Today I fancied watching a film I know I love because I think after the shit I have been subjecting myself to I needed to be kind to myself. 'Airplane!' (1980) is one of my favourite comedies of all time as well as one of my favourite films period. I have seen this film more times than I can remember and it never gets old. It is a film that I will always come back, no matter how old I get and one that will keep me laughing until I'm dead. The film, a spoof of the airport disaster films, follows Ted Striker (Robert Hays), a former air force pilot, who chases his estranged partner, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hegarty), on to the plane she is working on in an attempt to win her back. Once in the air, a horrible illness caused by the fish dinner that was offered starts to make several passengers and all the pilots violently ill. As the only person on the plane with any flying experience, it is up to Ted to land the plane and save the lives of all on board.
From reading that synopsis you wouldn't necessarily think that this is one of the funniest films ever made, but that is what makes it such a great spoof film. For a spoof film to really work it needs to be able to fit into the genre which it is spoofing. Take away the comedy of this film and the basic narrative and conventions would not be out of place in the world it is spoofing. This is something bad spoof movies like 'Disaster Movie' (2008) and 'Meet the Spartans' (2008) don't understand or choose to ignore. But Airplane works on a narrative level. Yes, the narrative is just there as a conduit for the jokes but without it, the film suffers deeply. On a technical level, it is not a film you're going to be writing home about. It is decently made, but the filmmakers don't push the boat out on creativity. There is also one moment in the film that has always bugged me and it is where Ted throws Elaine into the air during a dance. We then see Ted eyes in the sky and repositioning himself as though Elaine has been thrown tens of feet into the air. It is a decent joke (one of the weaker ones in the film) but then Elaine is clearly thrown back into frame from the side. I don't know, it has always annoyed me for some reason but it is very nitpicky. On a performance level, everybody absolutely nails it. Everyone's comedic timing is superb and their delivery is equally brilliant. Not one actor misses a beat, but there is one performance that stands above the rest and that comes from the late Leslie Nielson as Dr. Rumack. Maybe it is just because he has all the best lies, but he also has a screen presence above that of the other actors, and his deadpan delivery is perfect. No matter how many times I hear him do the same bits thy are always hilarious and that is in part down to his wonderful performance.
It is so hard to talk about just how funny this film is without basically writing out all the incredible jokes. This film is one of the most quotable comedies ever made. I am seriously resisting the urge just to quote every joke I love but that would ruin it for you people who have yet to watch this comedic masterpiece. The film succeeds on a very level of comedy. It is equally stupid as it is witty, it is full of brilliant lines as well as superb visual jokes. The film does not slow down on its jokes at all. In moments where the film could be tense or have emotional pay off the filmmakers decided to throw in a thousand jokes and I thank them for it. You constantly hear of comedies being describes as a laugh a minute but for this film, it is so true and then some. It is also a film where there is so much comedy going on at every second that repeat viewing is essential and rewarding. Every time I watch this film I notice something new or find a new layer to a joke. A lot of comedy films are not built for repeat viewing. Even if I enjoy a comedy every time I watch it there are not many I can think of that will have me audibly laughing out loud every single time. 'Spinal Tap' (1984) is the only other film that manages this, at least off the top of my head. Watching this film again this morning I was cackling like a hyena at jokes that I have heard or seen a ridiculous amount of times and I don't know if there is any bigger compliment for a comedy than that.
'Airplane' is a film that I could watch in any mood and it will never fail to put a smile on my face. It's not a film you go into expecting huge quality on a technical level but neither did the filmmakers. They went in wanting to make a comedy and they more than succeeded in doing this. I feel like the second half of this review is less of a review and more of me just gushing about how hilarious I find this film but I don't know if there is any better way to sell it. It is truly a comedy classic and in my book sits on the Mt. Rushmore of comedy films. If you haven't seen it already do yourself a favour and seek it out, I promise it will deliver more than the fabled laugh a minute.