Among the few movies that I was not able to truly appreciate the first time I watched it is the 1980 film Airplane!
I remember watching it in the cinema and having the greatest time, it was hilarious, but I didn't think much of it afterwards. However, it must be noted that at the time, I wasn't fluent in English and had watched it with the Latin America dub version, and that is a shame since this is among the few movies that are just funnier if you speak English or watch it with subtitles.
I managed to give it a second chance when I was in my 30s and I had a blast, I laughed out loud during many scenes and this is without a doubt among the few comedy films that I truly value since it is written in such a smart way, it is in no way made with "easy humor".
The Plot
Airplane! is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams.
The movie's plot is quite simple as it follows a flight gone wrong and its passengers. The main characters are ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker who is terrified of planes and his ex-girlfriend Elaine who is now a flight attendant.
Most of the passengers and crew eat the in-flight meal served to them, however, this causes them to be victims of food poisoning, and thus, the pilots and the flight crew all faint, leaving no one else to fly the plane.
There's no reason to become alarmed, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your flight... By the way, is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?
Jokes Delivered Non-Stop
To me there is just something marvelous about the way the script is written, it comes to a point where there are just jokes delivered every 3 minutes, which is why I've decided to add so many scenes in this post, to honor this film's relentless humor. It has been deemed by many The longest-running gag in comedy.
This movie is a parody of the aircraft disaster sub-genre that plagued the industry back in the day like 1974 Towering Inferno. Airplane! is an almost frame by frame parody of the 1957 movie Zero Hour! Although this movie falls in the category of genre parody, it is so much more than that, the mere idea of comparing it to movies like the Scary Movie franchise seems crazy to me, don't get me wrong, those movies are so absurd they can make you laugh a lot, but that doesn't mean they have such a smart script and amazing acting.
This film is a goldmine of comedic moments, not only is the dialogue hilarious, but it also has many visual gags that can be found in the background, it's a movie filled with little details that could have only be made by skillful comedians.
Each time you watch it you can find more details, that makes it all the more fun.
There are many absurd moments that only make it greater, one of my favorites being the inflatable autopilot named Otto. I also really like a scene in which people make a row to slap a woman, even a nun joins the row!
The autopilot is deflating!
A Comedy Classic
Maybe I'm too much of an old man, but I truly think this is a film that deserves more recognition, that's why I chose it for this week's challenge even though it might not be the most popular comedy movie out there. If you are not sure about watching it, I recommend watching the funniest moments on Youtube.
Although this movie is a parody film, it truly holds up even if you are unfamiliar with the source material it makes fun off. I, for example, didn't know about the film it was parodying, however, that did not take away from my enjoyment and that is due to the comedy genius of the script. What films of this genre usually get wrong is exactly that, the fact that the jokes rely too much on you knowing the source material.
This movie also starred non-comedic actors, part of the enjoyment for many of the audience that watched this movie back in the day was watching famous "serious" actors like Leslie Nielsen or Peter Graves playing comedic roles. The fact that such hilarious lines were delivered in such a dead-pan way and with no wacky music made it even more revolutionary.
I think part of what makes Airplane! so enjoyable is that it even feels more akin to the comedy of today's day and age, perhaps that is why it's such a quotable film. I even saw my daughter's status in her social media with one of these jokes even though she did not know it was from this movie.
The stellar cast and the amazing writing made this film one of the most iconic of the decade, being even much more influential than the movie it was parodying. It has so many jokes that I can't even count them.
It's a comedy classic I highly recommend, you'll laugh out loud and won't even have the time to be bored!
This is an entry for League of Movies (HIVE WRITING CONTEST): Third Edition | Week 03 - "LOL (Laughing Out Loud)" sponsored by
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