7.8/10
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443 user 134 critic

Airplane! (1980)

PG | | Comedy | 2 July 1980 (USA)
A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick.

Writers:

(written for the screen by), (written for the screen by) | 1 more credit »
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717 ( 26)

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Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Roger Murdock (as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar)
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Stephen Stucker ...
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Craig Berenson ...
Paul Carey
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Storyline

Still craving for the love of his life, Ted Striker follows Elaine onto the flight that she is working on as a member of the cabin crew. Elaine doesn't want to be with Ted anymore, but when the crew and passengers fall ill from food poisoning, all eyes are on Ted. Written by FilmFanUk

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Thank God it's Only a Motion Picture! See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

2 July 1980 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Kentucky Fried Airplane  »

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Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$83,400,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$130,000,000, 31 December 1981
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Bill and Ted bar fight scene, when picking up Billy the Kid, matches the girl scout fight scene in Airplane!. They begin over a poker cheat (extra ace), have the same punches and bar stool hit, and end with one being slid across the bar until breaking through a wall or juke box. See more »

Goofs

When Ted Striker is receiving the balls to start juggling during his solo dance, you can see a crew member's hand tossing him the balls to the left of the screen. See more »

Quotes

[as the plane prepares to take off]
Hanging Lady: Nervous?
Ted Striker: Yes.
Hanging Lady: First time?
Ted Striker: No, I've been nervous lots of times.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Utility Infielder Felix Mantilla See more »

Connections

Referenced in Now and Then (1995) See more »

Soundtracks

River of Jordan
Written by Peter Yarrow
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
A Modern American Classsic for the Ages!!!
22 August 2005 | by See all my reviews

The first time I saw this was at a sneak peek with my fiancée in 1980. I laughed so hard that it drove Deseret News film critic Christopher Hicks nuts; I believe he had to come back a second night – as did most of us – in order to catch most of the gags, they were flying at us so fast and furious.

The genius in this film existed in multiple places and at multiple levels: The Zucker Brothers were able to sell Paramount Pictures on the script of spoofing disaster movies – that was their first big sell – and then, they were able to stand up to studio pressure and not place comedic actors in the roles, but rather, long known dramatic actors who had never before done comedy, thus launching a few new careers, most notably Leslie Nielsen – who before then had best been for his role in the television series of the 1960's The Bold Ones.

What we got is the stuff of which legends were made: Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar of the Los Angeles Lakers. Even Jill Whelan of The Love Boat was able to get in on the act by playing a pediatric patient in need of surgery across the country. This movie took non-stop slapstick to a new level never before traveled to. It made fun of so many films – both disaster and non-disaster flicks – which you needed a scorecard in order to keep track of how many.

Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty were simply brilliant in their roles as the star-crossed (or should I say star cross-eyed) lovers who just weren't quite the right fit for one another. Look for cameo appearances by Barbara Billingsley in a role that will surprise you, Jimmie Walker (CBS'Good Times in the 1970's); and for Ethel Merman. I won't tell you where he appears in the film. They will simply crack you up! This is a film that you will want to check out for a week on DVD rental for at least a week in order to catch all the gags and full subtleties and not-so-subtleties of the humor involved. After rental, you will want to BUY a copy of the DVD to keep.

Already honored by the American Film Institute as one of the Top 100 films of all time, this truly is a modern American classic! On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this film an 11/10. ***


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