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AIRPLANE! is a true example of an off the wall comedy as it features a ex-fighter pilot who takes charge of an airliner in the absence of the crew. He then proceeds to take a jab at everything else, including airplane disaster movies, religious people, and TV commercials, and does it in style. The film has some of the most quotable lines thanks to its star cast like Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack and even Kareem Abdul Jabbar. (source Paramount Pictures)
There is always that strange feeling that arises when watching a movie that was first seen on television. The Airport comedy Airplane! is an example of a movie I watched over and over again on television when as a kid. While it is scientifically and socially incorrect, Airplane! remains one of the best comical spoofs of all time. It is also one of the first parody films that set a standard for many. Many people have tried to mimic Airplane!’s silly attitude and its visual gags, but very few have come close. In all honesty, Airplane! is not the most comical movie you will ever watch, and if slapstick comedy is not something you enjoy, you should probably skip the film whilst saving some brain cells. Since the 2011 Blu-Ray release of Airplane! was put out, I can thankfully say that I have watched the entire movie. Unfortunately, the content that was cut out for the television release “lost” version was severely disappointing.
Airplane! is one of the most iconic films from the 1980s due to its mockery of action and romance films. While funnier comedies have been produced after, Jim Abrahams’ David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker made a classic that is hard to forget. Unfortunately, as is the case with most modern day Hollywood comedies, much of the humor is relied on sexual jokes. Unlike, say, Dinner for Schmucks, there isn’t as much of that in Airplane! But when there is, be prepared for something shocking. See, in 1980, the movie ratings were much more relaxed. A movie could either get a PG or R rating. This changed in 1984 due to films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom that did not fit either rating. But if Airplane! were released today, there is no chance it would receive a PG rating. It could only get that rating if significant cuts were made.
As it stands, it could easily receive an R rating. The reason I say this is not for language or violence, but for nudity. While I was shocked to see this, my concern was that during a scene when there is absolute chaos in the plane, a topless woman’s chest is zoomed in and freezes temporarily in the center of the screen. Another scene features a pilot stopping to examine a display of adult magazines at an airport. One cover is of a woman partially nude and the other is fully nude.
Lastly, the insert shows several PG 13 visual gags that are borderline inappropriate; for example, a woman pumping air into an inflatable doll dressed as a man, where the tube is located at the doll’s crotch, suggesting she is performing oral sex on him. The other gag shows a “non smoking” sign for passengers which immediately gets replaced with a version of a couple having intercourse with a graphic “NO” sign. Though many would say all these examples are soft-core examples of sex, it does not meet the criteria for some of the things cinema with PG 13 ratings now gets away with. But for a movie with a PG classification, one that many parents will mistakenly assume is appropriate, well let’s say they will be in for a surprise.
The movie does have some issues, such as occasional swearing, but it is entertaining enough to always put it on when I find it on TV. It features actors like Leslie Nielsen and Peter Graves who performed in many serious roles, but watching them perform to the absurdist of situations is hilarious. I do not remember the other actor Robert Hays being in anything else, but his performance along with Julie Hagerty’s, who I saw later on in ‘What About Bob?’, is great. To pull off such material takes strength, and these actors did a great job. They are joined by the wonderful supporting cast of Robert Stack, Llyod Bridges, and the late greats Charles Neuston and Peter Graves, who all delivered outstanding performances while balancing both comedy and drama with the rest of the cast. Somehow, they were able to avoid being overly ridiculous in a movie that is already exceedingly exaggerated. Their calm expressions in response to such insane behavior is what truly makes this movie entertaining. How can we forget the incredible quotes, “Surely, you can’t be serious?” to which the response was “I am serious… and don’t call me ‘Shirley’” or the pilots and co pilots with the last name gags?
Because of some very crude and awful gags, I wouldn’t suggest this. The picture on this Blu-Ray release is pretty good for a movie that’s over 31 years old, but I don’t think the HD presentation does as much justice for the film as it does for others. Despite how some really outdated movies have looked unbelievable on Blu Ray (essentially any of the Star Trek films from the 80s), Airplane! does have some surprisingly grainy moments. There are also parts where the film depicts vibrant, clear, and colorful imagery. There aren’t many extra special features on this release either so if you are looking for features with new content, consider looking elsewhere. One of the movie’s DVD releases in 2005 contained a special feature called a “Long Haul Version,” which is included here as the only extra addition besides an audio commentary track from the directors. (Oh, side note: The Blu-Ray disc’s menu is themed like the in-flight instructional card, except it has some “St” written on it and an animated reenactment of the aforementioned autopilot inflating scene).
Airplane! is a classic comedy genre movie but crosses the line a little too often for it to be ‘recommendable’ for the entire family, which is a concern. A lot of comedy in this particular movie gets outlandish when it comes to ripping racial and religious stereotypes. Something in it has a very good chance of offending someone. Why should we blame it on the P rating? Just because a film has a PG rating does not mean it is family oriented. Airplane! is funny, but definitely not the film for the whole family.
In my earlier comments, I mentioned that there are few extras in terms of features in the Airplane! movie’s Blu Ray release. There with Be Stuey, it’s being offered for Best Buy exclusive sale, and at best it is a high definition transfer with what is provided on the DVD release plus some of the extras available; but there doesn’t seem to contain any new elements. The “Long Haul Version” is always the extra that fans would want to explore. Although the overall experience is very good, it is not world class. Still, the level of precision is unlike anything most people would have noticed before. This is good and bad; in the part of the film when Striker is dancing in the bar, you can very clearly see the piano wires that support him to dance off his feet. I do not know if other releases are like this or not, but this one certainly was.
With this selected, you can view the film with interactive pop up features which cause a “TA” logo to appear at random times on screen. Selecting the logo lets you skip to random bonus material from cast telling stories during filming including visible crew in a shot to the directors talking about the making of the movie. The highlights include present day Bob Hays, children’s Ted, and fun compilation stories on set and how things were filmed. The directors and actors will show some scenes from the finished movie, showing visible mistakes, or showing behind the scenes photos or footage of some of the famous scenes. The random deleted scene is a fun change of pace to add the featurette too.
Hearing Peter Graves discuss the challenges of filming his role as Captain Over is very interesting. The stakes of doing that film were high in terms of some the lines he had to deliver. It’s also funny listening to little Joey who, as an adult, still gets teased about some his interactions with Graves in the well-known cockpit scene of the film. Overall, it is a very enjoyable featurette. My only criticism is that I wish all the extras were visible separately from the film.
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