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Parents' Guide to

A Fish Called Wanda

By Elliot Panek, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Crime caper has a wicked edge, lots of mature humor.

Movie R 1988 108 minutes
A Fish Called Wanda Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Dylan1226
Dylan1226 Parent of 12 and 13-year-old
March 27, 2020
age 14+

Hilarious, racy movie, most teens can handle it...

This was one of my favorite comedies growing up and I showed it to my sons, 14 and 12 recently... They both thought it was hilarious. It's racy at times, language is strong, but it's all done for humor and this is one of the funniest movies ever. Just a truly, truly hilarious movie.
sarge123
sarge123 Adult
October 23, 2015
age 18+

15+

See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After pulling off a daring daylight diamond heist, a team of theives -- including sexy Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis), unpredicatable Otto (Kevin Kline), and mild-mannered Ken (Michael Palin) -- starts double-crossing one another in order to claim the loot for themselves. An unsuspecting barrister (John Cleese) gets pulled into the fray, and as lying begets more lying, it all turns into a delightfully loopy farce.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (13 ):

A FISH CALLED WANDA is a British crime caper that features a comedic tour de force performance by Kline. Cleese's character is a distant cousin to the one he played in beloved Britcom Fawlty Towers, a brow-beaten husband whose efforts to hide an indiscretion result in hilarity. These familiar situations benefit immensely from Cleese's skill; he carries off such scenes with aplomb.

Kline, though, is the real star here -- his elevation of obnoxiousness to a high art won him a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar. His amalgamation of overconfidence and kinetic energy is so extreme, his shifts in manner from faux-Buddhist to faux-Italian so abrupt, that you can't help but laugh. Without him, the movie would be a bit plain, with the familiar twists and turns of the double-cross jewel-thief escapade. But with him, it's a comedy treat sure to entertain Monty Python fans and British humor enthusiasts alike.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the characters. Are any of them intended to be role models? If not, are they still sympathetic? Why? How do movies get us to root for "bad" guys?

  • What kind of consequences would these characters face in real life for their actions?

  • Do you find this movie funny or over the top? Why do you think different people find different things funny?

Movie Details

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