Clue (Widescreen) [Import]

Clue is a Paramount Pictures' whodunit film that puts less emphasis on solving a mystery and more on non-stop laughs, gags, and one-liners. And believe me, there's more comedy packed into this hour-and-a-half than you can shake a stick at. That doesn't mean you can't try to solve the murder case yourself either.

The main theme of clue is quite dark. All the familiar people from the game (Peacock, Green, Scarlet, Mustard, etc.) are invited to a dinner party at a huge mansion. There, it is not only revealed that they are all being blackmailed, but also that it's all being done by the host of the party, Mr. Boddy! Early in the movie, Mr. Boddy is murdered, but there's a problem. The act was committed with the lights turned off in the house, and thus no one knows who has done it. Throughout the course of the movie, several others die, and the guest's efforts to find out who the murderer is also becomes a fight for survival. While the movie has this dark theme, the movie takes the deaths and blackmail so lightly, that it makes you forget that you're laughing at a subject so serious.

Clue takes all the one-dimensional characters from the popular board game and really fleshes them out, giving each one a distinct personality and style. The ensemble cast is one of the best I've ever seen, and each actor really owns their part. I can't imagine anyone but Tim Curry frantically explaining the murder at the end or someone other than the wonderful Madeline Kahn playing the dark black widow, Mrs. White. The rest of the cast is excellent too. They all have excellent timing; their deliverance on all their one-liners is great, and even just their facial expressions alone will have you laughing hysterically at times.

Clue demands repeated viewing, because every time you see the movie you'll notice something different. While the first time you watch it, the movie may come across as being really silly, after watching it again and again, you'll pick out things that you missed. There's a seemingly endless string of gags and sight jokes throughout the movie, and I'm still amazed when I notice new things, even after I've seen it a million times. (whoops, I said I wasn't gonna say that . . . . oh well.) : )

Well, to make a long story short (too late) this is an absolutely wonderful movie. It is a smart, clever comedy, sprinkled with the old-fashioned mystery element, and should be a classic by any cinema-lover's standards.