Airplane (Airplane! (DVD))

Member Name: Whizz11

Product:	Airplane! (DVD)
Date:	18/09/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny, spoof

Disadvantages: None

This has to be one of the funniest movies ever made! I know it's one of my favourites and I have to say that I generally don't really like spoof movie. Usually everything about a spoof movie annoys me, it's repetitive and predictable but the very things that put me off from these are actually the reason why I can't help loving this movie. It's the same with everyone I talk to too, this movie seems to have gained a bit of a cult status since it was released and has become a much talk about film.

Airplane was released in 1980. It's a spoof disaster movie of yes, you've guessed it, a plane crash/plane situation. Apparently, according to an article I read, in a major 2007 survey by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, it was judged the second greatest comedy film of all time. It seems to have gained the same reception in the US as well.

The plot of the movie is well conceived and works well. Ted Striker is an ex-fighter pilot but he now has a fear of flying after being traumatizes during the war. He has also something of a drinking problem which is one of the re-occurring jokes in the film. He mentions he has a drinking problem but this actually means that he can't pour a drink down his mouth, he always ends up missing his mouth and pouring it down his face. Yes, I know, stupid but funny. Ted has broken up from the love of his life, Elaine, but in an attempt to find her again he buys an airplane ticket and follows her aboard as she is one of the air hostesses. At first Elaine wants nothing to do with him but he comes out a hero in the end. Apparently, all the pilot crew have been struck down with food poisoning and Ted is the only one who can fly the plane and save everybody on board.

The food poisoning is diagnosed by my favourite character of the whole movie, Dr. Alan Rumack played by Leslie Nielsen. We all know Leslie from The Naked Gun movies. He has such great comic timing and can keep a straight face when the rest of us are probably laughing our heads off. He can act like he doesn't have a clue what's going on and I think he's brilliant.

One of my favourite jokes goes like this. Someone mentions that someone is going to the hospital. Another person says, hospital, what is it? (they mean, what is wrong with the person) but the other person responds, it's a big building with sick people in but that's not important right now!!

Another favourite part, they show planes coming into land and the man who directs the plane with the big flashing paddles. In the course of directing the plane in someone asks the man where to find something. He then changes the direction of where he is flashing the paddles and the plane follows, sure to bash into the big terminal building right in front of him!

Other funny jokes include the autopilot blow up doll Otto, an old white Grandmother type lady who can speak jive like a pro with the black people on board. I would say that this movie is not very politically correct and a lot of stereotypes are used in it that you would not be allowed to get away with now. It's because of the age of the movie and you do have to watch this with a bit of a tolerant mind. It does appear very dated too and has no big special effects or graphics or the like but that just makes it even better in my opinion

I would say though, if you are a bit frightened of air travel and have a phobia of air crashes then this is probably not the film for you. Even though it's a spoof and a comedy the scenes with the plane in trouble are quite graphic and often show the plane jolting from side to side, not something you really want to think about. I always remember my father telling me that he actually saw this film on an airplane on the days when there was just one screen at the front of the plane and everybody watched the same film. Interesting choice by the carrier I would say!!

As well as being a success in my mind Airplane! was also a huge financial success, grossing over US$83 million in North America alone, against a budget of just $3.5 million. If you haven't ever seen it I definitely recommend this movie for quite a few laughs!

Summary: Airplane DVD