The second spoof film from frequent collaborators Jim
Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker is probably their most famous and most
successful. Parodying the disaster movies of the previous twenty years and
using 1957s Zero Hour! as its basis, Airplane! is frequently mentioned
amongst the top comedies of all time. When both pilots become ill on a flight
from Los Angeles to Chicago there is only one man (Robert Hays)
aboard who can land the plane. He though is an ex-Military Pilot who has never
recovered from his wartime experiences and is only on board to try and save his
relationship with his Stewardess girlfriend (Julie Hagerty).
I saw Airplane! a
long time ago and had remembered bits and pieces but I enjoyed it a lot more on
this viewing. The film is packed full of jokes but having watched it alone I
subsequently wish I’d watched it with others.
