After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 3 wins & 7 nominations total
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Roger Murdock
- (as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar)
Summary
Reviewers say 'Airplane!' is celebrated for its relentless humor and rapid-fire jokes, effectively spoofing disaster movies. Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan performance adds charm. The film’s clever wordplay, puns, and visual gags are often praised. Despite some dated jokes, its humor remains largely universal. Iconic one-liners and memorable scenes enhance its appeal. However, a few find certain jokes less effective, noting uneven humor. Overall, it’s a classic comedy cherished for decades.
Featured reviews
This movie is parody of 70s big hit drama Airport and this is the best parody one may ever see. It was full of gags and funny moments filled with drama. The comedy was natural and doesn't seem forced. Even after being 40+ years old movie, it makes you laugh more than the recent comedy movies which work on forced comedy.
The story, direction, execution, pacing, acting, everything was as per the script. Everything was at the point and hands off to the writers and director for the work they did.
Overall, it is a good parody movie which I loved watching and it was entertaining to watch. Would recommend it to everyone.
The story, direction, execution, pacing, acting, everything was as per the script. Everything was at the point and hands off to the writers and director for the work they did.
Overall, it is a good parody movie which I loved watching and it was entertaining to watch. Would recommend it to everyone.
I don't know why this only shows a review of 7.7. I'd give this an 8, at least. Possibly a 9. This movie has more jokes & gags every 2 minutes than most comedies have in their entire feature. There's a joke every few seconds. It's brilliant. Hilarious. Witty & sometimes just visually ridiculous. The casting is wonderful especially from the spot-on Leslie Neilson. This was made in 1980, & here I am watching this 42 years later & it's still as good now as it was then.
Parodies or Spoofs are one particular segment that I have rarely got the opportunity to venture into. Partly due to the comparative absence of such features in the current scenario where black comedies are the talk of the town.
Nevertheless, I have made my decision to explore this relatively uncharted territory after watching some hilarious clips that I found on Reddit last week and I'm glad I listened to my conscience.
It is extremely slapsticky but at the same time, the writing oozes brilliance. It's witty, it's clever and it knows how and when to deliver the lines. Now, for some of you the performances may come across as hammy, a bit over-the-top, but as this was all intentional, it all come to be just fine. Not all jokes land but the ones that did lay the foundation for some comedic golds.
Rumack: Captain, how soon can you land?
Captain Oveur: I can't tell.
Rumack: You can tell me. I'm a doctor.
Captain Oveur: No. I mean I'm just not sure.
Rumack: Well, can't you take a guess?
Captain Oveur: Well, not for another two hours.
Rumack: You can't take a guess for another two hours?
Nevertheless, I have made my decision to explore this relatively uncharted territory after watching some hilarious clips that I found on Reddit last week and I'm glad I listened to my conscience.
It is extremely slapsticky but at the same time, the writing oozes brilliance. It's witty, it's clever and it knows how and when to deliver the lines. Now, for some of you the performances may come across as hammy, a bit over-the-top, but as this was all intentional, it all come to be just fine. Not all jokes land but the ones that did lay the foundation for some comedic golds.
Rumack: Captain, how soon can you land?
Captain Oveur: I can't tell.
Rumack: You can tell me. I'm a doctor.
Captain Oveur: No. I mean I'm just not sure.
Rumack: Well, can't you take a guess?
Captain Oveur: Well, not for another two hours.
Rumack: You can't take a guess for another two hours?
In a tense moment where Ted Striker (Robert Hays) needs to land an airplane where the pilots (Peter Graves and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) have fallen sick, and several passengers need to get off the airplane for various reasons, all Striker can think to himself (with an echo in his mind, of course) is "I've got to concentrate... concentrate... concentrate... I've got to concentrate... concentrate... concentrate... Hello?... hello... hello... Echo... echo... echo... Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon... Manny Mota... Mota... Mota..." That pretty much sums up the seriousness of Airplane!, the lampoon of the 1970s Airport movies, and pretty much every other disaster movie pumped out by Hollywood. The same guys who pieced together the Naked Gun movies write and direct this silly movie. Most of the jokes need to be seen to be properly experienced, the first rate actors are what brings the laughs. Robert Stack plays it straight, over-the-top straight, as a problem solver for the airline who happens to wear 2 pairs of sunglasses at all times. Stack's comedic timing and deadpan delivery bring out some of the biggest laughs of the film. Lloyd Bridges is the over-worked, over-stressed traffic controller who has picked the wrong week to stop drinking, smoking, and sniffing glue. And Leslie Neilson plays a doctor who has an acute sense for the obvious, surely one who could save the passengers and airline crew if they land safely, just don't call him Shirley. A few cheap laughs, a few misses, but over all, a pretty funny movie. If you like The Naked Gun, you'll like Airplane!
10Mister-6
It is my understanding that there are still a few people in the world that haven't seen "Airplane!" yet.
Those people probably are still waiting for electricity, indoor plumbing and all the other great advances in humanity, too.
To see "Airplane!" is to take part in the great move to subvert all self-importance in movies, which this film does with great relish (and plenty of corn).
You get a chance to see such "serious" actors as Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack and Leslie Nielsen subvert themselves and their own personnae into near oblivion thanks to the writing/directing team of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. Not to mention visual and verbal send-ups of darn near every movie that ever took place in the air, and a few that didn't, but should have.
Kudos to Leslie Nielsen, who with this movie gave himself the greatest reinvention of any actor this century. At one time, he was the very model of stoic sensibility.
I swear. Seriously.
A looooong time ago.
Ten stars. A laugh riot.
And I STILL think this would make a great in-flight movie.
Those people probably are still waiting for electricity, indoor plumbing and all the other great advances in humanity, too.
To see "Airplane!" is to take part in the great move to subvert all self-importance in movies, which this film does with great relish (and plenty of corn).
You get a chance to see such "serious" actors as Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack and Leslie Nielsen subvert themselves and their own personnae into near oblivion thanks to the writing/directing team of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker. Not to mention visual and verbal send-ups of darn near every movie that ever took place in the air, and a few that didn't, but should have.
Kudos to Leslie Nielsen, who with this movie gave himself the greatest reinvention of any actor this century. At one time, he was the very model of stoic sensibility.
I swear. Seriously.
A looooong time ago.
Ten stars. A laugh riot.
And I STILL think this would make a great in-flight movie.
Did you know
- TriviaFor the argument between announcers concerning the white and red zones at the airport, the producers hired the same voice artists who had made the real-world announcements at Los Angeles International Airport. At the real airport, the white zone is for loading and unloading of passengers only, and there's no stopping in the red zone (except for transit buses). They were also married to each other in real life.
- GoofsDuring the disco-dance scene, when Elaine tosses Ted up in the air and he (his stunt double) flies into the audience, Robert Hays (Ted) is clearly visible among the spectators, waiting to run back onto the dance floor.
- Quotes
Rumack: Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack: I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.
- Crazy creditsIntroducing Otto as Himself (over picture of the inflatable autopilot)
- Alternate versionsSome versions do not have subtitles on a part where the Jive Dudes are talking. The original theatrical release had subtitles.
- ConnectionsEdited into L'agence tous risques: The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing (1983)
- SoundtracksStayin' Alive
Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb
Performed by The Bee Gees
Courtesy of RSO Records
Published by Stigwood Music, Inc.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- ¿Y dónde está el piloto?
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $83,453,539
- Gross worldwide
- $83,455,874
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