Clue (1985)

In what is said to be the first film based on a board game, audiences are handed a delightful mad-cap dark comedy with plenty of screwball antics. It may be easy to dismiss Clue as little more than a gimmick, what with its source material and three different endings, but it is also a lot of fun to watch. A good viewing experience counts for quite a bit and Clue is more than just a guilty pleasure.

Six strangers attend a mysterious dinner event at a secluded New England estate. The butler reveals that a seventh guest, Mr. Boddy, is the one secretly blackmailing them all and informs them that the police are on their way. Boddy counters by encouraging the guests to kill the butler, destroy the evidence, and everyone walks away. When the lights go out, Boddy is killed, leaving the guests to sort out whodunit before the police arrive.

This film was a mixed bag with critics when it was released and I can see why, if you assume that those critics only got to see one ending of the film. On home video, two endings are presented as possibilities and the third as the real ending. The two false endings involve a single mastermind behind all the killing. In the ending listed as the real one, there are multiple murderers for multiple reasons. It’s hard to swallow the two false endings because they border on ridiculously intricate to pull off. The mass chaos of the third ending is both amusing and much more believable.

The more familiar you are with the murder mystery genre, the more you will probably appreciate this film. Most of the characters are based on stereotypes from the genre, so there is actually quite a bit of subtlety and nuance to Clue. If you’re not familiar with the genre much at all, you will still find it amusing for the witty banter and physical comedy. Either way, there is something to like here.

As for the other aspects of the film, they all do their job but they don’t stand out. The sets give off the right stuffy-mansion-playing-host-to-murder vibe and the music is appropriate to the genre as well. The combination of ingredients makes this film a good time for most, which elevates it above mere guilty pleasure status. It’s harmless fun that no one should fault you for watching or passing over when you come across it on the TV.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

With the Star Trek movies, there exists a rule of thumb which states that the odd-numbered films are inferior to the even numbered ones. I beg to differ, as Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is quite interesting and a good follow up to The Wrath of Khan.

The story takes place right where Khan left off. The Enterprise is headed back to earth, where it will be decommissioned. Spock, having died at the end of Khan, is not aboard the ship. Or so they think. Evidently, shortly before Spock perished, he mind-melded with Dr. McCoy, so his spirit lives on in McCoy’s mind, while causing him quite a bit of mental duress. Once the crew returns to Earth, Kirk is met by Spock’s father who informs him of the situation. Kirk feels like a fool and is intent on resurrecting his friend.

The only problem is that Spock’s body was jettisoned to the surface of the new planet created at the end of Khan. What’s a space Admiral to do? Why, steal his old ship and go after his friend of course! Kirk and crew hijack the Enterprise, violating many rules in the process, and goes vigilante to find his friend (hence the title).

To add a little spice to the story, a rogue group of Klingons are desperate to get their hands on the plans for the Genesis experiment, seeking its power to destroy an entire planet. They destroy a Federation starship and ambush a science team (the same one from Khan, including Kirk’s son) holding such plans.

It all makes for an interesting face-off resulting in the death of Kirk’s son at the hands of the Klingons (creating another memorable line- “You Klingon bastards, you murdered my son!”) and the destruction of the Enterprise. The crew all escapes safely after hijacking the Klingon’s own vessel, with Spock’s recovered body in tow. They head for Vulcan, where they will be momentarily safe from both the Federation and the Klingons out for Kirk’s blood. Spock’s soul is reunited with his body and the film ends on an uneasy note of what the future will bring.

The thing I liked most about this film is how deep and contemplative it gets. The Vulcans are very Buddhist in their approach to life and understanding. Being a fan of Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies, I enjoyed the subtle deep concepts running all through this film. While Khan was well-received for being the most exciting and fun Trek installment, The Search for Spock is appreciable for being the smartest and most thought-provoking of the series. It does, however, suffer from a few minor cases of poor special effects, which factor pretty significantly with my ratings.

All in all, it’s a good companion piece to its predecessor. It’s also interesting to see Christopher Lloyd as a Klingon. Great Scot!

RATING: 3.25 out of 5