Airplane! is a 1980 comedy built on jokes about planes, sick passengers, and a man who cannot land a plane. It was made to mock disaster films, and it mostly succeeds.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
The Setup
The story follows Ted Striker, a former pilot played by Robert Hays, who is afraid to land a plane. His ex-wife, Elaine, played by Julie Hagerty, tries to help him face his fear while saving a plane full of sick passengers from a deadly virus. Leslie Nielsen plays Dr. Rumack, a doctor who treats the sick travelers with jokes instead of medicine.
The Running Gag
The film’s biggest joke is the running gag about the sick passengers, which turns the disaster plot into pure absurdity. The jokes land because the film takes itself seriously even as it mocks everything around it.
The Players
Robert Hays carries the film as the nervous pilot, and Leslie Nielsen plays his role with deadpan timing that became a signature style for him. Lloyd Bridges, playing Ted’s father, delivers some of the film’s best lines with a straight face. Julie Hagerty and Robert Stack round out the cast, each adding their own comic energy to the mix.
The Lasting Mark
Airplane! set a template for parody that other comedies followed for years. Its jokes about planes, sick passengers, and a man who cannot land a plane remain recognizable today, even to audiences who have never seen the film.
By the Numbers
- Year: 1980
- Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker
- Stars: Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack
- Score: 7.3/10
Airplane! is a tight, fast comedy that knows exactly what it is doing. It does not waste a minute. Some jokes age better than others, but the core of the film remains sharp. It is not the greatest comedy ever made, but it is one of the most purely executed.
Score: 7.3 of 10.
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