- Actors: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Maria Aitken
- Directors: John Cleese, Charles Crichton
- Writers: John Cleese, Charles Crichton
- Producers: John Cleese, John Comfort, Michael Shamberg, Steve Abbott
- Language English, Italian, Russian
- Classification: 15
- Studio: MGM
- VHS Release Date: 1 Sep 2000
- Run Time: 108 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CIZG
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 7,952 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
This 1988 comedy starred and was scripted by John Cleese and directed by Charles Crichton, veteran Ealing Comedy director. After 1986's Clockwise--in which he played a manic loser similar to Basil Fawlty--A Fish Called Wanda saw Cleese opting for a more sympathetic lead role. Cleese plays Archie Leach (Cary Grant's real name), a barrister living a typically English life of quiet desperation, who falls prey to the American charms of Jamie Lee Curtis. Posing as a law student, she's actually involved in a diamond robbery with psychotic but occasionally clueless Kevin Kline ("The London Underground is not a revolutionary movement!") and Michael Palin, an animal rights' activist. A Fish Called Wanda is, typically of Cleese, well constructed but the romantic heart of the movie softens it a little. It was intended as a satire on Anglo-American differences but most people remember it for a running joke involving squashed dogs, the chips up Palin's nose and the scene where Cleese is hung out of a window by his ankles. The same cast reassembled for 1997's vastly inferior Fierce Creatures.--David Stubbs
Amazon.co.uk Review
A Fish Called Wanda was the blockbuster which proved that John Cleese could be a movie star in his own right. Directed by the Veteran Charles Crichton, who made the 1951 Ealing Comedies classic The Lavender Hill Mob, Wanda combined Ealing-comedy capers and Basil Fawlty-esque farce with contemporary big-screen swearing and black comedy. The plot develops in classic film noir style as Cleese's lawyer, Archie Leech, gets sucked into the double-crossing aftermath of a London diamond heist.
For sound box-office reasons, British comedies often sport an American star and here Cleese delivers not only Jamie Lee Curtis as a smooth operating femme fatale, but Kevin Kline as her idiotic, and insanely jealous lover (for which he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Pushing the limits of bad taste is Michael Palin's animal-loving Ken, who in the film's best running gag attempts to murder an old lady, only to slay her beloved pet dogs. Other highlights include Palin as a man with two chips up his nose and Cleese showing the world a different sort of "Full Monty". One of the funniest British films ever made, A Fish Called Wanda was followed by Fierce Creatures (1997), which reunited the lead cast and claimed to be an "equal" not a "sequel", but sadly wasn't. --Gary S Dalkin
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
To make a comedy that can be lauded with the comment 'absolutely hilarious' isn't an easy thing to do. It's not so difficult, however, when you are one of the funniest men on god's green earth; and the extremely talented John Cleese has certainly managed to write a fine piece of comedy here. Teaming up with Monty Python buddy Michael Palin and Ealing studios director Charles Crichton, these talented comedians have managed to create a film that is most certainly one of the funniest; laugh per minute and lasting hilarity when it's over, movies ever made. The plot is taken straight from the classic Ealing comedy era (no wonder it works so well) and it follows four crooks that have stolen a bunch of jewels and now decide to double cross one another to take the loot solely for themselves. The plot thickens when the female of the bunch decides that the best way to get the loot would be to get close to a grassed-up co-conspirator's barrister; John Cleese.
Aside from an inch-perfect screenplay, A Fish Called Wanda also benefits from a fine cast of actors to deliver it. John Cleese steals every scene he's in, as you might expect, and he more than justifies his reputation as one of, maybe even the, finest British comedy actor ever. He is joined by a talented pair of Americans; Kevin Kline and Jamie Lee Curtis, along with, as mentioned, his fellow Python Michael Palin. Kline is certainly one of the most underrated actors working today, and his comic timing in this movie is right on the money. Makes you wonder how much better he could have been used over the years. "Scream Queen" Jamie Lee Curtis also does well in the title role; and Michael Palin obviously knows his way round a comedy script. The jokes in the film come thick and fast, and I can't think of a single one that didn't work. It's the big gags that are the real stand out of the movie, though, and one in particular that sees Kevin Kline trying to explain to Cleese's wife what he's doing in their home is absolutely priceless. I nearly fell of my chair laughing. This film is a must see.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
If you want a very funny film, with lots of deep belly laughs, and some more subtle jokes thrown in too, watch this film. If you want a plot that with more intriguing twists and turns than Spaghetti Junction, watch this film. If you want a romantic comedy involving lust, passion and toenail clippings, watch this film. Maybe you just love animals, or Monty Python, Kevin Kline or Jamie Lee Curtis. Anglophiles and Anglophobes could equally be entralled by the diversity offered in this rare gem of a film. I am yet to meet anyone who has not enjoyed this film. (Well, appart from Yorkshire Terrier devotees, but I feel that they may be in a minority) If have not already done so, watch it now. Just go with me on this one - you won't regret it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I imagine for many people it won't matter at all, but for some of us, it's crucial - so to avoid anyone else wasting their time as I did, here's the details of the audio and subtitles which are actually available on the DVD:
Soundtrack:
English (5.1), German (5.1)
Subtitles:
English, German, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian
Really quite different from what is listed on the item description, which will hopefully be corrected soon.
Soundtrack:
English (5.1), German (5.1)
Subtitles:
English, German, Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian
Really quite different from what is listed on the item description, which will hopefully be corrected soon.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Must watch fun
An unmissable tummy-aching,rib-tickling,tears of joy....kinda watch!I have recommended this to frineds,family...and everyone has been hooked! Read more
Published 2 months ago by BBHATTACHARYA
kkkkken
this is one of my all time favourite comedys palin is great and cleese is a genius.this is the story of some robbers who steal some diamonds and the on going clammer of different... Read more
Published 2 months ago by jed
I love the movie. Great commentary.
The film is one of my favorites , and IMHO the best John Cleese has made on his solo career.
I owe to this DVD My own revelation of the issue of DVD Commentary tracks. Read more
I owe to this DVD My own revelation of the issue of DVD Commentary tracks. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Say No More 67
A classic movie
A Fish Called Wanda is one of those films you can watch again and again. The performances of all the main characters are superb. Read more
Published 4 months ago by CK
The key to A Fish Called Wanda
Slapstick, visual humour, verbal jokes, comic plots - they're all here in this 1988 classic which brought together a stunning group of characters to play out the John Cleese script... Read more
Published 6 months ago by RR Waller
Comedy About Sex, Murder and Seafood
According to gcd70 (IMDb.com), veteran director Charlie Crichton teamed here with funny man John Cleese to create one of the funniest movies of recent times. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Lord Anon
Bargain & Fast!
A very good price for this dvd and quick delivery. I was very pleased. Thanks.
Published 19 months ago by Allie J
Dated amusement
Despite the hype of the film being a classic, I found it rather dated, toe curling amusement.
Published 19 months ago by Anna F
Classic English humor with an American twist
This is a very well written and often very funny film which doesn't let-up for a second. Cleese, Palin, Kline and Lee-Curtis are magnificent as Precarious, Sexy, Disconnected and... Read more
Published 21 months ago by kango
A smashing comedy
This film has a great team of actors that will turn up again in the film "Fierce Creatures."
Three professional criminals including Georges (Tom Georgeson) set out to... Read more
Three professional criminals including Georges (Tom Georgeson) set out to... Read more
Published on 22 May 2010 by bernie
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