Entering imto Mel Brooks' turf, the first lampoon of the disaster-in-the-air subgenre (such as the prepoterously Oscar nominated Airport) is silly but funny, with many good sight gags, campy one-liners and slapstick comedy.
Airplane! (1980)
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Reviews Counted:48
Fresh:47
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.4/10
Synopsis: The spoof comedy that set the gold standard for all that followed it, AIRPLANE takes shots at the slew of disaster movies that peppered cinemas in the 70s. When the passengers and crew of a jet are... The spoof comedy that set the gold standard for all that followed it, AIRPLANE takes shots at the slew of disaster movies that peppered cinemas in the 70s. When the passengers and crew of a jet are incapacitated due to food poisoning, a rogue pilot (who has a drinking problem and is afraid of flying) must cooperate with his ex-girlfriend turned stewardess to bring the plane to a safe landing. No disaster flick cliche is left unroasted, and the musical score itself takes a less than reverent look at overly melodramatic compositions. [More]
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges
Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Robert Stack, Cyril O'Reilly
Director: Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker
Director: Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker
Reviews for Airplane!
Most of the jokes are groan-worthy, and some are downright racist.
Is it the best comedy ever made? I don't know, but it surely is the funniest.I stand by that. And don't call me Shirley.
Although the gags aren't entirely consistent, it's inspired stuff. And whatever you do don't switch off during the closing credits.
The gags aren't exactly clever, but there are a lot of them, and the cutting finds a fast, effective tempo.
The fact that the movie doesn't work as well today as it did in 1980 in no way diminishes its importance in recent motion picture history.
Loaded with slapstick silliness and schoolboy wordplay, featuring tongue-in-cheek performances by familiar television personalities, and mostly just plain goofy.
From the clever Jaws take-off opening to the final, irreverent title card, laughs come thick and fast.
Brilliant, still funny airplane disaster movie parody. Started new comedy career for Nielsen.
Still the funniest and most inspired of the madcap genre spoofs. For every dumb or tasteless joke that doesn't fly, a dozen land directly at Laugh Central.
Some of the humor has become very politically incorrect 25-plus years later. And God love it for that.
Psycho ground controllers (Stack and Bridges), laff-a-second pace, and bludgeoning innuendo make this the acceptable face of the locker-room satire.
The definition of 'deadpan' starts and ends with Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker's Airplane!.
Unprecedented nonsense that--fashions aside--will remain timeless comedy cinema. [new DVD review]
It is sophomoric, obvious, predictable, corny, and quite often very funny. And the reason it's funny is frequently because it's sophomoric, predictable, corny, etc.
Latest News for Airplane!
February 01, 2008:
Trailer Bulletin: Superhero Movie
Judging from Meet the Spartans' box-office receipts, you guys just can't get enough of spoof films -- so what time like the present to unveil the trailer for March's helpfully... More...
April 14, 2006:
"Scary Movie 4": Anna Faris and Craig Bierko Do Funny
In recent weeks RT talked with the cast and director of "Scary Movie 4," including David "Airplane!" Zucker and Regina Hall. Read on for the... More...
April 12, 2006:
"Scary Movie 4": RT Talks With David Zucker
A few weekends ago RT got the inside scoop on "Scary Movie 4" from its director, legendary comic trailblazer David Zucker ("Airplane!," "The Naked... More...
February 01, 2006:
Trailer Bulletin: Scary Movie 4
Think there's still some juice to be squeezed out of the "Scary Movie" concept? Those Weinstein brothers sure do, which is why we'll see more of Anna Faris bopping... More...
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