A Fish Called Wanda

96%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

84%

Audience Score

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

What to Know

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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A Fish Called Wanda | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

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

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A Fish Called Wanda | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

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

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A Fish Called Wanda | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

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

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A Fish Called Wanda | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

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

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A Fish Called Wanda | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... one of the funniest comedies of the eighties.

Aug 19, 2022

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A Fish Called Wanda | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

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

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Audience Reviews

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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 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 06/12/24 Full Review Lisa M One of the worst movies ever made! Rated 0.5/5 Stars • 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 4/5 Stars • 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 5/5 Stars • 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 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/24 Full Review Gerry G One of top five movie comedy's. Extremely clever plot and the actors are pitch perfect characters. Nearly every scene made my wife and I roar with laughter. Just thinking about makes me smile inside. Still holds up very well after thirty five years. Wow, Jamie Lee Curtis is the central character and kills it. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A Fish Called Wanda

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Cast & Crew

Charles Crichton Director John Cleese Director John Cleese Archie Leach Jamie Lee Curtis Wanda Gershwitz Kevin Kline Otto West Michael Palin Ken Pile

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A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda: Official Clip - Have You Got a Stutter?