Clue

🔥 2nd Watch | Top 100 | 1985 Ranked Previous Review of Clue: Here *“So it was you. I was going to expose you." "I know. So I choose to expose myself." "Please, there are ladies present!"* It is extremely hard for video games to be adapted into movies. Just look at Uncharted from this year. However, if you want an example on how to do it right, then you just have to look at Clue. The most important aspect of any adaptation in general is that you need to understand the essence of the original piece. For books, the director usually has more leeway with the adaptation and can vary a lot from the source material. However, adaptations based off of games are very different. The audience is aware of the game and they want the movie to be like the game. Unlike books, games are filled with happy memories which activate nostalgia. Movie studios definitely understand nostalgia, considering all of the sequels and remakes they produce. However, if the adaptation doesn't activate that nostalgia, then instead of happy memories flooding their brain, the audience will feel disappointed and empty-handed. *“That's what we're trying to find out! We're trying to find out who killed him, and where, and with what!”* I had never played Uncharted, but based on the many reviews I had read, many people don't like the movie because it didn't feel like the game. Clue captures the essence of the childhood game. The game was dark and mysterious, but it was also fun and exciting as the game progressed. I would describe Clue, the movie, in the same way; at times it was dark, very mysterious, but most of all fun and enjoyable. Speaking of being "fun" and "enjoyable," Clue had one of the best scripts ever in film. Clue, a murder mystery, became a clever comedy solely because of the script. The dialogue was literal perfection. There were brilliant lines left and right and up and down and all over the place. "Yep. Two corpses, everything's fine." *“So it is political! You're a communist!" These are just a couple of great lines out of a whole bucket of brilliant quotes. And that was just the dialogue. The overall screenplay was also well-written. Clue had an amazing plot and a genius story structure, especially when it came to the ending. Okay. Saying that the script was the sole reason why Clue was funny would be factually incorrect. This is because a script means nothing if the delivery of the script isn't convincing and memorable. Essentially, a good script relies on great acting to execute the script. The most notable performance was Tim Curry's dazzling performance as Wadsworth. He carried the entire movie and stole the show whenever he was in the frame. Without Curry, Clue would’ve been a completely different movie with a completely different mood. Tim Curry knew the essence of the renowned board game and translated it to the film. In addition, you have great performances from the rest of the cast as well, and when combined they form unbreakable chemistry. A massively underrated aspect of the film is its costume design. I wonder who thought to make Mrs. White wear all black. It’s genius! It’s completely ironic and this irony shows that the movie isn’t completely serious. It’s a comedy after all. From a more literary element of the film which was great, Clue used a lot of figurative language. There were allusions. Frankly Scarlet, I don’t give a damn. There were also a lot of references to communism. Communism was just a red herring.* I mentioned irony earlier when regarding Mrs. White’s fashion. Irony is also present all throughout the script. There is a ton of dramatic irony present, especially when the other characters entered the home. Some of the funniest moments occurred when the other people were in the home. *“What’s going on in those two rooms?” *“Uhh… which two rooms?” “Those two rooms” The score is also heavily underrated. It carries a mysterious yet playful tone. If you remember, these are two of the qualities which define Clue: the movie and Clue: the game. No one can deny that the score isn’t awesome when the characters are running from room to room following Wadsworth who is uncovering the mystery. The score implicitly tells us that something is about to go down. And when a character, which shall not be named, killed Mr. Bossy in a place, which shall not be named, with a weapon, which shall not be named, it cemented its brilliance in our minds as it reminded us of the ending of all of our games we’ve played in the past. It’s completely nostalgic, and it works! “I’m going to go home and sleep with my wife” ⬅️ Previous Review: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio