Common Sense Media Review
Rapid-fire spoof with sexual jokes and cartoon violence.
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Airplane!
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 34 parent reviews
Based on 89 kid reviews
Kids say this movie offers a mix of outrageous humor and inappropriate content which some viewers find hilarious while others feel uncomfortable with its mature themes, including nudity, sexual innuendos, and drug use. While many consider it a classic comedic masterpiece filled with clever jokes, others criticize it for being dated and offensive, resulting in recommendations that it's best for older teens.
- funny antics
- inappropriate content
- classic masterpiece
- sexual humor
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In AIRPLANE! when the passengers and crew aboard Trans American Airlines flight 209 fall ill from food poisoning, passenger and veteran aviator Ted Striker (Robert Hayes) must put his wartime trauma behind him and take the throttle. As fate would have it, his old flame and flight attendant, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), is on board. Elaine's rekindled love for Stryker revitalizes his confidence, and, with the help of a couple of hilariously gruff air-traffic controllers, he flies the plane to safety.
Is It Any Good?
Without a doubt, this movie reigns as king of all '80s parody films. Leslie Nielsen (in a precursor to his turn as Lt. Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun series), Robert Stack, and Lloyd Bridges appear to enjoy portraying characters that lampoon their previous dramatic roles. And, although the dialogue and references to films such as From Here to Eternity and Saturday Night Fever will appeal mainly to adults, site gags such as the jive-talking granny (played by Barbara Billingsley of Leave It to Beaver) and exchanges such as, "Surely you can't be serious?" "I am serious ... and don't call me Shirley," will have kids rolling on the floor.
Along the way, Airplane! mixes embarrassingly obvious puns and sight gags with surprisingly quick-witted knocks at everyday airport/airplane situations. Parents should note that most of the jokes featured in this film are at the expense of various religious and ethnic groups. They are not especially mean-spirited, yet some might interpret the film's off-color humor as offensive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the use of humor in Airplane! and how several jokes are at the expense of women, people of color, war veterans, religious groups, and gays. How does context change the way we interpret comedy?
Parents also can talk about the nature of parody and how much of Airplane! is parodying other movies.
How well do you think the filmmakers succeed at nonstop jokes and silliness?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 2, 1980
- On DVD or streaming : October 24, 2000
- Cast : Julie Hagerty , Leslie Nielsen , Lloyd Bridges
- Directors : David Zucker , Jerry Zucker
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 88 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sex and drug references.
- Last updated : July 16, 2020
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