CLUE. Directed and written by Jonathan Lynn; produced by Debra Hill for Paramount. Starring Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren. Rated PG.
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Hollywood has been known to get inspiration from some pretty weird places. But this is the first time to my knowledge that a board game is the basis for a movie. Can Monopoly be far behind? What about Risk?
Don't worry. For us to see a parade of new movies inspired by these rainy-day favorites, Clue would have to be a smashing success. And I doubt that will happen.
The movie is occasionally amusing. And it is fun to see the familiar characters, rooms and weapons from the game come to life. But it's obviously not meant to be taken seriously as a murder mystery. The good laughs that surface from time to time aren't enough to make Clue a strong comedy, either. So it ends up falling between the cracks.
Clue 's failure as a comedy is all the more surprising because of the number of good comedians among its cast. Unfortunately, though, the best of them aren't allowed to play to their strengths. Lloyd's character, in particular, is disappointing, since he doesn't get to display any of his wonderful craziness. Professor Plum could have been played by anyone, for all the laughs he gives us.
Kahn and Brennan fare a little better, with Mrs. White and Mrs. Peacock being delightfully pathological and zany. But Mull is wasted as Col. Mustard. And doesn't Warren ever get tired of playing professional ladies with hearts of whatever?
The two lesser-known names, McKean and Curry, prove to be the stars of the show. But they can't make up for the shortcomings of their colleagues, not to mention the gimmicky script.
All of my comments need to be qualified, of course, since I saw only version A of the movie. This three-pronged attack by the moviemakers (releasing three allegedly different versions, with different endings) is at least an original marketing technique. But though I am mildly curious to see the other endings, I can't imagine sitting through the beginning and middle two more times!
Except for an over-dependence on slap-and-tickle humor. Clue is harmless fun. But for mystery fans any Agatha Christie paperback is a better buy. And as for comedy, well, is Back to the Future still in town?
December 18, 1985