Clue (1985)

"They all did it. But if you wanna know who killed Mr. Boddy, I did. In the hall. With the revolver."

Director

Jonathan Lynn

Cast

Tim Curry - Wadsworth
Lesley Ann Warren - Miss. Scarlet

Martin Mull - Col. Mustard

Madeline Kahn - Mrs. White

Christopher Lloyd - Prof. Plum

Michael McKean - Mr. Green

Eileen Brennan - Mrs. Peacock

Lee Ving - Mr. Boddy

Colleen Camp - Yvette 

My wife and I recently watched the 1985 comedy "Clue," based on the classic board game, on the same day my fourth child was born just a few days ago. As my wife recuperated at the hospital, we both decided to watch "Clue" on our tablet while browsing through movies on various streaming apps. Though it was a day to celebrate, hospital stays are incredibly boring, too. 

"Clue" has been a favorite board game of mine since my youth. Certainly, more so than "Monopoly." I hate losing money in real life. Why would I want to lose my game money, too?  

"Clue," however, holds a special nostalgic place for me. I have a strategy, probably like everyone else, whenever I play. It often works, unless an opponent has a better strategy.   
The movie based on the boardgame has a truly respectable cast and has become a bit of a cult classic.

Sometime in my pre-teenage years while browsing the shelves of my local video rental store in the hills of Oakland, "California Video," I discovered this flick much to my surprise. Well, of course I had to check it out. 

By the way, when I first saw the trailer for the 2019 comedy murder mystery "Knives Out," my initial impression in the first few moments of the trailer was that it was a remake of "Clue." 

The movie "Clue" was a favorite of mine in my younger days. But I haven't seen it since my early teenage years until my wife and I watched it at the hospital.

Speaking of the board game, I still hope to own a copy of "Clue Master Detective" which offers more rooms, weapons, and characters for crime solving game play. Last Christmas, I found it at a calendar store at the mall. Though I didn't buy it then, I know someday it'll be mine.

Anyways, the movie starts as six individuals are invited to an eerie looking mansion for a special supper. 

As each guest arrives, they're greeted at the door by Wadsworth the Butler (Tim Curry) and given a pseudonym - Miss. Scarlet (Lesley Ann Warren), Mrs. White (Madeline Kahn), Mrs. Peacock (Eileen Brennan), Prof. Plum (Christopher Lloyd), Col. Mustard (Martin Mull) and Mr. Green (Michael McKean). 

However, an extra guest named Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving) is scheduled to arrive. Wadsworth informs the guests that Mr. Boddy has been blackmailing each of them for some time. 

Mrs. White is suspected for murdering her physicist husband. 

Mrs. Peacock is being blackmailed for supposedly accepting bribes on behalf of her husband, a U.S. Senator. 

Prof. Plum lost his medical license after fooling around with a female patient. 

Mrs. Scarlett operates an underground brothel. 

Col. Mustard has been engaging in some war profiteering. 

And Mr. Green claims to be a closeted homosexual which could cost him his job at the State Department if he's found out. 

When Mr. Boddy shows up while dinner is being served, Wadsworth informs the party that the police have been notified and will arrive in 45 minutes.

Boddy, however, threatens to expose each one of them if the police arrest him. He gives each guest a weapon (a lead pipe, a wrench, a revolver, a rope, a knife, and a candlestick) and hopes any one of them will use their weapon to kill Wadsworth. 

If Wadsworth is murdered, Boddy says their secrets will be safe. He then turns out the lights. A shot is fired. A scream is screamed. And when the lights come back on, it's Mr. Boddy who's lying dead on the floor. 

Now the elegant yet mysterious evening becomes a classic who-dunnit as all the guests run around the mansion investigating Boddy's murder. 

The premise of the murder mystery, and its connection to the board game is fun to watch. The notable cast who all work off each other well enough is the best part of the film.

"Clue" sparks a few hearty laughs for me, but overall, it fizzles out in its efforts to get the audience to laugh as characters do a lot of running back and forth, and back and forth. Overall, its weak humor consists mostly with shouting, falling, and again running around. There's very little solid comedy in the dialogue. 

The easy jokes make the movie feel like a mere novelty rather than something worth coming back to again for laughs. It doesn't impress. There's only one joke in the movie that makes me think "now that was funny!" 

There's so much potential for a creative experience with the source material the movie has behind it, but this movie's legacy is that of a cult classic. With some tweaked writing and better jokes, "Clue" could have been a more respected comedy classic rather than just another deflated goofball comedy.  

The cast, too, could have been given a lot more comedic dialogue and material. This is a top-notch cast. Still, what they have to work with is lacking. In some scenes, the cast looks as though they're uninterested in whatever is going on. 

Three different endings were filmed for this movie. Upon its release, theaters were given any one of these three alternate endings. When "Clue" was released on home video, all three endings were included. 

Honestly, the three endings seem superfluous, though I understand the producers were trying to make the movie just like the board game. It would have been interesting to discuss the movie with others who watched it in different theaters and saw different endings back in 1985. 

Director Jonathan Lynn went on to direct other goofy comedies like "The Distinguished Gentleman," "Sgt. Bilko" and "The Whole Nine Yards." His next movie after "Clue" was the somewhat obscure comedy "Nuns on the Run" with Monty Python alum Eric Idle and "Harry Potter" star Robbie Coltrane. Perhaps Lynn's most notable film is the 1992 comedy "My Cousin Vinny." 

"Clue" has potential but ends up an unsubstantial screwball comedy with a runtime that's barely over an hour. A future remake could give this story what's lacking in this film.