Before they would take their spoof skills and apply it to acclaimed works such as Top Secret! and Police Squad!, the team of Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker cut their teeth on directing by bringing the world what is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedies of all time. Airplane! is the product of a group of hilarious individuals stumbling across a funny concept and fine-tuning it to perfection. They may have had to compromise on certain aspects of their vision by filming in color and changing the type of plane they had in mind, but their atypical decision to cast serious actors in these comedic roles proved to be one of the best decisions in comedy history. The film was an immense success in the summer of 1980, where it would go on to be the fourth highest grossing film of the year. Forty years later, the film continues to be discovered by new generations for the absurd delight that it is.
The plot of Airplane! follows the trajectory of serious disaster movies of the time. Ex-fighter pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) has become an undependable mess since suffering trauma during the war. His overwhelming fear of flying has driven him to taking a job as a taxi to make ends meet. His longtime flight attendant girlfriend, Elaine (Julie Hagerty), has tried to be supportive, but has grown frustrated with some of Ted’s decisions in life. When Elaine leaves the future of their relationship in question on the way to a shift on a flight, Ted digs deep to overcome his fears and buys a ticket to try to win her back. When passengers on the flight begin getting sick, including the pilots, there is only one man on board who is well enough with the necessary experience to safely fly the plane. Will Ted be able to overcome his fear of flying while also trying to win back his best girl? When it comes to a movie like Airplane!, the answer is really only important in the abstract, as jokes take precedence over everything else.
The impact that this film had on comedy cannot be overstated. The absurd, surreal humor that oozes from this film touches upon a very specific type of comedy that had not hit the mainstream until this point. The wordplay present in this script is truly brilliant in its execution. Every opportunity the film had to add a beat or tag to the scene was taken and executed perfectly. Even the juvenile or just plain dumb gags are an important part of the comedic tapestry of the movie. As previously mentioned, the script alone would not have worked as well on screen if not for the straight-faced delivery of all of the talented actors. Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack may have some of the most quotable lines of the film, but actors such as Peter Graves (Capt. Clarence Oveur) and Lloyd Bridges (Steve McCroskey) were just as pitch perfect in their respective roles. That’s not to mention the perfectly delivered performances from our core couple that anchors the movie in just the right way.
It is difficult to really capture what makes Airplane! so timeless and hilarious merely through words. When you are watching the film, you get drawn in to the rhythmic comedic moments that still intellectually stimulate you long after the genuine belly laughs have lessened after countless viewings. Every audience member is bound to have their own favorite recurring gag, be it the passengers killings themselves during Ted’s interminably boring stories or the jive-talking duo or even the self-referential appearance by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You may find elements of the film to be more problematic in retrospect, or you may be someone who just does not respond well to this particular humor, but, no matter what, you have to respect what this film was able to accomplish. This is a movie that pushed the limits of what comedy was considered to be, and it has left a legacy that should be highly regarded on many levels. If you have never viewed this film, or if you have not viewed it in a while, you owe it to yourself to immerse yourself into this masterclass of absurd comedy.
Video Quality
This new release of Airplane! through the Paramount Presents line comes with a brand new 4K restoration overseen by directors Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker. I have never seen the original Blu-Ray to compare, but the results here are very pleasing for the most part. There is an excellent level of detail to the transfer throughout, especially in the more brightly lit scenes. Black levels are pretty deep with only a minor bit of macroblocking popping up. Colors are reproduced accurately here, and skin tones look natural. The transfer has a nice amount of film grain, but there are a few scenes where it appears to have been digitally managed. A true blue 4K UHD disc probably would have been the better way to go with this new transfer, but the results of this Blu-Ray disc are very strong.
Audio Quality
Paramount brings the positively received DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless mix from the original 2011 Blu-Ray release back for this new disc. As this is a film primarily built on dialogue and witty wordplay, fans can rest easy knowing that this information comes through crystal clear primarily in the center channel. This information is balanced well with the various sound effects and the dramatic score. Some sound effects lack the punch that you might expect, but it is not a major concern. Music fills the room with a delightful energy, such as in the flashback disco sequence that plays “Stayin’ Alive” to great effect. The track does a fine job of creating a vast soundscape for the world. Activity really picks up in the rear channels when you are subjected to background chatter in the airport. Overall, this is a pretty solid track that does the movie justice.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Directors Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker are joined by Producer Jon Davison to provide some background on the film. This is a fun and informative track where many fun anecdotes are shared, which should please fans of the film.
- Isolated Score Track: There is an option to watch the film without the dialogue or sound effects present where you can greater appreciate the excellent score.
- Filmmaker Focus – Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker On Airplane!: A newly filmed nine-minute featurette featuring interviews with the three directors in which they discuss how they told the actors to play like they don’t know they are in a comedy, the nervousness of Paramount executives before they saw the dailies, casting, the enduring legacy of the film and more.
- Q&A With Directors of Airplane!: A 35-minute Q&A filmed in January 2020 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood with Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and David Zucker. The trio discuss using the disaster film Zero Hour as inspiration, winning the WGA for writing, the intricacies of the jive talk scene, Peter Graves’ initial aversion to the script, bad screenings and more. They seem like they are having a blast throughout with lots of wisecracks and off color jokes.
Final Thoughts
Airplane! remains one of the most important and hilarious comedies forty years after its release. This is a film that is packed front to back with jokes that are infinitely quotable. Paramount has added another stellar release to their Paramount Presents line with this great A/V presentation and valuable supplemental features. If you have yet to add this classic to your collection, this is the release to get! Recommended
Paramount Presents Airplane! is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
