A Fish Called Wanda

A tale of murder, lust, revenge & seafood

A FISH CALLED WANDA (15)

D: Charles Crichton

MGM (Michael Shamberg)

UK 🇬🇧 1988

108 mins

Comedy/Crime

W: John Cleese & Charles Crichton

DP: Alan Hume

Ed: John Jympson

Mus: John DuPrez

John Cleese (Archie Leach), Jamie Lee Curtis (Wanda Curtis), Kevin Kline (Otto), Michael Palin (Ken), Maria Aitken (Wendy Leach), Tom Georgeson (George)

A Fish Called Wanda twins the dry wit of an Ealing Comedy with the uproariously ridiculous style of Monty Python for a brilliantly hilarious crime caper with great performances and very funny gags.

Four thieves perform a diamond heist but when the gang leader, George, is double-crossed, the loot goes missing. Sexpot of the operation, Wanda Gershwitz (Curtis) attempts to seduce George's stuffy solicitor (Cleese) in order to ascertain where the diamonds have been hidden.

Meanwhile, a personal feud develops between stuttering animal-lover Ken (Palin), who is asked to assassinate the only witness to the robbery, and Kevin Kline's psychopathic, xenophobic hitman Otto, whose obsession with Nietzsche makes him think he's an intellectual, when he's in fact incredibly stupid.

All the cast are brilliant, but it's Palin & Kline who standout, given the funniest scenes to work with. The humour won't suit everyone, but Python fans certainly won't be disappointed.

8/10