AIRPLANE! (1980)
What can I say about this movie except that everything it does it does right? It's thirty-two years old and still one of the funniest comedies of all time. A lot of credit can be given where credit it due--no one can really think about Airplane! without Leslie Nielsen's face coming to mind. His deadpan is hilarious and his comic timing is pure genius. Throw in a dash of Peter Graves and Lloyd Bridges and you've got a stellar cast. But the real heart of this movie is in the script. It doesn't let up on the humor for a second, twisting every line for the end punch. Not to mention the fact that it has a little something for everyone--from classy word play ("A hospital? What is it?" "It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now") to potty jokes ("the shit's going to hit the fan!"). Even if the humor occasionally dates itself, the most prominent example being the "Jive Dudes", watching an old white lady talk "jive" will still never get old. Airplane is truly a comedy classic that will hold up for all time and appropriate for every occasion (except maybe in-flight). Even the kids have something to learn from it, and if you don't believe me, let the movie speak for itself:
It's pretty much brilliant. You gotta hand it to a movie that managed to create a new subgenre under comedy. And the idea of hiring the aging leading men you named and letting them show us the funny gave them - well, Nielsen and Bridges anyway - a whole new career phase they rode until their passing. I love this movie, and I love that you highlighted it with this post! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I agree with you--the fact that it recreated their careers so far down the road is brilliant. This is really one of the few comedies that I can watch over and over and never get tired of. Glad to see more love for this one!
ReplyDeleteAirplane is in a class all it's own. It's one of those rare movies that I must watch every time I see it's playing, and can start watching from any point.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! It demands my attention at all times. Everything about this movie makes me happy. End of story.
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