Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious
Review: 'Without a clue' is, without a doubt (sorry, couldnt resist)one of the greatest Sherlock Holmes spoofs ever created. Michael Caine is Reginald Kinkade, A down-on-his-luck actor who is hired by John Watson (Ben Kingsley) To act as a middleman between him and the public. Watson is a detective genius, who can solve almost any riddle, but at first he shunned publicity, wanting to be a doctor instead of a detective. So he hired Kinkade and gave him the name Sherlock Holmes, telling him the answers and letting him parrot them back to the reporters. After a while, he thinks getting credit for his work might be a good idea, but people refuse to belive that he is really the detecting genius behind Sherlock Holmes. Then the five-pound-plates from the bank of England are stolen, and he gets the chance to prove himself. But, having trouble doing any thing (You're not police. You can't be sure) he needs Kinkade to help him set out. They encounter many obstacles, (All of which are sidesplittingly funny) and in the end Kinkade gives Watson his credit, but every minute of the movie is funny enough to rupture internal organs.
Rating:
Summary: What a delight!
Review: Although I'm a lover of Sherlock Holmes movies, I almost missed this gem. Everything about this film was wonderful, particularly the tremendous performances by Caine and Kingsley. You can see they're having fun with it every scene, and I loved being along for the ride. The script is intelligent and witty, without getting goofy or slapstick. The plot is hilarious yet holds together as a "mystery" (kind of...). It is totally devoid of the offensive language that plagues so many movies, making it a great family fun flick (but it's NOT at all juvenile). I just wish they'd made a series of these films -- I didn't want it to end.
Rating:
Summary: A Funny Holmes Pastiche, Worth Having
Review: Dr. Watson has a problem. He's always been the brains behind Sherlock Holmes, a fictional character he dreamed up as cover for the cases he has solved. He even hired a third-rate ham actor, Reginald Kincaid, to impersonate Holmes. But now he's fed up with the fatuous dimwit Kincaid whom everyone is fascinated by and who seems to believe his own notices. He longs to be known as John Watson, Crime Doctor, and to receive the recognition due him for his amazing deductive powers.
That's the set up, and it's a funny one, especially with two first-rate actors as Ben Kingsley playing Watson and Michael Caine playing Kincaid. Watson finally boots out Kincaid and decides to solve a case as himself...but no one is prepared to take Dr. Watson seriously as a detective, even his publisher. Plates for 5-pound notes are stolen from the Royal Mint, the powers of England want Holmes on the case, Watson finds he may need Kincaid after all, and the game's afoot.
Caine makes a spectacular dimwit who finally and inadvertently comes through. Kingsley combines frustration and resentment in a performance that is funny and believable. They both learn something about friendship.
The movie has its weaknesses. It goes on a bit, the climax is workmanlike, and it's essentially a one-joke premise. It still, however, is a very nice, amusing movie, especially if you're a fan of Holmes pastiches. If you're stuffy about Holmes and the sacred canon, well, you may not find this suitable. I thought it was great fun.
The DVD transfer is nothing special but good enough.
Rating:
Summary: Good acting & a really funny story
Review: Get out the popcorn and get ready for a really, deep-down funny movie. The reason I gave it only four stars is because one should know something about Holmes and Watson to really get the comedy in this movie. However, that aside, what makes this movie so special is the wonderful acting. One can tell that the two lead actors care about what they are doing, and that they had a great deal of fun making the movie. In short, this is real comedy from a group of actors that know what they are doing, and bring all their talent out for the viewer.
Rating:
Summary: "Don't worry...He knows you're an idiot!"
Review: HE in this case is NAPOLEON of CRIME,Professor James Moriarty. YOU is "the world's most famous consulting detective",SHERLOCK HOLMES. Speaking is Ben Kingsley essaying the role of CRIME DOCTOR,John Watson.The case is WITHOUT A CLUE. Directed by Thom Eberhardt,WAC is a deft, wacky satire on Conan-Doyle's genius master detective positing what if Dr. Watson was THE MAN;and Sherlock Holmes was master of CLUTZ. Parody works because humor is arch but neither ham-handed nor condescending. Michael Caine (usually epitome of cockney cool from Super spy Harry Palmer, to Super thug Jack Carter)is Clouseau Goofy without overshadowing Kingsley who plays a genuine hero sleuth against England's most nefarious MASTER CRIMINAL. This is a very funny movie with excellent production values and superb(Victorian)ambience. And there is genuine mystery to solve. THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN is sure to revive interest in THE PROFESSOR if not Sherlock. WITHOUT A CLUE may or may not(like Spielberg's YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES)help much with its satirizing of the first League of Extraordinary Crime Fighters. But Doctor Watson's cloning of a Sherlock of extraordinary ineptitude and rank(though charming)stupidity is OXYMORONIC episode of Holmsian mythology in a Major League of its own.(4 & 1/2 stars)
Rating: 
Summary: A truly wonderful comedy.
Review: I despise those movies that make their jokes in such a way that it seems as though the director is sitting right next to you, elbowing you and shouting "Get it? It was a joke!" every few seconds. (I am thinking of such nonsense as Ace Ventura or Austin Powers.) "Without a Clue" is NOT one of those movies. Crafted with loving care and dedication to detail, it is a hypothetical examination of a literary legend: What we, Doyle's readers, have not known for years is that Dr. Watson is the brilliant crime-fighter. But for reasons of reputation and ethics, he hides behind the great brain of Sherlock Holmes. The problem was that Holmes was a name he made up, and when the public wanted to meet this great man, Watson quickly found an un-employed drunken sod to stand in as Holmes. Now he's stuck with the lout as his partner (nay, LEADER) in crime-solving. The beauty in this movie lies in the fact that its humor is so superbly subtle, and runs consistent throughout the movie. Hilarious zingers are being thrown at the audience right and left, most of which will never be caught by those whose tastes run in more mundane circles. Never over-the-top, never too bizarre to be believable (Hi, Mr. Carrey), Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine form a beautiful odd-couple combination. Their "it-should-have-won-awards" acting is deftly directed by Thom Eberhardt based on a beautiful script by Garry Murphy and Larry Strawther. Supported by Peter Cook ("Mawwige!"), Jeffrey Jones (the sadistic principal of "Ferris Beuller"), and featuring Paul Freeman (Belloq of "Raiders of the Lost Ark") as the evil Moriarty, the whole film plays not as a satire of the Doyle stories; rather, one gets the feeling the cast and crew are secretly in love with the Holmes legacy, and this is their way of paying a humorous homage to it. With the exception of one scantily clad leg, it's appropriate for the entire family.
Rating:
Summary: Michael Caine at his best!
Review: I first saw this at the theatre and laughed so hard I had to see it a 2nd time to catch what I had missed. It's a very clever take-off on the Sherlock Holmes/Dr. Watson idea. Watson (Ben Kingsley) is the brains and author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Michael Caines is an out-of-work actor who is hired to play Sherlock Holmes after lots of public demand to meet the hero of the stories. What follows is a hilarious and well-crafted story of Caine being forced to really be Sherlock Holmes. He stinks at it, of course, but almost succeeds despite himself. Kingsley & Caine are wonderful. I can't image any other actors who could have pulled it off with such subtle humor. They play off each other well. When (I refuse to say "if") this comes out on DVD I will buy it! Until then, I hope my VHS doesn't wear out.
Rating:
Summary: HILARIOUS!!
Review: My mother first introduced me to this classic film and I have loved it ever since! Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley compliment each other perfectly as the bumbling fool and the frustrated intellectual and keep you laughing from beginning to end. I don't understand why this movie has been so underrated, but anyone who passes this hilarious film up is truly missing an entertaining movie. I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to laugh. I am also disappointed, as another fan is, that this hasn't been brought out on DVD!!
Rating:
Summary: This is a great movie!
Review: Sherlock Holmes has solved unnumbered cases for Scotland Yard, but it turns out that Dr. Watson (played by Ben Kingsley) has a secret - there is no Sherlock Holmes! Having hired Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) to play the part of Holmes, Watson now wants to get rid of the man, as he is "a liar, a drunkard and a womanizer." But, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer arrives with a case that threatens the very existence of the Empire, and will talk to no one but the great Sherlock Holmes, Watson has to take Kincaid back for just one more case, and it's a whopper! There is a deep mystery here, one with Professor Moriarty (Paul Freeman) at it's heart, and only Holmes...er, Watson can possibly unravel it. [Color, released in 1988, with a running time of 1:47.] This is a great movie! Turning the Sherlock Holmes stories any which way but loose, Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley make a great duet, battling crime and each other. The movie succeeds in being outrageously funny, and yet absolutely gripping. The movie is clean, though Leslie Giles' secret is enough to make you squirm in front of little ones. Overall, though, my family and I loved this movie, and highly recommend it to you!
Rating:
Summary: Cain is a hoot from beginning to end.
Review: The acting is marvelous, and the laughs are even better. Cain is a scream. Great for fans of Sherlock Holmes or English humor(especially Monty Python).
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