I thought chips went with fish . (A Fish Called Wanda (Special Edition, DVD))

Member Name: eiley123

Product:	A Fish Called Wanda (Special Edition, DVD)
Date:	15/08/07 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very funny , great characters , great performances , good plot , farce

Disadvantages: Perhaps a little dated now

When A Fish Called Wanda hit the big screens in 1988 it was way ahead of it's time . As with many movies it suffered a little from over-hype by the press and reviewers . As such it was a wee bit disappointing to me . However I only mean a very small wee ( gosh I hope you know what I mean :) )

The plot revolves around an American couples visit to England . Wanda a sex bomb of a con artist and Otto a jewel thief have planned , and are to carry out a diamond robbery in London . The plot involves a double cross , deceit and murder all of which is carried out in ludicrous circumstances .

Michael Palin best known for Monty Python and more recently Pole to pole , plays a stuttering character who is not as foolish as his opponents think . As the down to earth Ken , he portrays this character well . For me Ken is the funniest character of the whole film ,all though there a few close runners up . .There are some really funny scenes involving him that include him having fried chips inserted into his nostrils , and a poor neighbours dog . As a dog lover I laughed , but felt guilty , throughout the dog scenes .

John Cleese , also of Python fame but of Fawlty Towers too, successfully plays Archie ,a pompous British lawyer . He makes for an unusual nude in one scene .Here's a quote from a scene between Otto and Archie :
Archie - I used to box for Oxford.
Otto- Oh, yeah?
[(Otto points a gun )
Otto - I used to kill for the CIA.
I love this humourous banter and it is constant throughout the film .

Jamie lee Curtis plays Wanda, one half of the criminal , American couple . Her other half , Otto , is played by Kevin Kline and they fit together brilliantly . One of Otto's typical , classic statements is 'We didn't lose Vietnam. It was a tie! ' Little wonder Kevin Kline won Best Actor In A Supporting Role at the 1988 Oscars .

Around these four main characters there is a web of intrigue . There are many other performers , some with minor roles , such as Stephen Fry and Geoffrey Palmer , to name only two .

A Fish Called Wanda succeeds where many others have failed It comes across as an up to date farce . The comedy at times is subtle , and at other times as subtle as a sledgehammer . There is a smattering of bad language and it is not really a family film . It is a grown up farce in every sense of the word .

The plot twists and turns a little , although many outcomes are a little predictible . It has many classic elements but just has a modern twist . It was written by John Cleese and Charles Crichton , and John Cleese's quirky humour is evident throughout .

A Fish Called Wanda is classified A and has a running time of one hour and 48 minutes .

RECOMMENDATION
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I have skimmed over the plot .If you have never watched A Fish Called Wanda , you will enjoy it much more ,the less you know about the film . If you think you would enjoy a crime caper with more than a touch of humour you should really enjoy this film .It is 'Laugh out loud' funny in many parts and has a decent plot . The characters are all ridiculous but believable in equal measure .

As to the question ' Best Comedy Fim Ever ' for me the answer is no . There are so many great films out there it would be hard to nominate a winner . However A Fish Called Wanda must rate high in any Top Twenty of comedy films . It has so many successful elements , such as the cast , plot , performances , humour and it's unusual style .

Thanks for reading
Coptright Eiley 2007.
Available from £4.97 on Amazon .

Summary: Very eighties , but still funny .