2 Best Movies to Watch by Peter Jonfield

1. A Fish Called Wanda, 1988

	
As long as you don’t take it too seriously and see it for the silly ‘80s comedy that it is, then A Fish Called Wanda comes as a pleasantly hilarious way to pass the time. The heist doesn’t make much sense but the farce the characters put on is as delightfully silly as they come. There are traces of Cleese’s Monty Python sketch humor here, as you’ll see in the puns and the wild physical gags he makes, and Curtis proves that comedy is her true calling. But some of the best parts of the movie are when the British characters rib with the Americans—it’s a classic feud, one you won’t help but laugh at, regardless of where you’re coming from.Genre: Comedy, Crime
Actor: Al Hunter Ashton, Andrew MacLachlan, Cynthia Cleese, David Simeon, Geoffrey Palmer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jeremy Child, John Cleese, Kate Lansbury, Ken Campbell, Kevin Kline, Llewellyn Rees, Maria Aitken, Mark Elwes, Michael Palin, Michael Percival, Neville Phillips, Pamela Miles, Patricia Hayes, Peter Jonfield, Robert Putt, Roger Brierley, Roger Hume, Roland MacLeod, Sharon Marino, Stephen Fry, Tom Georgeson
Director: Charles Crichton
Rating: R

2. Time Bandits, 2024

	
If you’ve seen the original film by Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, then you might be disappointed by Taika Waititi’s 10-episode adaptation of the time-traveling romp. It’s less out there, catered as it is to young kids, and less tight too. A camera lingers for two seconds longer here, a reaction isn’t given 100% there—they’re small missteps, but they do add up to a mediocre whole. Other than that, the series is undeniably charming. It’s educational and entertaining in equal measure, and the hilarious banter between Lisa Kudrow’s Penelope and Tuck’s Kevin gives the show its edge. It’s naturally, almost unintentionally sweet—the more Penelope and the bandits push Kevin away, the more apparent their care for him is. The show’s quirky sense of humor recalls Waititi’s other shows, specifically Our Flag Means Death and What We Do in the Shadows, while also employing a more kid-friendly approach, a la Doctor Who. It has its faults, but it’s all good fun that might even inspire young kids to review their history lessons this summer.Genre: Action & Adventure, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Actor: David Daker, David Leland, David Rappaport, David Warner, Declan Mulholland, Derek Deadman, Derrick O'Connor, Ian Holm, Jack Purvis, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, Kal-El Tuck, Katherine Helmond, Kenny Baker, Lisa Kudrow, Michael Palin, Neil McCarthy, Peter Jonfield, Peter Vaughan, Ralph Richardson, Roger Frost, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Sean Connery, Sheila Fearn, Shelley Duvall, Tadhg Murphy, Terence Bayler, Tony Jay
Director: Terry Gilliam
Rating: TV-PG