Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-22 18:43:25

Marvellous

This review is from: Without a Clue (DVD) The whole concept of Dr Watson being the brains behind the outfit & Sherlock Holmes purely the front man & in this case a poor actor is brilliant. The story, acting & direction are so enjoyable & make superb entertainment. Michael Caine is amazing as the hapless, dim witted, woman chasing Sherlock Holmes while Ben Kingsley is wonderful as the frustrated and ignored brilliant sleuth. The real genius, going unoticed & totally overlooked.A marvellous and engrossing "ride" for all the lovers of baffling Holmes style mysteries. A pure gem and totally hilarious. Not to be missed.

2012-05-22 12:48:20

Delightful Holmes...and equally delightful Watson!

Witty, smart, funny, charming, beautifully made, delightfully acted. You know those movies where every detail is perfect? This is one of those. For lovers of fine movies - and fine acting performances. Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley give lovely performances, supported by a fine cast of actors (including Peter Cook). The final scene is extremely moving.

pixter 2012-05-22 11:14:28

Great fun!

My two brothers and I watched this movie often and still quote largeportions of the movie from memory. Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley arehysterical and play off of each other through the whole movie. This isnot a movie full of action or suspense. The true comedy gold mine ofthis movie is in the dialog. There are many memorable quotes, andwatching Watson's (Kingsley) reaction to Holmes's(Caine) many bumblesare hilarious. I wouldn't recommend the movie for little children sincemost of the humor will be lost on them, and there is a tense scene ortwo. However, if you're looking for a comedy with a good script withtwo award winning actors, I highly recommend this movie!

2012-05-22 02:36:11

SIMPLY THE BEST

I can't really add to the praise of this funny, funny movie. I just thought I'd point out one scene I noticed. Wiggins is in the Strand office and has the line, "Hello ducks. Do you work here?" Watch the expression on woman's face. She's really suprised. That line had to be an adlib.

MisterMickey 2012-05-18 21:22:20

Elementary!

More than one of the best films of the 1980s, this is one of the funniestfilms ever. And I don't necessarily care for films from this era.MichaelCaine is outrageous as Reginald Kincaid, the boozing, woman-chasing, actorwho's hired by Dr. John Watson to pose as the fictional Sherlock Holmeswhile Watson solves the crimes. A laugh a minute, with hilarious dialogue&a wonderful Henry Mancini score. Not to be missed. Holmes fans might notcare for it, but they need to learn to laugh.

Baroque 2012-05-18 14:04:23

A true lost gem

The premise is so clever. Sherlock Holmes never really existed. It wasDr. Watson (Ben Kingsley) who had been solving these cases all along,and simply hired bumbling actor Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) toplay the fake Sherlock Holmes.To those who are hard-core Holmes fans, this film will be cherished.Sadly, the VHS is out of print in the USA (I bought mine used at a fleamarket), and DVDs are available only in Europe. (UPDATE: The film has been released on DVD in the USA, but in Pan &Scan.)Also, the film received hardly any promotion in the USA. But it islavishly directed, cleverly written, and magnificently cast.Everything about this film deserves exclamation points!Track it down any way you can, and prepare to laugh out loud.

Steve Robson 2012-05-18 08:26:14

A little known gem

Im pleased to see so many people have come across this little gem of amovie. The premise is fun but without the interaction and talent ofKingsley and Caine this so easily could have been a one dimensionalcartoon.This is one of my all time favourites and its little films like this thatrebuild your faith in the movie business. Its well directed well actedandvery well written I feared it my have been a little too paroquial and ourfriends across the Atlantic might not have appreciated it but it appearsalot of Americans have enjoyed it too. That classic line when Caine comesupwith his anagram theory I tell you I was in stitches and it still makes mechuckle. Theres never a dull moment with plenty of laugh out loud bitsbutalso sometimes more importantly there are constant endearing smile toyourself moments which pulls you along the film and you grow very close tothe characters which is an acolade of how good the two lead performancesare.

2012-05-17 22:59:33

The funniest Sherlock Holmes movie ever!!

This movie is so brilliantly done by such a formidable cast of actors - why it didn't get more attention is truly a mystery! No matter how many times I watch Without A Clue, it always makes me howl out loud with gut busting laughter. Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley are an unbeatable comedy combo. Great viewing for all ages.

2012-05-09 15:07:58

Without a Clue

This is an hilarious movie with an untraditional twist... Sherlock Holmes is a bumbling idiot and John Watson is the genius! Who better to play the bubmling idiot than Sir Michael Caine?! Great from start to finish!

2012-05-09 08:20:03

the actors are really, the movie itn's

It funny but not really good. The actors are good,the story sucks

2012-05-07 17:22:53

"How demeaning to be set upon by nitwits!"

This review is from: Without a Clue (DVD) Watson: "Moriarty knows. I am the only match for his evil genius."Holmes: "Are you sure he's not trying to kill me?"Watson: "Of course not. He knows you're an idiot."Holmes: "Thank God!"What if Dr. Watson was actually the brains of this very famous partnership? And supposing that Sherlock Holmes was, in fact, a bungling ninny? C'mon, that premise'll draw you in, right? Here's the plot:Dr. John Watson (Ben Kingsley), not wishing to undermine his career as a physician, once solved a case and attributed the solving of it to a fabricated character he named Sherlock Holmes. Very quickly, demand for this flawless Baker Street sleuth grew, and Watson was soon forced to hire a body to play the part. Enter Reginald Kincaid, a bungling, boozy, womanizing has-been of an actor. Yet, somehow, he fits the part.But now Sherlock Holmes has taken all the plaudits and the credit away from Watson, who also soon tires of Kincaid's ineptness and habitual drunkenness. After one unsatisfactory incident too many, Watson cuts Kincaid loose and sets out on his own as the dismally self-titled Crime Doctor. But the Crime Doctor promptly finds himself dismissed by the constabulary and scorned by the latest prospective client. In the end, Watson has no recourse but to summon Holmes one last time (he finds him in a drinking establishment, pinching ladies' bums). But it's made perfectly clear, this is very definitely their last case together. And off they go. It's a great premise, and WITHOUT A CLUE mines it for all its worth even as it upends the Sherlock Holmes mystique. The actual mystery itself which the duo attempts to solve is unimaginative (read: boring), involving the theft of printing plates from the Royal Mint. It's a good thing then that the film's focus is on the comedy. There are several hilarious moments here, laughs at times elicited by physical slapstick and at times by clever punchlines or even by a mere exasperated (Watson) or besotted (Holmes) expression. Ben Kingsley deserves massive props for conveying to mirthful effect some of the very best "pained, put upon, and long suffering" expressions I've seen in cinema. The two leads, Caine and Kingsley, are splendiferous. If you're a Michael Caine fan, then you're not only aware of his wonderful acting skills, but also of his deft talent for comedy. My favorite Michael Caine film may actually be Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Here, he's even more broad in his style and delivery. It's understood that he's not directly playing Sherlock Holmes, but rather a ruined, drunken actor playing Sherlock Holmes. It's fun watching Michael Caine romp in his role of lecher and imbecile, basking in the glow of Holmes' admirers but being condescended to by those decidedly in the know (it's a sad state of affairs when even a street urchin thinks you're lower than dirt). Now, Ben Kingsley - who doesn't really do a lot of comedic films - he surprised me at how humorous he was, playing the brilliant criminologist just itching to be acknowledged but frustratingly trapped in his own created reality. He and Caine together are masterful. Perfect timing and very good chemistry, two very good British actors letting their hair down. Jeffrey Jones is also good as the always-one-step-behind Inspector Lestrade, and he's gold in the "sleuthing" distraction routine.It's fortuitous that Caine and Kingsley are so good because Professor Moriarty doesn't really register much of an impact, although I did like his muttered line: "How demeaning to be set upon by nitwits!" But, if nitwits are consistently this funny, well, I guess I could do with a bit more of this brand of ineptitude. Concerning WITHOUT A CLUE, why not relish it for the farce that it is and tolerate it for the mystery that it isn't?And, by the way, break out the widescreen version already, will ya?

2012-05-07 08:08:03

Ben Kingsley does comedy

You might think of Ben Kingsley wearing a diaper as Gandhi, or as a villain in various roles (playing Meyer Lansky in _Bugsy_, Cosmo in _Sneakers_ or as the frightening Don Logan in _Sexy Beast_) but Kingsley can also do comedy, as proven by this film. The central conceit of this film is that John H. Watson, M.D. of the Sherlock Holmes stories was actually the detecting genius and that Sherlock Holmes was a fictional creation. Later Watson was forced to hire a drunken actor (played to perfection by Michael Caine) to fill out the role of Holmes for a public that would not accept the talents of "John Watson, the Crime Doctor". The chemisty between Kingsley, playing the tightly wound John Watson, fed up with the fact that his creation has taken center stage and that no one will believe in his talents, and Caine, as the buffoonish actor, receiving the adulation that rightly belongs to Watson is fantastic, as witness the scene where Holmes is recounting the curious case of the Manchurian Mambo ("It was a night like any other, when suddenly a knock came at the door. I opened it and there were these Manchurians, doing a rather festive Caribbean dance...").The only reason I'm giving this DVD four stars and not five is because it is a panned and scanned print of the original movie and pan and scan sucks. Even so this is still worth seeing.

daryl russ 2012-05-04 19:21:20

Witty movie with great performances

Every once in a while you see a movie that most everyone overlooks but itstill strikes a cord with you. Without A Clue is a such amovie.It starts with a clever premise, Watson is the brains behind the bumblingHolmes, and while the actual criminal investiation in the movie isn'texactly a big stretch in deductive reasoning, what makes this movieworthwhile are the solid performances of Michael Caine and BenKingsley.The professional reviews linked with this movie would have you believe thismovie isn't worth the bother, but that's not true. Caine and Kingsley seemto be having the time of their lives in this movie. (Granted Kingsley hasthe less flashy role but he still fills it with a great deal of subtley thatthe likes of Roger Ebert and his ilk must have missed)The quote page has some great excerpts from this funny movie, but there's somuch more to it than just that.This one ranks as a guilty pleasure of mine, maybe not one that sits ineveryone else's video collection, but it definitely holds a place inmine.

Robert Reynolds 2012-05-04 08:22:26

Most excellent comic turn on the Sherlock Holmes saga. The game's afoot!

This is one of Michael Caine's funniest performances and he and BenKingsleyworked quite well together. The supporting cast is top-notch as well.Jeffry Jones as LeStrade is very good and Peter Cook has a fine supportingturn. As for the premise-that Holmes was a front for Watson, given thefactthat Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was himself a physician and that he grew sosickof Holmes he tried to kill him off, I suspect he would have enjoyed thewhole thing enormously. Twists and turns throughout, as a good mysteryshould and enough comedy to keep you laughing. Some interesting twists atthe end. Poor LeStrade! Recommended.

2012-04-29 22:10:52

WITHOUT A CLUE

This review is from: Without a Clue (DVD) Being an avid Sherlock Holmes follower and also loving a bit of fun i cannot but recommend this particular film. It's very well and lovenly done.I was thrilled when it came to DVD and immediately purchased it.Watson is brilliant, Holmes is very well done by Michael Caine and of course Lestrad is a fool.mcmouse

2012-04-29 14:33:42

OAR, please

I love this movie, but am devastated that it's only available in a pan-and-scan version. Hopefully, someone will wise up and the company will put out an Original Aspect Ratio version (preferably on Blu-Ray but at least on DVD) soon. Maybe when the sequel to the Robert Downey Jr. version comes out in theaters?

2012-04-23 16:43:58

"He knows you're an idiot." "Oh, thank God!"

I must first say that there is no excuse for any DVD to be released without the film being available in widescreen format. Shame on the distributors for skimping.That said, this is an absolute joy.I suspect the idea for the film came from watching Remington Steele, because the premise is about identical, but here it is perfected. Ben Kingsley's performance as the put-upon and rigidly proper Watson is flawless. Michael Caine has a great talent for playing the aloof genius, and also for playing the colossal moron. He doubles the talent by switching from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye.And Paul Freeman perfects a sublimely sinister portrayal of Moriarty (no, not Arty Morty). From just watching the film without looking up the name, who would have caught that this was the evil French anti-Indy from "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?The only negative I might say about the movie is Jeffrey Jones' badly affected accent, but who cares? His performance as Lestrade is fun to watch with some sympathy - he's aware that Holmes is faking it but never quite able to nail it down with any proof, even to himself.This is a fun, intelligent movie, and I suppose that's its own downfall.This movie was one of so many sad cases that show how the best movies tend to get pathetic marketing behind them, just because they don't cater to the lowest common denominator.

2012-04-23 00:22:16

"the crime-doctor!"

This review is from: Without a Clue (DVD) I am a Holmes fanatic, and pretty much a purist as well. But I totally enjoyed this movie. The characters are completely sincere in their outrageous portrayals, and so funny! (Ben Kingsley is an excellent comedian - who knew???) The case is also a pretty good one, and the immediate dangers to the characters are also real, even if hysterical. There are little bits of business throughout that show in very few words different aspects about the characters and their relationships. I could say "I loved the part where..." over and over again. But you just buy the thing and find your own bits to love.

super marauder 2012-04-22 12:29:20

A must see!

I was a theater manager in 1988. I got this movie called 'Without a Clue',and that describes what I knew about it. I never saw a preview, I had noonesheet (poster) for it......Nothing! When I put the thing together, and sawthe beginning, I thought oh, no! Not another Sherlock Holmes movie! (Ithinkthey made too many as it is!) But when Watson yelled at Holmes "Youidiot!",that blew me away! I sat and watched it and laughed my butt off!Unfortunately, nobody else knew about this movie either! My theater was inasmall town, and everybody knew me, and I told people if you want to see afunny movie that has no sex, really bad words, you have to see this movie!On Friday, when it opened, the theater was nowhere near full, on Thursday,the night it closed, we had a good crowd, some seeing it two, or threetimes(our admission price was $1.00 at the time). Granted, the teen-agers didn'tcare for it, but the adults loved it! In fact, one lady said to me, whydon't they make more like that anymore! This movie IS an overlooked gem ofacomedy!

2012-04-21 19:07:04

Without a Clue. really.

This review is from: Without a Clue (DVD) I love this movie, but I didn't stop to think about the formatting. I wanted it in widescreen, not 4:3. My fault entirely.Without a clue -- really.