Java_Joe A Fish Called Wanda caught everybody by surprise. It was a low budget, silly English comedy that just exploded in popularity and has gone down as one of the great comedies of all time. The makers managed to capture literal lightning in a bottle that they have never been able to recreate. Years later when they got the same crew together for "Fierce Creatures" it just wasn't the same. In it we have Michael Palin, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline playing a group of jewel thieves and how they're all backstabbing each other to get the loot to themselves. When the fourth member of their crew gets captured, thanks to an anonymous tip by Kevin Kline, it's John Cleese as the barrister who supposed to defend him in court.What follows is a series of events where the only witness to the crime is targeted for murder only to have her pets doe one by one. John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis wind up falling for each other. And Kevin Kline winds up stealing the show as the oversexed killer who misinterprets philosophy and thinks that killing is okay. He won the Oscar for best supporting actor for that role and he totally deserved it .It's one of those movies that you really need to see if you haven't already.

Mark Turner I'd forgotten just how funny A FISH CALLED WANDA was. Yes I'd seen it when it was released, watched it on both video and disc but it had been a while. With this new releases I'd thought about the film as being funny but didn't remember how funny it was. I found myself having to pause the film on occasion because I was laughing so hard…and then backing up moments to watch and laugh at them again.The story revolves around a group of thieves who have successfully pulled off one of the biggest armed robberies of all times. Georges Thomason (Tom Georgeson) is the head of the gang, Ken (Michael Palin) his stuttering relative, Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis) his girlfriend and Otto (Kevin Kline) the muscle of the group and Wanda's brother. Except that he isn't really her brothers but her boyfriend who's there to help her steal the entire haul.Setting up Georges to take the fall he is arrested. Unbeknownst to the pair he took precautions and moved the jewels from the safe they were in and passed on the key to its new location to Ken. Ken hides the key but Wanda finds it. The only problem is she has no idea where the safe deposit box is that the key belongs to. To find out she decides to seduce the barrister handling George's case, Archie Leach (John Cleese).While all of this is going on Georges tells Ken he must help by taking out the witness who claims she saw him commit the robbery, an elderly lady who owns three yorkies she holds dear. His attempts and failures at trying to follow through with this leads to some of the funniest moments in the film though the dark comedic nature of what happens will undoubtedly upset some viewers.Wanda's seduction of Archie goes as planned with a few hitches thrown in thanks to Otto. Otto is one of the funniest characters in the film. Not quite a dim witted as some might think but definitely close, Otto considers himself an intellectual because he reads things like Nietzsche and takes high offense to anyone calling him stupid. His jealousy of anything involving Wanda leads to some more hilarious moments.As the movie progresses you begin to wonder just who will end up with the jewels by the final credits. Characters found to be living in situations they're unhappy with (both Wanda and Archie) will find resolution while others will be left to face the consequences of what they do. None of them will come out unscathed in one way or another and along the way all will provide so much laughter you'll find yourself like me, pausing to recover from time to time.Fantastic acting is found by all here with special note to both Kline and Palin who create two memorable characters that will make you laugh when remembering them. Cleese has written a comedy masterpiece here and was even nominated for an Oscar for this work. Curtis displays a flair for not only playing the femme fatale but showing she has the acting chops to pull it off. In all the movie shows that the right combination of wit and slapstick can be combined to make one of the best comedies of all time.Once again Arrow Video has outdone itself offering a 4k restoration of the film for the cleanest look possible. Extras abound here and include a commentary track with writer and star Cleese, an appreciation by Vic Pratt of the BFI National Archive, interviews with composer John Du Prez, production designer Roger Murray-Leach, executive producer Steve Abbott and makeup supervisor Paul Engelen, a 1988 documentary on the making of the film called JOHN CLEESE'S FINAL FAREWELL PERFORMANCE, SOMETHING FISHY a 15th anniversary retrospective documentary featuring numerous interviews, FISH YOU WERE HERE a documentary on the film's locations hosted by Robert Powell, 24 deleted and alternate scenes with introduction by Cleese, A MESSAGE FROM JOHN CLEESE a hilarious short recorded for the film's original release featuring Cleese, a gallery of stills, a trivia tack, the theatrical trailer and for the first pressing only a booklet with writing on the film by Sophie Monks Kaufman.

mike fernando I'm not going to compare this movie with any other movie. Because the movie is a unique ride and you must watch to see how 80s comedies laid. Even today use these stuffs as materials. Cast looks so great and particularly Jamie Lee Curtis showing what 80s like. So great! Another beautiful thing is the music of 80s. Totally loved it. If you are good fan of 80s music then I'm sure this is one good venture to feel it. III don't want to spoil you with the plot or hint of it, but I can assure you this is a movie that you can enjoy anytime in the day. No big scientific stuffs OR complicated plot which can't understand. The movie is flowing without get you bored. Must watch British comedy with few thrilling moments. Sure you wont regret to spend more than one and half hours of your time for a 80s classic.

Python Hyena A Fish Called Wanda (1988): Dir: Charles Crichton / Cast: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin, Maria Aitken: Clever caper comedy with a title that not only references a pet, but also the woman who conned everyone and got away. Plot regards stolen jewels and the betrayal of the leader. Wanda is played by Jamie Lee Curtis who set up the betrayal along with her lover, a weapons expert named Otto, played to brilliant comic extremes by Kevin Kline. John Cleese is hilarious as barrister Archie Leach. His marriage is reduced to spite, and his teenage daughter wails for attention. Now Wanda has entrapped him for information resulting in situations resulting in him being hung upside down out a window, beat up while robbing his own house, and being caught naked by a family of four on a surprise visit. Curtis is sexy playing her options but has a weakness for erotic spoken languages. Kline provides a physical sarcasm with his jealous outbursts over Wanda until he is using a firearm to issue an apology. Michael Palin plays the animal loving Ken whose task of killing an elderly witness results is his most hilariously painful backfires. With a grand supporting cast and director Charles Crichton making his best caper since Lavender Hill Mob. Ending is wayward with humour often in questionable taste, this becomes a brilliant clash of cultures descending in a net that only Wanda can outmaneuver. Score: 8 / 10