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Amazon.co.uk Review
The basic joke of the would-be romp Without a Clue is that Dr Watson (Ben Kingsley) is a detecting genius who has had to hide his light under a bushel by hiring an alcoholic ham actor Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) to pose as his imaginary alter ego Sherlock Holmes. He is now frustrated because the blundering idiot is hailed as an infallible hero while he is forever being pushed out of the picture. To really work, the film should have cast a leading man who gives the impression that he might make a good serious Holmes, but Caine is all too credible in his idiot act. In one of the best jokes Watson covers up a faux pas by complementing Holmes on his convincing disguise as a drunken lout, and so the laughs that should come in a flow only manage to trickle.
The actual plot is about forged bank-notes ruining the Empire but is constructed to allow for the usual excursion by picturesque steam train to a clue-ridden holiday destination and some dirty deeds down by the docks. The leads coast through their routines but the supporting cast has an appropriately rat-like and embittered Inspector Lestrade from Jeffrey Jones, a winsomely duplicitous Victorian heroine from Lysette Anthony and a rather good goateed sadist Professor Moriarty from Paul Freeman. It can't hold a magnifying glass to Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, but as a Holmesian footnote it edges a deerstalker or so ahead of Gene Wilder's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother. It certainly beats the Peter Cook-Dudley Moore Hound of the Baskervilles and John Cleese in The Strange Case of the End of Civilisation as We Know It.--Kim Newman
Synopsis
Without A Clue presents an original twist on the famous Sherlock Holmes/Dr. John Watson stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This time, however, Dr. Watson is the one with a talent for solving mysteries, while Holmes is nothing but his fictional creation. After inventing the sleuth in a series of popular stories based on crimes he's solved, Dr. Watson decides to satisfy the public's desire to see Holmes by hiring actor Reginald Kincaid to masquerade as the brilliant detective. But it is not long before Dr. Watson grows to despise the bumbling Kincaid, so he ends their partnership and comes up with a new character modeled after himself. The new creation doesn't go over well with the public though, and the doctor must once again depend on Kincaid--just in time to solve a new mystery. The Without A Clue DVD features interactive menus, English Hard of Hearing subtitles and is aspect ratio 4.3.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
WITHOUT A CLUE
(UK - 1988)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Stereo
'Sherlock Holmes' turns out to be a ham actor (Michael Caine), hired by brilliant detective Dr. John Watson (Ben Kingsley) to play a character whose adventures are dramatised by Watson and published in a popular weekly magazine. But the two men are forced to set aside their differences when Prof. Moriarty (Paul Freeman) hatches a fiendish plot to destabilise the British Empire...
An unexpected gem. Thom Eberhardt's clever reworking of the mythology surrounding Holmes and Watson relies for the most part on character-based comedy rather than puns and sight-gags, and a wonderful cast of experienced British thesps plays it with just the right amount of reverence and mockery (Caine and Kingsley, in particular, make a formidable comic team). However, the script - by Gary Murphy and Larry Strawther - is entirely faithful to the spirit of Conan Doyle's most famous creation: Despite Holmes' incompetence and Watson's escalating outrage, the central mystery is genuinely skilful and engrossing, the clues are delightfully outlandish, and the Victorian atmosphere is conveyed with elegant simplicity, thanks to stylish art direction (by Brian Ackland-Snow) and costume design (by Judy Moorcroft).
However, the writers aren't afraid to poke gentle fun at the established conventions, particularly Holmes'/Watson's uncanny ability to draw conclusions from even the most obscure scraps of evidence, and the climax manages to combine warm-hearted comedy and genuine thrills during a final showdown with Moriarty in an abandoned theatre. Sadly, the movie failed to make a splash at the UK/US box-office when released in 1988, but it deserves more than a second chance on DVD. Highly recommended.
(UK - 1988)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Theatrical soundtrack: Dolby Stereo
'Sherlock Holmes' turns out to be a ham actor (Michael Caine), hired by brilliant detective Dr. John Watson (Ben Kingsley) to play a character whose adventures are dramatised by Watson and published in a popular weekly magazine. But the two men are forced to set aside their differences when Prof. Moriarty (Paul Freeman) hatches a fiendish plot to destabilise the British Empire...
An unexpected gem. Thom Eberhardt's clever reworking of the mythology surrounding Holmes and Watson relies for the most part on character-based comedy rather than puns and sight-gags, and a wonderful cast of experienced British thesps plays it with just the right amount of reverence and mockery (Caine and Kingsley, in particular, make a formidable comic team). However, the script - by Gary Murphy and Larry Strawther - is entirely faithful to the spirit of Conan Doyle's most famous creation: Despite Holmes' incompetence and Watson's escalating outrage, the central mystery is genuinely skilful and engrossing, the clues are delightfully outlandish, and the Victorian atmosphere is conveyed with elegant simplicity, thanks to stylish art direction (by Brian Ackland-Snow) and costume design (by Judy Moorcroft).
However, the writers aren't afraid to poke gentle fun at the established conventions, particularly Holmes'/Watson's uncanny ability to draw conclusions from even the most obscure scraps of evidence, and the climax manages to combine warm-hearted comedy and genuine thrills during a final showdown with Moriarty in an abandoned theatre. Sadly, the movie failed to make a splash at the UK/US box-office when released in 1988, but it deserves more than a second chance on DVD. Highly recommended.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
tears streaming down my face as i barely contain myself, laugh out loudfunny. Caine is superb as is kingsley, i am only sorry i only saw thisfilm for the first time a few weeks ago! Please add this film to yourcollection, some truly pricelessly hilarious moments.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is such an under rated film. It boasts a great comic performance from Caine and a clever and witty script. I've loved this film for years and I'm happy to see it availible on dvd. The story tells us that Sherlock Holmes was just an actor hired by Watson who was really the one who solved the cases.
Every scene is hilarious in which everyone concerned seems oblivious to the truth and interprets Holmes idiosyncrasy as eccentric genius. There are no fancy extra's on this disc, but the film is in widescreen and the transfer is reasonably good. The sound is in two speaker stereo and seems to be quite clear. This is the kind of movie which can stand on it's own two feet without an abundance of extra features you'll probably only watch once.
Overall I wasn't disapointed with this dvd. The film rocks and the price is good.
Every scene is hilarious in which everyone concerned seems oblivious to the truth and interprets Holmes idiosyncrasy as eccentric genius. There are no fancy extra's on this disc, but the film is in widescreen and the transfer is reasonably good. The sound is in two speaker stereo and seems to be quite clear. This is the kind of movie which can stand on it's own two feet without an abundance of extra features you'll probably only watch once.
Overall I wasn't disapointed with this dvd. The film rocks and the price is good.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Without a Clue
Utterly fantastic movie; I've loved it from the very first scene. A refreshingly new take on a classic character of British literature. Read more
Published 1 month ago by BobbyW
Sooooooo Funny !!!!!!!!
Great acting from the list of characters (actors), this is a classic comedy from the genius of sherlock holmes detectives films, i couldnt stop laughing a real classic, i love... Read more
Published 1 month ago by bessie
funny...
this is a classic old fashioned but modern style of funny film with some dry sense of humour. It has mystery, good acting and excellent gags-wont be disappointed and suitable for... Read more
Published 2 months ago by md
Watson and Sherlock
Well made film and funny. Kingsley and Caine are always great. I didn't understand the cross-dressing bit at the end; pretty 'woman' though.
Published 8 months ago by drekly
very British easy viewing comedy
This gentle comedy with nice period settings is a pleasure to watch and captures Michael Caine at his best with some 'Norman Wisdom' type farcical nonsense. Read more
Published 10 months ago by I. A. Crichton
great comic twist on sherlock holmes
great comic twist on sherlock holmes with two great stars ben kingsley and micheal cain the twist is [i dont think i should spoil it for you ]. Read more
Published 11 months ago by mrs m
Great Fun
A little gem this one. Kingsley and Caine have great chemistry and there is really good support from a stella cast. Read more
Published 15 months ago by David Cole
A talented take on sherlock holmes
Really great sherlock holmes movie !!!
Its a talented take on the sherlock holmes stories, where Watson(Ben Kingsley) is the detective and Sherlock is a actor(Michael... Read more
Its a talented take on the sherlock holmes stories, where Watson(Ben Kingsley) is the detective and Sherlock is a actor(Michael... Read more
Published 15 months ago by mmillett
amazon is fantastic
the dvd was in great condition i always buy from amazon they have a huge collection of every film u can think off i would definatly recomd amazon
Published 15 months ago by gillian
Brilliant
Having never seen this film before I was suprised after I had watched it that I had never heard of it. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Hawkster
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