Customer Reviews

A Fish Called Wanda

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I LOVE Monty Python AND John Cleese teaches part-time here at Cornell, so when he gave a talk and mentioned the plot of AFCW, I thought I'd check it out. It was great seeing a couple of the Python troup in a non-Python role. Be warned, although the movie is very funny (7.8 out of 10) it's not at all the same type of humour as Python.

My absolute favorite part, which doesn't give anything about the movie away, is near the end when John Cleese imitates an American accent. Usually we see comedians here making fun of British, French, and other foreign accents, so it was fun to see someone try to imitate us here in the States.

I'd say this is a MUST RENT no matter what and a MUST BUY for anyone who likes British humour and/or wants to see Cleese do something different.

I still remember the first time I saw that crazy heist caper called A Fish Called Wanda. My high school drama class went to see a sneak preview double feature of Wanda and Monkey Shines (which I will only go as far as to say that it was pretty awful) and I was floored.

I knew about Monty Python and has all the episodes that my PBS affiliate would broadcast, but was relatively unfamiliar with any work the troupe's members had done outside of the series (I don't even think I had seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail yet), except for a late-night cable run-in with Michael Palin's The Missionary, a mild sex comedy about a missionary and a home for fallen women.

I had no idea what to expect. Palin had always been my favorite Python (and still is), so I was very curious to see what he would do outside the Python realm. I got more than I bargained for.

Written by John Cleese from a story by Cleese and director Charles Crichton (various Ealing comedies including The Lavender Hill Mob), A Fish Called Wanda is a comedy about four crooks (Jamie Lee Curtis: Wanda, Kevin Kline: Otto, Tom Georgeson: George, and Michael Palin: Ken) who are all trying to double-cross each other by linking with other members of the group. Wanda in particular has the cards stacked in her favor, as she is--in one way or another--attempting to seduce all three men.

The humor comes from several directions. As the old lady is the only one who can ID any of them, George asks Ken to eliminate her. Unfortunately, he keeps killing her pet dogs instead--one at a time. As an animal lover, this leaves Ken in no end of distress. Very black humor, indeed. Meanwhile, Otto is trying to get information from Ken by pretending to be gay. Ken isn't either, but Otto doesn't seem to care. He continues to come on to him. (Kline won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar that year for his performance as Otto.)

Surprisingly, A Fish Called Wanda has stood up well over time. It is still one of the films that I continue to return to for dependable belly laughs. The promotional short for the film was one of the funniest things I saw that year and Wanda deserves a full DVD treatment. Until then, though, I guess I'll have to make do.

I had the opportunity to watch this after watching Fierce Creatures first. Actually, I was glad I saw that movie first, because I personally did not like this one. Wanda had a lot of potential and had a lot of witty things in it not tried before, yet, the crudeness made me a little tired.

Interesting to see how things lightened up in comedy in the 90's compared to this 1980's flick about crime. There were definately some very funny scenes, Kevin Kline showing up all the time was really fun, wondering what he would say when he did, and the gem to me was Michael Palin chasing after a witness that he trying to off. That had me in stiches.

I rated this movie a three because of the concept of attempting to get to the stash by whatever means possible was very clever. Cleese in court was outstanding. This movie will be liked by most, however, there is too much language and crudeness as you can see in the other reviews.

Okay I watch this movie so much my poor videotape is begging me to put it out of it's misery. Which is why I will be getting the DVD of this soon. Backstapping and comedy, the perfect combination for this film. Well cast and just tons of fun to watch.

"You English! You think you're SOOOOO superior, don't you? Well, you're the FILTH of the PLANET!"

"To call you stupid would be an insult to stupid people! I've known sheep that could outwit you! I've worn dresses with higher IQ's!...Aristotle was not Beligan! The central message of Buddhism is not 'Every Man for Himself!' And the London Underground is not a political movement!"

"He's going to kill her! HAAAA HA HA!....[bleep] off, or I'll kill you! Limey FRUITS!"

"My father was in the Secret Service, Mr. Manfrenginsinton, and I know PERFECTLY well that you do not keep the general public informed when you are de-briefing KGB defectors in a safe house...not unless you're genetically insane or irretrievably stupid, no."

"Oh, you English are SO superior, aren't you? Well, you want to know where you would be, without us, the good old U.S. of A., to protect you? I'll tell you: the SMALLEST [bleep]ING PROVINCE in the RUSSIAN EMPIRE! So don't call me stupid, lady, just THANK ME!"

Need I say more?

When I saw A FISH CALLED WANDA in the theater back in the late '80s, the only thing that prevented me from staying for another viewing was the ache in my gut from laughing so hard. So, the next day, I coughed up another $4.00(!) just to see it again (remember when going to the movies didn't cost a friggin fortune?). Having this dvd permits me to laugh whenever I'm down or grumpy. Cleese, Curtis, Kline and Palin (with the world's funniest hair-do ever) just worked so well together. The direction was well-paced considering the several subplots. And the transfer from video to dvd is crisp and clear. I know everyone else (with any sense of humor) reviewing this movie is lavishing the same praise but I don't mind repeating them. This is a band wagon worth jumping on.

This is one of the funniest movies of the eighties and it is the last true hurrah for Monty Python. John Cleese (who must have been about fifty at the time) wrote the script himself. It is filled with great little catch-phrases: "It's K-k-ken coming to k-k-kill me!" and "Oh, do shut up, Porsche."

It is basically a story of culture clash between modern England and America. Cleese is voicing off about what is wrong with British culture. Jamie Lee Curtis proves again here that she is a great comedic actress. Kevin Kline deservedly won an Oscar for his performance. (The two of them have the greatest love-making scene ever filmed!)

The DVD has no extras on it, but the movie itself makes it a definite must-have. The transfer looks great and London never looked better.

Rent, buy or whatever (borrow not steal I mean...) but A MUST SEE COMEDY...
If you do not laugh senseless at it better check level sense of humour with due urgency.
TO BE ENJOYED and probably a classic in due time...

This DVD is a must-have if you're a Monty Python fan. I loved this move when it came out at the cinema years ago. This movie is clever and hilarious. John Cleese is at his best, as is Kevin Kline. I've never gotten tired of this movie, and it never fails to get me laughing out-loud. Wish more were like this one, and I'm glad it's on a DVD.

There's nothing more to say about the crazy plot that hasn't been blabbed away before. Important here is that the great Charles Crichton was nominated for Best Director, after 50 years of respectability. Amusing is that, though Kevin Kline won the Oscar, he wasn't nominated by BAFTA (British Academy); they gave it to Palin. Both are great! Jamie Lee Curtis is perfect, and John Cleese used all of his "Monty Python" humor to create an Oscar nominated script (with Crichton).15 years later, this is fresh and fun and worthy of repeated viewings, and watching the British writers let the Americans make fun of them (they all end up looking stupid), you can't help but laugh. Unnoticed my many is the great performance of Maria Aitken (Wendy, Cleese's wife). She a totally committed insensitive beast. She was great. Also ignored, was the lovely score of John du Prez, most original. Give yourself a laugh, and forget the real world. This is fun! Oh, DO shut up, Portia.