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Airplane! (1980)


Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, & Jerry Zucker
Released July 2, 1980
Written by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, & Jerry Zucker

Movie Synopsis Courtesy of IMDB

"A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick."

Well this blog, to say the least (literally), is going to be a short one. There is not much to talk about in this movie because well, I don't think it is a very good one. Now that's just my opinion, I know a lot of people out there who like this kind of humor (like my friend Tim Fluga), but it just doesn't sit with me. Therefore, I don't have much to say about it.

I don't think I even laughed at one of the jokes in the movie. That is because everything in this movie is too over the top and too predictable that it almost seemed like a middle school play where kids are trying too hard to be funny. This movie is full of nothing but cheese and corniness.




It is just too much. They are trying too hard to be funny. And yes I know it is suppose to be a satire film: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. But can't they make it a little less obvious? Can't they use a little bit of finesse?

I think the other reason why I knew I wasn't going to like this film is that I am not a huge fan of Lesile Nielsen. I have seen him in The Naked Gun movies and those movies were the same as this one. Forced jokes delivered in a deadpan that makes the actors seems like they are awful and can't show any genuine emotion.

Let's talk about the logistics here a minute because many of them are ridicules. Like the idea that a few minutes before the plane is suppose to leave Ted is able to get a plane ticket no problem. Or how he kept moving seats in every scene, moving to talk to a new passenger. There should not be that many open seats on a plane! Then there is the fact that when the plane takes off they don't realize or care that one of the doors is still open because some guy is saying goodbye. 




Frankly, I don't think there is much more that I can say about this movie that would be new. I clearly didn't enjoy the movie and I don't really understand why it is considered as much of a success as it is. But, I am clearly in the minority of people who didn't enjoy it so I guess my opinion doesn't matter too much. 

Let me know what you think about this movie and if you can explain why it is such a classic even though it is so cheesy.

Rumack: "You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital."
Elaine Dickinson: " A hospital? What is it?
Rumack: "It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now."

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