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A Fish Called Wanda

Play trailer Poster for A Fish Called Wanda R Released Jul 15, 1988 1h 47m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
96% Tomatometer 68 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
British gangster George Thomason (Tom Georgeson) and his hapless aide, Ken Pile (Michael Palin), draft a pair of arrogant Americans, grifter Wanda Gerschwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis) and weapons expert Otto West (Kevin Kline), for a massive diamond heist. When the job goes badly, Wanda attempts to seduce George's stuffy lawyer, Archie Leach (John Cleese), to find out where George hid the diamonds. Meanwhile, Ken repeatedly attempts to kill an elderly woman (Patricia Hayes) who witnessed the robbery.
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A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda

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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.

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Critics Reviews

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John Pym Sight & Sound To those who appreciate Ealing comedy (which is to say all right-thinking people), watching the film is like chancing on a Hogarth sketch in grandmother's attic, clearly and unmistakably signed by the Master. Jan 16, 2020 Full Review Peter Travers People Magazine Putting heart and heat into a film that could have easily slid by on silliness, Cleese proves himself a master actor. Jul 30, 2013 Full Review Desmond Ryan Philadelphia Inquirer 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. Rated: 3/4 Jul 30, 2013 Full Review Eoghan Lyng PopMatters Best of all, A Fish Called Wanda showed that Cleese – closer to 50 than his character’s age of 40 – could tackle the intricacies of romance. Feb 3, 2024 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... one of the funniest comedies of the eighties. Aug 19, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The bright characterizations, vivid performances, and unexpectedly uproarious set-pieces have lost little of their luster over the ensuing decades. Rated: 3.5/4 Sep 22, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
A.L.Jude P The character development was poorly executed and lacked depth, which significantly diminished the quality of the movie. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 05/22/25 Full Review Frans B Hilarious, batsh#t crazy, breakneck speed, quick witted, intelligent and utterly ridiculously funny. Stellar cast who all shines convincingly in character. Easily the definitive comedy movie. Never a dull moment here. Absolute must see Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/26/25 Full Review Insomniac X Screwball crime comedy comes on strong with fast-paced dialogue and a fun premise, but becomes tiring as its manic schtick carries on through the second act. Nonetheless, the performances of a talented ensemble make it hard to look away. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/10/25 Full Review Alejandro E A jewel robbery is the trigger for a unique series of entanglements and confusions, as well as for one of the most symbolic comedies of the 80s. A comedy not to be missed. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/25 Full Review Jens B Greatly written, even better acted - apart from a few minor issues, it's an almost perfect heist crime comedy. The script keeps building up the pace and manages to give each character and their subplot just the right amount of screen time. The timing is also just great. The legendary running gag with the old lady and her three dogs comes very late in the film, but prevents the entertainment curve from dropping. Yes, sometimes it gets a little silly, but it still remains somehow believable. And Kevin Kline is better as Otto than Jim Carrey's entire career. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/25 Full Review Kevin P A very funny and witty crime comedy that constantly keeps you on your toes with its criminal espionage plot and constantly keeps you laughing with its knock-out energetic comedic performances from John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Palin, and ESPECIALLY Kevin Kline (who gives it his all in such a hilariously manic performance that commands the scene and turns every line into gold). Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/25 Full Review Read all reviews
A Fish Called Wanda

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Cast & Crew

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Charles Crichton

Director

John Cleese

Director

John Cleese

Archie Leach

Jamie Lee Curtis

Wanda Gershwitz

Kevin Kline

Otto West

Michael Palin

Ken Pile

Movie Clips

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A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Have You Got a Stutter? A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Have You Got a Stutter? 2:25 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Fish and Chips A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Fish and Chips 2:14 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Striptease Surprise A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Striptease Surprise 2:21 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Upside-Down Apology A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Upside-Down Apology 1:27 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Ken's Revenge A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Ken's Revenge 2:31 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Apes Don't Read Philosophy A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Apes Don't Read Philosophy 1:54 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - He Doesn't Have a Clue A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - He Doesn't Have a Clue 2:04 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - The Language of Love A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - The Language of Love 1:39 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Loosening Ken's Lips A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Loosening Ken's Lips 1:28 A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Otto Hates the British A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Otto Hates the British 1:56 View more videos

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A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda (1988) A Fish Called Wanda (1988) A Fish Called Wanda (1988) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis British gangster George Thomason (Tom Georgeson) and his hapless aide, Ken Pile (Michael Palin), draft a pair of arrogant Americans, grifter Wanda Gerschwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis) and weapons expert Otto West (Kevin Kline), for a massive diamond heist. When the job goes badly, Wanda attempts to seduce George's stuffy lawyer, Archie Leach (John Cleese), to find out where George hid the diamonds. Meanwhile, Ken repeatedly attempts to kill an elderly woman (Patricia Hayes) who witnessed the robbery.
Director
Charles Crichton, John Cleese
Producer
Michael Shamberg
Screenwriter
John Cleese
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co
Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Prominent Features
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 15, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$60.0M
Runtime
1h 47m
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