Clue (PG, 2000)

common sense media says

The board game is a lot more fun.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there are adult jokes as well as mild raunchiness, including backside-grabbing and leering.

Positive messages: Most of the characters are duplicitous and greedy.
Violence: Murder done in a playful way, with bodies being dragged around and placed in awkward positions.
Sex: Mild sexual innuendo and sight gags.
Language: Some mild sexual innuendo, but no swearing.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Some alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking.

More on Clue

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about board games and which others, if any, might be good candidates for a movie. If you could make a movie based on any board game, which would you choose and why? How would the movie be different from the game? If you could make your own movie version of Clue, what would it be like?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Based on the Hasbro board game, CLUE attempts to explain how six unrelated, eccentric characters manage to become murder suspects while staying under one roof. The story is propelled and narrated by a character not found in the board game--the butler (Tim Curry), who runs the show at a dinner to which the familiar characters of Miss Scarlet (Leslie Ann Warren), Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Professor Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn) and Mr. Green (Michael McKean) have been invited. The guests find out they have all been being blackmailed by the same man, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving), who joins the party halfway through dinner. After Mr. Boddy's inevitable death, the murders compound as the group stumbles upon several more bodies, including those of the maid and the cook.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
There's really not much to this movie. There is a lot of recapping in this film, which makes the already tedious storyline even more so. Though the DVD offers three different endings (and three different murderers), none of the scenarios seem plausible or even likely.

Tim Curry is likeable (and very energetic) and has moments of brilliance, but he isn't able to distract from the mess of plot holes and ill-planned nonsense. The rest of the main cast speak their weak lines as though their words are genius, but their understated style only works with a good script. Though there are moments of good comedic timing, most of the jokes and sight gags are obvious, flat, and crude. The juvenile humor and sexual innuendo will be best appreciated by the junior high and high school crowds.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Cast: Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Tim Curry
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 96 minutes
Theatrical release: June 25, 2000
DVD release: June 27, 2000
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: mild violence; mild sexual innuendo

This review was written by Maria Llull
 
 

Review It

 

Review Clue





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

9

Most useful reviews by all members

kayla buzgo
kid, 12 years old
 
maybe not under 9 or so
why i rated it this is because before you are 10 you might not get the humor. in case none of you have noticed the H word and the D word are used each once in movie. the violence is 3 or 4 gunshots. there is wine,brandy(whatever that is),cigarettes and a smoking pipe in this awesome movie.

perfectionist
teen, 15 years old
 
AWESOME!!!
This movie is great! It's one of the best movies I've ever seen, why did it get 2 stars?

Abigail Belting
kid, 11 years old
 
HILARIOUS!!!!
so hilarious.My favorite part is when Wadsworth tells the dogs to sit but,Mr.Green though he tolled HIM to sit.But some of the language is not good.

movies make me :)
kid, 13 years old
 

e Clue Rocks
kid, 12 years old
 
Awsomly funny I love it!!!
I love the movie it dose have some adult content but barley it was an awsome movie for ages 8 and up it had an exiting plot to keep you interested even the 100th time you watch it is a perfect movie for everyone you'll love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
Great family movie, but some adult situations/messages
Funny movie (slapstick) and mystery. Some adult situations (drinking, smoking, sexual preference, call girl). Most of it went over my kids heads (ages 8 and 10). But I think you need to know what your kids are watching and be prepared to answer questions. Better for older kids, but a great family movie.

Cameroonsky
teen, 15 years old
 
Its a good Movie out of a bored game. they did a wonderful job!

Bauer Power
teen, 14 years old
 
Action, Drama, and Comedy All in One
The movie is great, but not for kids under 10.

CandiceTalks
teen, 14 years old
 
Great movie!!!
I'm thirteen years old and I saw this movie about a year ago. Not only does it have an amazing plot line, but the movie itself is extraordinary. Not bad at all for an old movie. I would say that kids under the age of 10 shouldn't watch it because you do see a dead body or two, and there is murder..drinking also. The role models aren't too good, they're greedy and such. But over all I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I would definitley watch it again!!!

csccosecant
teen, 16 years old
 
good movie
This movie really has nothing harmful about it. THere is a little sexual content, and they drink alcohol throughout the movie. It is, though, a very good movie. It is especially good if you've played the game

Matan
kid, 10 years old
 
comedy slapstick
funny and scary

markb4
adult
 
Very good adaptation!
It really was a good adaptation of the board game with a lot of humor and incidents. The sexual content include a man who says he's homosexual; a woman who works as a call-girl; one or two kisses; and an indication to a man's private parts. Other than that, it was pretty clean; the murders were more funny than scary and the language was like "D**n" and the like.

ToastnJam
teen, 14 years old
 
They just don't make movies like this anymore...
I first saw Clue when it was on TV last Halloween and I, being a Rocky Horror girl, was in love with it by the time the opening credits had rolled by. I have since seen it 17 times (9 one month!). It's been my mission to expose as many others as possible to this forgotten gem of a movie--and I don't use gem lightly. Seriously folks, there is no way they could make it any better. The comedic timing is pitch perfect, as is the cast and setting. With only some minor language, a few remarks about sex (some more frank than others), and a brief kissy scene between Mrs. White and Mr. Boddy's corpse, Clue should be fine for most kids, although it will be better appreciated by those old enough to get the jokes. No words come to mind that can truly capture the spectacular epicness this movie possesses. My advice to you, dear reader, is as follows: go watch it. Now. You haven't lived until you've seen Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn on screen together. Pure, raw genius.

movieman3
kid, 12 years old
 
Good for children ages 11-13.
Violence: 6 murders are done in one night. Sexual Content:A scene between Boody and White, and a scene between Plum and Scarlet. Language: B-----d, h--l and d--n are each used once

Divine_Munchie_99
teen, 17 years old
 
Bad, but still funny
Okay, first off, there's some stuff that might give it a PG-13 nowadays(made in 1985), but if your kids can tolerate it, let them watch it. Probably the funniest part of the movie is this: the doorbell rings, a singing telegram girl appears doing a short song-and-dance routine, and then gets shot. You'll die laughing!

Punkchic
teen, 15 years old
 
Awesome and funny!
I watched this movie in y english class becuase we had to do a ystery story and I absolutely loved it!! Well 4 Sex: one guy says he's homosexual, and there are some sexual referneces(He had what he wasn't supposed to have with patients...), kissing, and the maid has a little dress which could be iffy 4 parents. Violence: some dead bodies, slapstick and a little bid of blood drops(just like cuts). Drinks and smoking: one woman smokes a cigarette, the butler offers alchohol drinks. Overall I love this movie it was funny and it'll keep you going especially at the end lol! =)

shabie
kid, 12 years old
 

Zaranai
adult
 
One of my favorites
It's an old movie. Not a flash-a-minute rush by any means, but still really good. The three endings will have you watching it again and again to try and figure out how you missed all the clues and how Tim Curry's slightly neurotic and completely cunning butler could see them. There are a few references to sex that aren't as easily lost in the fast banter as others, and the characters are drinking throughout most of the earlier scenes, but it's not a central theme - it's just sort of there. It is, obviously, a murder mystery so people die but it's handled in an almost comedic way with nothing graphic. Older movies are much more mild than newer ones, and this movie follows that theme well. A real classic!

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you see Clue?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age