I just watched Airplane! with some good friends this weekend. While I had already seen the movie a few times, this was the first time I saw it in years and the first time I watched it with anyone outside my immediate family. Watching it with friends definitely made it more fun and prompted me to write this review of it.
Released in 1980, Airplane! is one of the wackiest comedy movies ever made. It’s full of fourth wall breaks, wordplay, puns, cartoon humor, and just about everything else you can think of. The story, which takes a backseat to the jokes, follows a group of people who need to safely land a plane after the pilot, copilot, and navigator are incapacitated. Ted Stryker, a pilot from a past war, is tasked with landing the plane. From beginning to end, characters regularly throw one joke after another at the audience while (mostly) acting in a deadpan, serious fashion. This contrast makes the movie that much funnier and more enjoyable.
The movie is also a good example of how movie ratings have changed over time. There are several jokes, images, and lines in Airplane! that would give it at least a PG-13 rating and maybe even an R rating if it were made today. At the time it was first released, however, it was given a PG rating. The rating on the back of the DVD case, which I bought new in the store just a few hours before watching it, still has the PG rating. Since ratings have changed a lot in the past few decades, this is one kids should skip until they’re adults (or watched a censored version as long as it keeps a lot of the good stuff).
Most comedy movies I’ve seen have made me chuckle a bit here and there but ultimately left me feeling disappointed. However, every time I’ve seen Airplane! , it has made me crack up and feel satisfied. This movie jives perfectly with my strange sense of humor and those who have spent enough time around me in person can see how much it has influenced me. If you like comedy movies and humor that pulls no punches, takes no prisoners, and throws everything but the kitchen sink at you, then I highly recommend giving Airplane! a watch.