After the success of Monty Python's flying circus which put him on the map, John Cleese tried his hand at several movies and this for me was one of his best ones. Released way back in 1988, it basically tells the story of a British man called George(Tom Georgeson), his American girlfriend Wanda(Jamie Lee Curtis), her American lover Otto(Kevin Kline) and George's stuttering English accomplice Ken(Michael Palin). Together they rob a jewelrey vault. However, none of them trust each other and it's not long before Wanda and Otto betray George and get him framed for the robbery. Ken meanwhile gets involved and unwittingly hides the loot in his aquariam at home not ...  Read the complete review

'A Fish Called Wanda' was a massive hit in 1988 when it was released and I first saw it on television in the 1990's. I have recently re-discovered it and found an incredibly witty British comedy with two marvellous comic performances by Michael Palin and Kevin Kline. Written by John Cleese and it's a finely crafted screenplay that actually manages to escape from the Monty Python style comedy. It's more like an Ealing comedy but with lots of bad language and a hilarious examination of cultural differences between America and England. It's fair to say that it is predictable film and the story isn't that great but the humour ...  Read the complete review

In its day this was the most successful, in terms of box-office receipts, British movie ever made, proving to be very popular with both British, and more importantly, American audiences. It has since lost its box-office record to the likes of the vastly inferior The Full Monty and (is it British?) Notting Hill, however it still stands up as one of the best British comedy movies of the past 25 years. The script, written by the brilliant John Cleese and veteran British director Charles Crichton (who as well as directing “Wanda” also directed some Ealing comedies including the classic “The Lavender Hill Mob”) unashamedly went out to ...  Read the complete review

A Fish Called Wanda is one of the best comedies of the ‘80s. Its has flawless acting and comedic timing and its writing is harshly hilarious. Unlike most raucous, sex-oriented comedies, A Fish Called Wanda features a wonderful, star-filled cast, with Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis and Monty Pythonites John Cleese and Michael Palin. It also has one of the most clever plots of any comedy, and refuses to be a slave to any form of political correctness. It’s a killer combination for entertainment. In the opening scenes, four criminals execute a mastermind bank robbery. Hours after the getaway, Kline and Curtis, who are masquerading as brother and sister ...  Read the complete review

In the absence of a new Monty Python film, A Fish Called Wanda fits the bill nicely, re-uniting two members of the team. And, whilst it might lack the pure insanity of the Python escapades, it is a lot funnier than most so-called film comedies. The plot sees a gang of criminals rob a bank and then start to cross and double-cross each other in an attempt to bag the loot for themselves. Into the middle of all this, stumbles ever-so-British Barrister, Archie Leach and a sweet little old lady and her dogs... If this all sounds a little old-fashioned, it's because in many ways it is. It harks back to simpler times and is very reminiscent of the old ...  Read the complete review