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Critics Consensus: Smartly written, smoothly directed, and solidly cast, A Fish Called Wanda offers a classic example of a brainy comedy with widespread appeal.
Critic Consensus: Smartly written, smoothly directed, and solidly cast, A Fish Called Wanda offers a classic example of a brainy comedy with widespread appeal.
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (4) | DVD (14)
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of what is surely the year's most original and daring comedy is that John Cleese is not the funniest performer in it. Believe it or not, that honor goes to none other than the usually somber Kevin Kline.
Somehow, the movie manages to do the impossible: It makes John Cleese less than hilarious.
Low comedy at high speed, it pretends to be a caper movie about a smooth London jewel heist and its infinitely complex aftermath. Actually, it's a smart farce about ingrained cultural differences.
The movie's basic joke holds that the overbearing, unselfconscious Americans will do anything and say anything (and usually as loudly as possible), while the timorous British are nearly too polite to breathe.
Wanda defies gravity, in both senses of the word, and redefines a great comic tradition.
Like many of the best English comedies, much of the humor here is based on character, good-natured high spirits, and fairly uninhibited vulgarity.
The antics alone are fun to watch, but the dialogue is priceless, and there's never been such a hilarious blend of American and British humor.
The key to Wanda's comedy is the ever-shifting loyalties of its four nutty main characters.
A Fish Called Wanda is vintage black comedy, British-style -- a cruel, dastardly, down-and-dirty jewel-robbery romp that pits thief against thief, while entangling an innocent bystander in the web of greed, romance and decidedly cockeyed high jinks.
Cleese's cracking script gives it a solid foundation, but it's the supporting cast who make this movie wanda-ful.
Putting heart and heat into a film that could have easily slid by on silliness, Cleese proves himself a master actor.
As in most of his Python parts... Cleese's character is an extended riff on the concept of pomposity. But Archie is more leavened with humanity than any of his other roles.
It took me three attempts to get through this film, and everyone I've told about the challenge it presented me has looked at me like I have three heads. I think the movie shines in its plotting and its pacing, and I like that it's a heist movie with a comical twist, but to everyone saying "What are you talking about? IT'S HILARIOUS!", well, I disagree. Maybe it's just too dated now... or maybe Cleese left his best work in Monty Python or Fawlty Towers... something about the movie just didn't do it for me, and I wish that I could be more specific. The Kevin Kline aspect strikes me as a large part of it... the guy is just trying way too hard... his character's wacky, but not the least bit believable, and I think that's a problem when you're trying to play a crook: crime has to come from some real place inside, and to me, cartoony crooks always ring hollow. This being said, though, I think I can see this film re-watching well; my rating might improve on second viewing... or then again, as that would be my fourth attempt to enjoy this film, I'm not so sure it will.
Super Reviewer
John Cleese penned this farce on Brit/American "friendly" relations to hysterical effect as a jewelry store robbery and a search for the missing booty lead to pretty funny complications. The entire cast is to be highly commended, but Kevin Kline's fascist pig Yankee snob is the real gem here. Still potent after all these years!
Terrible funny and clever, A Fish Called Wanda it's a great comedy film with outstanding performances. Fresh.
Kevin Kline is one of my all time favorites and he shines alongside Cleese, Curtis and Palin in an all time classic comedy.
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