A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Crichton, 1988): USA/UK

Reviewed by William Conlin. Viewed on DVD.

Some comedy films never get old. No matter how many times I watch them I still seem to explode with laughter even though I know what’s coming. When I watched Charles Crichton’s hilarious crime caper A Fish Called Wanda last night, even though I’ve seen it many times before, it still made me laugh as hard as the first time I saw it.

Set entirely in London, A Fish Called Wanda is the story of four thieves who set out to steal $20,000,000 in diamonds. After successfully pulling off the heist, they begin to tear each other apart with greed and deceit. The mastermind of the crime George (Tom Georgeson) is sent to jail, the accomplice Wanda (Jaime Lee Curtis) plays all those around her against each other, the getaway man Ken (Michael Palin) is subjected to numerous forms of torture at the hands of his “friends,” and the weapons man (Kevin Kline) attempts to play everyone like Wanda only to be deemed an idiot each time he does. As the group’s chances at escape begin to fade, Wanda “recruits” a high-profile barrister named Archie (John Cleese) to help her make a clean getaway, resulting in an unexpected romance and even more comedy mischief.

Written by Monty Python alumni John Cleese and starring Cleese and Palin, A Fish Called Wanda is not nearly as absurd as Monty Python but still delivers just as many, if not more, laughs than the classic Python films. The standout performance in this film is by far Kevin Kline. His portrayal of the dim-witted ex-CIA agent Otto not only brought Kline critical praise, but also earned him the 1989 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The second best performance is definitely John Cleese as the bumbling barrister Archie who always fears doing the wrong thing. Though they may not seem very well matched, Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis show great on-screen chemistry.

Though the script doesn’t feature classic one-liners like other films, it gives you a constant stream of laughable moments. The screenplay is often cited on “Best-of” lists and when the American Film Institute rated the 100 Best Comedies of all time, A Fish Called Wanda ranked at #21.

Though it is dated to some degree, if you enjoy comedies from the 80’s, A Fish Called Wanda will not only make you laugh out loud, it will make you want to watch it over and over again.