Clue

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

59%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 27

86%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 94,069
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Movie Info

In this spoof of McCarthy-era paranoia and 1950s wholesomeness, the characters and plot are drawn from the popular Parker Brothers board game of the same name. On a dark and stormy night in 1954, six individuals with ties to Washington are assembled for a dinner party at the swanky mansion of one Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving). Boddy's butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), assigns each guest a colorful name: Mr. Green (Michael McKean), Col. Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Miss Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), and Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn). Two additional servants, the Cook (Kellye Nakahara) and Yvette, the maid (Colleen Camp), assist Wadsworth as he informs the guests that they have been gathered to meet the man who has been blackmailing them: Mr. Boddy. When Boddy turns up dead, however, the guests must try to figure out who killed him so they can protect their own reputations and keep the body count from growing. Three separate endings were filmed for Clue and shown in different theaters; all three are collected for the video edition. Although the film is set in the 1950s, the original Clue game was actually devised by Anthony Pratt, a clerk in Leeds, England, to pass the time during World War II air-raid drills. First released in 1946 under the name Cluedo by British manufacturer Waddington's, Clue was renamed and released in the U.S. in 1949. Today, Clue/Cluedo is marketed in 70 countries around the world and has been adapted into a British game show and an off-Broadway musical. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

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Cast

Eileen Brennan
as Mrs. Peacock
Tim Curry
as Wadsworth
Madeline Kahn
as Mrs. White
Christopher Lloyd
as Professor Plum
Michael McKean
as Mr. Green
Martin Mull
as Col. Mustard
Lesley Ann Warren
as Miss Scarlet
Colleen Camp
as Yvette
Lee Ving
as Mr. Boddy
Janet Hirshenson
Bill Henderson
as Cop
Jane Jenkins
Jane Wiedlin
as Singing Telegram Girl
Jeffrey Kramer
as Motorist
Kellye Nakahara
as Cook
Will Nye
as Cop
Rick Goldman
as Cop
Don Camp
as Cop
Howard Hesseman
as FBI Agent
Danny Costa
Bill McIntosh
John-Clay Scott
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Critic Reviews for Clue

All Critics (27) | Top Critics (6)

  • You leave it with one conviction: stick with the game.

    Jan 2, 2018 | Full Review…

    Paul Attanasio

    Washington Post
    Top Critic

  • It's not the least bit scary or suspenseful but instead quickly grows tedious. The more you struggle to keep track of the constantly multiplying plot developments, the harder it gets to care who did it.

    Mar 21, 2013 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Kevin Thomas

    Los Angeles Times
    Top Critic

  • Only Lesley Ann Warren, as a tough-talking madam, finds an effective level of stylization, using her leggy physique and wildly expressive features to create a cartoonish figure that's funny within its own boundaries.

    Jan 19, 2007 | Full Review…

    Dave Kehr

    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic

  • The characters are less credible than their plastic counterparts, the puerile humour is dispiriting, and the plotting pulled this way and that by the conceit of releasing the film in the US with a trio of alternate endings.

    Jun 24, 2006 | Full Review…

    Trevor Johnston

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • One ending is more than enough.

    Oct 23, 2004 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Roger Ebert

    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic

  • Though it takes only 87 minutes to arrive at one of its three different solutions, it has long since worn out its welcome by the denouement.

    May 20, 2003 | Rating: 2/5

    Janet Maslin

    New York Times
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (27)

Audience Reviews for Clue

  • Aug 14, 2015
    clever and original film, never boring and fun take on the board game
    Brendan N Super Reviewer
  • Nov 16, 2014
    A deliciously ingenious and funny adaptation that lives up to the fun of the famous board game on which it is based and exhibits an amazing attention to details, while Tim Curry stands out in the great cast and completely steals the scene in the film's clever possible endings.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Jun 27, 2014
    Based on the popular board game, Clue is an intriguing murder mystery. A group of six strangers are invited to a mansion to confront their blackmailer, and when he's found murdered everyone's a suspect. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull, and Lesley Ann Warren, the performances are pretty good. But the zany antics are a bit much, and the plot's kind of hard to follow. Clue is a problematic film, but in the end it delivers a fair share of laughs.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
  • Aug 18, 2013
    This film based on the popular board game is actually a surprising treat. Although not perfect, this is a well acted movie with an entertaining story. Clue has an impressive cast of talented actors. The film is entertaining from start to finish, but at times, you can clearly see where the filmmakers seemed to rush on the ideas. I'm actually surprised that they were able to make something watchable while using a board game as a basis for its plot. Years later, they would do the same thing with Battleship, but varied to decent results. I have to say Clue is a fun movie to watch if you're in the right state of mind, and it will keep you guessing right up till the very end. The cast here are what keep you interested from the first frame onwards, and even for all its flaws, it's worth seeing and is not as bad as you'd think. With what the filmmakers had to work with, Clue is an average, worthwhile viewing experience that could have been far worst, but is lots of fun from start to finish. Don't go into this one expecting a great film, you won't find it here and there is plenty of aspects that could have been improved upon, but for what it, Clue is mindless thrills and entertainment and is a better movie than Peter Berg's Battleship. Like I said before, the cast make it work, and there is enough varied talent to really make a watchable movie that is entertaining, but flawed. Despite its shortcomings, there are enough good things on-screen to make it worth checking out.
    Alex r Super Reviewer
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