AIRPLANE! (PG)
Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker Running Time: 88 minutes Originally Released: 1980
Reviewed by E. Benjamin Kelsey
* * * (out of four)
AIRPLANE! is considered among many to be the epitome of satire film-making. After all, it's brought to us by one of the best known satire writing/directing teams. Even if most people don't recognize the names behind the films, they are bound to recognize the titles: AIRPLANE!, TOP SECRET, THE NAKED GUN, and HOT SHOTS to name a few. But although the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker team was first introduced with THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE in 1977, AIRPLANE! remains the true cornerstone of their work, and their directorial debuts.
In the seventies, disaster films seemed to be at an all time high. Films like EARTHQUAKE, THE TOWERING INFERNO, and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE were big hits. There was also a series about the disasters that can arise when traveling by plane - a series that spanned the entire decade. And so, in 1980, we were introduced to a new airplane disaster film. This time the disaster had nothing to do with a maniacal hijacker or crashing into the ocean . . . it had to do with bad fish.
AIRPLANE! is the story of Ted Striker (Robert Hays) - an ex-fighter-pilot who has never gotten over the fact that a decision he had to make in the midst of war led to the death of six, er, seven comrades. Unable to stop living in the past, Ted's world fell apart. He spent his time moving from city to city without ever having a stable job, and eventually, as we begin this film, is getting dumped by his lover, flight attendant Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty).
In a desperate attempt not to lose her, Ted buys a ticket for the same flight Elaine is working. Unfortunately, she is unsympathetic and even criticizes Ted for following her, which leaves him wallowing in self-pity. In the midst of it all, something happens. Someone gets sick. Then another. Then another. Soon, the whole plane is full of deathly-ill Chicago-bound people . . . and when the pilots get sick (played by Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Frank Ashmore), who will save the day? (Gee, I wonder)
Of course the main draw here is the non-stop "whiz-bang" comedy, with a hefty dose of both visual and spoken gags. Although I had seen this movie a few times before, I was still laughing thru the entire thing. The most fun character by far is the doctor, played by Leslie Nielsen. He's a dry, subtle, sterotypically straight-faced doctor that ends up saying some of the funniest lines of the film.
In a film like this, you're not really expecting an elaborate production, so one can't complain about the amateurish quality. What you can complain about is the absolutely annoying Johnny, played by Stephen Stucker. This character is pointless, nauseating, and very unfunny. I don't know why he was put in there, and I don't think anybody will find a good excuse. And when the film nears an end, it slows down quite a bit, almost getting old. You gotta give it to a movie that only runs 88 minutes and can feel two hours long. Aside from that, AIRPLANE! is really a top-notch spoof that will likely forever be known as a spoof classic. It would be a good choice to pop in the VCR with a group of friends, especially if they haven't seen it. And if they ask what the plot is, just tell 'em "It's a synopsis of the basic storyline of the film, but that's not important right now." If you've seen the film, you'll understand ;-)
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