Airplane! 1 and 2 Reviews

by Joshua Hess

While Airplane! 1 is significantly better, both films do an amazing job of bringing sharp-witted comedy to the big screen.

The original Airplane! is truly something to behold. Although this film was released in 1980, the jokes still feel fresh and funny. I'm not really one to laugh out loud when watching comedic movies, but on more than one occasion I found myself rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't crying. What this film definitely succeeds in is the brisk machine gun pace of its jokes. Just when you think they'll slow down, they throw another right in your face. Not only that, but 9 times out of 10, the joke sticks very well. It lingers around in your mind. This movie definitely requires some rewatching, because you'll never know if you missed a joke while laughing at a different one. The actors are absolutely amazing, but Leslie Nielsen's doctor character definitely shines through. If you want a light hearted comedy that will make you laugh hysterically, then this is the movie for you. I'm giving this one a 9.5/10

While I still enjoyed the second Airplane! movie, I was a bit let down by the quality of the jokes. Not nearly as many jokes stuck with me the way that the first film's did, and many of the jokes from this movie are just rehashed from the first. It's almost like the directors forgot about what made the first film so magical, and simply reused the same formula as an attempt to recapture lightning in a bottle. Not all of the jokes are simply redone, and I still found myself laughing at the sillier moments of the film. My main gripe, however, is that it feels like it is trying way too hard to be funny. Whenever the first film made a play on words, it was so sudden that you found yourself laughing out of shock; (for example, when "the shit hits the fan" and then it is taken literally). For this sequel, whenever they aren't directly taking a joke from the first film, they are simply making an unnecessary pun that doesn't add very much. The film's final moments are able to breathe more life into it with the introduction of William Shatner's character, Commander Buck Murdoch. Not only are they able to sneak a decent handful of stabs at sci-fi cliches, but they even throw in a Star Trek reference just for Shatner. His character has an overblown personality that definitely breaks up the monotony of hit or miss puns and his performance as this character is one of his best. Give this a watch if you've seen the first one. It isn't all bad and it doesn't feel like it entirely overstays its welcome, but it does start to wear on you in the long run. 5/10.

Have you watched one or both of these movies? Do you agree with anything I said? Let me know!