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A Fish Called Wanda

R Released Jul 15, 1988 1h 47m Comedy List
96% Tomatometer 69 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

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Chinu D It’s a really good movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Gerry M After many attempts to watch this, I never caught on to the story or liked or related to any of the characters - a dud in my book. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/12/24 Full Review Lisa M One of the worst movies ever made! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/19/24 Full Review Aender S Great comedy with a first class cast. Foremost you've got to appreciate Kevin Kline playing an utter idiot. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/03/24 Full Review fred f Loved the acting, the story. Humor is 10 out of 10 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/12/24 Full Review Audience Member DOES NOT HOLD UP. I somehow thought it was funny when it first came out in the movie theater. Watched it the other night with my kids, and they bailed after 30 minutes. I bailed after 40. John Cleese is the only watchable character in the movie. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/24 Full Review Read all reviews
A Fish Called Wanda

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Cast & Crew

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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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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