Airplane! (1980)
Average Rating: 8.4/10
Reviews Counted: 55
Fresh: 54 | Rotten: 1
Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.
Average Rating: 7.8/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 0
Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.
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Average Rating: 3.6/5
User Ratings: 286,686
Movie Info
This spoof of the Airport series of disaster movies relies on ridiculous sight gags, groan-inducing dialogue, and deadpan acting -- a comedy style that would be imitated for the next 20 years. Airplane! pulls out all the clichés as alcoholic pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who's developed a fear of flying due to wartime trauma, boards a jumbo jet in an attempt to woo back his stewardess girlfriend (Julie Hagerty). Food poisoning decimates the passengers and crew, leaving it up to Striker to
Jul 2, 1980 Wide
Oct 24, 2000
Paramount Pictures
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Cast
-
Robert Hays
Ted Striker -
Julie Hagerty
Elaine Dickinson -
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Murdock -
Lloyd Bridges
McCroskey -
Peter Graves
Capt. Oveur -
Leslie Nielsen
Dr. Rumack -
Robert Stack
Kramer -
Lorna Patterson
Randy -
Stephen Stucker
Johnny -
Frank Ashmore
Victor Basta -
Jonathan Banks
Gunderson -
Barbara Billingsley
Jive Lady -
Joyce Bulifant
Mrs. Davis -
Ted Chapman
Airport Steward -
Marcy Goldman
Mrs. Geline -
Rossie Harris
Joey -
David Hollander
Young Boy with Coffe... -
Howard Honig
Jack -
Gregory Itzin
Religious Zealot #1 -
Howard Jarvis
Man in Taxi -
Michael Laurence
Newscaster -
David Leisure
First Krishna -
Barbara Mallory
Religious Zealot #2 -
Maureen McGovern
Nun -
Mary Mercier
Shirley -
Ethel Merman
Lt. Hurwitz -
Ann Nelson
Handing Lady -
John O'Leary
Reporter #2 -
Cyril O'Reilly
Soldier -
Nicholas Pryor
Mr. Hammen -
Michelle Stacy
Young Girl with Coff... -
Robert Starr
Religious Zealot #5 -
Barbara Stuart
Mrs. Kramer -
Kenneth Tobey
Air Controller Neuba... -
Jason Wingreen
Dr. Brody -
Charlotte Zucker
Make-Up Lady -
Jim Abrahams
Religious Zealot #6 -
Lee Bryant
Mrs. Hammen -
James Hong
Japanese General -
Conrad Palmisano
Religious Zealot #4 -
Jerry Zucker
Ground Crewman #2 -
David Zucker
Ground Crewman #1 -
Jill Whelan
Lisa Davis -
William Tregoe
Jack Kirkpatrick -
Craig Berenson
Paul Carey -
Mae E. Campbell
Security Lady -
Norman Alexander Gib...
First Jive Dude -
Nora Meerbaum
Cocaine Lady -
Al White
Second Jive Dude -
Louise Yaffe
Mrs. Jaffe -
-
Herb Voland
Air Controller Macia... -
Maurice Hill
Reporter 3
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All Critics (55) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (1) | DVD (29)
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.
From the clever Jaws take-off opening to the final, irreverent title card, laughs come thick and fast.
Psycho ground controllers (Stack and Bridges), laff-a-second pace, and bludgeoning innuendo make this the acceptable face of the locker-room satire.
Top CriticIt 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.
Airplane! is more than a pleasant surprise, in the midst of this dim movie season. As a remedy for the bloated self-importance of too many other current efforts, it's just what the doctor ordered.
From takeoff to landing, this whacked-out parody is a loopy flight of fancy.
There's hardly a second that passes without an assault by a wickedly accurate spoof, cringe-inducing pun or inspired sight gag, and the years have not diminished the film's dumb appeal.
Directors Abraham and both Zuckers create one of the few comedies that can guarantee almost a laugh a minute...
Charmingly dated, but still immeasurably funny.
Rapid-fire spoof with sexual jokes and cartoon violence.
A hyper spoof of disaster films.
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.
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.
Surely as good as modern comedy gets?...and don't call me Shirley.
Surely, this is essential. Maybe, but don't call me Shirley, etc.
Although the gags aren't entirely consistent, it's inspired stuff. And whatever you do don't switch off during the closing credits.
Loaded with slapstick silliness and schoolboy wordplay, featuring tongue-in-cheek performances by familiar television personalities, and mostly just plain goofy.
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.
Audience Reviews for Airplane!
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Movies Like Airplane!
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- Handing Lady: Nervous?
- Ted Striker: Yes. Very.
- Handing Lady: First time?
- Ted Striker: No, I've been nervous lots of times.
-
- Ted Striker: What a pisser.
-
- Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
- Dr. Rumack: I am serious and don't call me Shirley.
-
- Dr. Rumack: I just want to tell you both, good luck. We're all counting on you.
-
- Capt. Oveur: [newspaper that has the headline] 'Boy Trapped In Refrigerator Eats Own Foot.'
-
- McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking.
- McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.
- McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines.
- McCroskey: Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.
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Latest News on Airplane!
September 23, 2011:
Robert Hays Airplane! InterviewSurely you're going to read Hays' thoughts on the comedy classic's Blu-ray release.
December 28, 2010:
National Film Registry Adds The Empire Strikes Back, Airplane!, and MoreThe National Film Registry has added another 25 films, and the latest batch includes a "Star Wars"...
November 29, 2010:
Leslie Nielsen: 1926-2010After a long life and an illustrious, prolific career, the man Roger Ebert referred to as "the...
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