Review of Airplane! (1980) by Timothy S — 22 Mar 2012

Looking back on its place in history, it's clear now that "Airplane" isn't just a classic comedy but a style of filmmaking all its own. Writers/directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker created it with this film, their first hit, and after its release you could call a film an "'Airplane' comedy" and everyone knew what they were in for.

Their spoof of the disaster films of the 1970'a throws in every gag they could think of, and most of them score. It's the law of averages, but even the jokes that flop are in the goofy vein of the movie as a whole and have a charm of their own as well. The movies has definitely lost some of its luster over the years, however, as repeated viewings dull the lunacy and go-for-broke spirit that I fell in love with so many years ago.

The game cast of assorted oddballs all give their all. For Robert Hayes, falling into this project was a stroke of dumb luck, but most of the big laughs come from his veteran co-stars. Leslie Nielsen is at his deadpan best, Lloyd Bridges shows a side of him that we've never seen before and Peter Graves may retain the funniest moments in the entire film. He remains the most quoted actor in the movie, and so much of this is timeless that watching it again after so long reminds you just how much this has become a part of our pop culture.

"Airplane" was the first movie that broke the rules and introduced audiences everywhere to the joys of non-sequitures. Many films and TV series followed, but this remains the originator of that sub-genre. It's lost some shine, but it's still a classic.