Robert Hays stars as an ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning. The outrageous comedy spoof skewers airplane disaster flicks, religious zealots, television commercials…and everything else in its path.
Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker were the three credited directors of “Airplane!”, a film that would redefine comedy and was parodied in countless other movies and television shows over the years. The trio would go on to produce the TV show “Police Squad!” which starred Leslie Nielsen as Det. Frank Drebin and would spawn three big-screen adaptations, “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”, “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear,” and “Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult,” giving Nielsen the opportunity to reprise his Det. Frank Drebin character and they would then direct one more film together, 1984’s “Top Secret,” which starred then rising star Val Kilmer. Their comedy involved parodies of other films and sight gags in which the viewer would concentrate on two characters in the foreground then their focus would shift to the background as something silly transpired, something completely unrelated to the story, such as a drug deal gone bad, and their dialog was hilarious, although the characters took their conversations quite literally. One of the movie’s famous scenes involves Leslie Nielsen’s Dr. Rumack and Peter Graves’ Captain Clarence Oveur, engaging in a conversation outside the plane’s cockpit:
Dr. Rumack:
Captain, how soon can you land?
Captain Clarence Oveur:
I can’t tell.
Dr. Rumack:
You can tell me I’m a doctor.
Captain Clarence Oveur:
No I mean I’m just not sure.
Dr. Rumack:
Well can’t you take a guess?
Captain Clarence Oveur:
Well, not for another two hours.
Dr. Rumack:
You can’t take a guess for another two hours?
Captain Clarence Oveur:
No, no, I mean we can’t land for another two hours.
Both “Airplane!” and the aptly titled “Airplane II: The Sequel,” employed the same style of slapstick humor and visual sight gags and if you ever watched the end of Part II, after the credits it says, “Coming Soon from Paramount Pictures: Airplane III,” but sadly, that film never made it to fruition but both “Airplane!” and “Airplane II: The Sequel” between them have enough jokes, humor, and juvenile shenanigans to make even the most hardened cynic smile.
“Airplane!” was based on a 1957 obscure little movie called “Zero Hour!”, where a flight crew becomes crippled because of food poisoning and a former military pilot has to overcome his fear of flying in order to save the passengers and get the girl. That is “Airplane!” summed up, but done with humor and high camp. Robert Hays is perfect as the protagonist, Ted Striker, who wants to win back his girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty), a flight attendant who is scheduled to fly from Los Angeles to Chicago. Ted buys a ticket so he can be on the same flight as Elaine but she continues to reject him. Only when the flight crew becomes incapacitated, does she reach out to him. Since World War II, Ted has had a fear of flying and has developed a drinking problem as a result but he mans up and takes control of the plane. And that is when everything falls apart!
In 2000, the American Film Institute listed “Airplane!” as number ten on its list of the 100 funniest American films of all time and in 2008, it was selected by Empire Magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time. The film is indeed an acquired taste. New generations who have grown up with different styles of humor may not understand the visual playfulness and slapstick elements as they are right in your face but if you haven’t seen “Airplane!”, I would recommend sitting down and watching it, then follow it up with “Airplane II: The Sequel,” and if you haven’t seen Val Kilmer in “Top Secret,” I would highly recommend doing so, for me, “Top Secret!” has to be one of the funniest movies ever made and watching Kilmer in a genuinely serious role, akin to Leslie Nielsen in “The Naked Gun” films, is cinematic gold!
The Paramount Presents Blu-ray and limited edition Steelbook each includes the newly remastered film from a 4K transfer supervised by writers/directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, a new Filmmaker Focus on the directors, a new Q&A with the directors recorded at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood in January 2020, and an isolated music score by Elmer Bernstein. The discs also include previously released audio commentary with the directors and producer Jon Davison.
Now available in a Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook from Paramount Home Entertainment
