that a neighbor, Greta (Nikki Reed, "Thirteen"), also considered the cat to be hers, and so they team up for the investigation and maybe a little flirtation.

It's Kranz whom I couldn't take my eyes off of. He physically brings to mind character actor Dennis Dugan (Captain Freedom on "Hill Street Blues") but with a haircut borrowed from Christopher Guest's Nigel Tufnel in "This Is Spinal Tap." At times he channels the broad nuttiness of Jerrys Lewis and Van Dyke. He is devoted 100 percent to his character and this story, and because he never lets his guard down the film never falters.

Meantime, co-writers Robert Snow and Christian Magalhaes (from TV's "New Girl"), are firing their own crossbow willy-nilly as they spoof various detective genres with a "Get Smart" tone and jokes that repeatedly hit their target. They play it straight and deadpan the whole way. It all builds to a ridiculous, appropriate conclusion, capping off 101 minutes of giddy delight.