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Airplane!

  • 19801980
  • PGPG
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
234K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
521
64
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Airplane! (1980)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer3:30
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Comedy

A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick.A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick.A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick.

IMDb RATING
7.7/10
234K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
521
64
  • Directors
    • Jim Abrahams
    • David Zucker
    • Jerry Zucker
  • Writers
    • Jim Abrahams(written for the screen by)
    • David Zucker(written for the screen by)
    • Jerry Zucker(written for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • Robert Hays
    • Julie Hagerty
    • Leslie Nielsen
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Jim Abrahams
    • David Zucker
    • Jerry Zucker
  • Writers
    • Jim Abrahams(written for the screen by)
    • David Zucker(written for the screen by)
    • Jerry Zucker(written for the screen by)
  • Stars
    • Robert Hays
    • Julie Hagerty
    • Leslie Nielsen
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 573User reviews
    • 140Critic reviews
    • 78Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 3 wins & 7 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 3:30
    Trailer

    Photos172

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Peter Graves in Airplane! (1980)
    Robert Hays in Airplane! (1980)
    Lloyd Bridges and Robert Stack in Airplane! (1980)
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Airplane! (1980)
    Robert Hays and Otto in Airplane! (1980)
    Airplane! (1980)
    Maureen McGovern in Airplane! (1980)
    Robert Hays in Airplane! (1980)
    Leslie Nielsen, Julie Hagerty, Howard Honig, and Mary Mercier in Airplane! (1980)
    Robert Hays in Airplane! (1980)
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julie Hagerty in Airplane! (1980)
    Robert Hays in Airplane! (1980)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Hays
    Robert Hays
    • Ted Strikeras Ted Striker
    Julie Hagerty
    Julie Hagerty
    • Elaine Dickinsonas Elaine Dickinson
    Leslie Nielsen
    Leslie Nielsen
    • Dr. Rumackas Dr. Rumack
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
    • Roger Murdockas Roger Murdock
    Lloyd Bridges
    Lloyd Bridges
    • Steve McCroskeyas Steve McCroskey
    Peter Graves
    Peter Graves
    • Captain Clarence Oveuras Captain Clarence Oveur
    Lorna Patterson
    Lorna Patterson
    • Randyas Randy
    Robert Stack
    Robert Stack
    • Captain Rex Krameras Captain Rex Kramer
    Stephen Stucker
    • Johnny Henshaw-Jacobsas Johnny Henshaw-Jacobs
    Otto
    Otto
    • Ottoas Otto
    Jim Abrahams
    Jim Abrahams
    • Religious Zealot #6as Religious Zealot #6
    Frank Ashmore
    Frank Ashmore
    • Victor Bastaas Victor Basta
    Jonathan Banks
    Jonathan Banks
    • Gundersonas Gunderson
    Craig Berenson
    • Paul Careyas Paul Carey
    Barbara Billingsley
    Barbara Billingsley
    • Jive Ladyas Jive Lady
    Lee Bryant
    Lee Bryant
    • Mrs. Hammenas Mrs. Hammen
    Joyce Bulifant
    Joyce Bulifant
    • Mrs. Davisas Mrs. Davis
    Mae E. Campbell
    • Security Ladyas Security Lady
    • Directors
      • Jim Abrahams
      • David Zucker
      • Jerry Zucker
    • Writers
      • Jim Abrahams(written for the screen by)
      • David Zucker(written for the screen by)
      • Jerry Zucker(written for the screen by)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Drowning his sorrows after that botched mission during WWII, the traumatised former fighter pilot with a fear of flying, Ted Striker, still hasn't got over his old flame and flight attendant, Elaine Dickinson. Determined to win her back, Ted boards a domestic flight from Los Angeles to Chicago, only to come face-to-face with a severe case of in-flight food poisoning that is threatening everyone's lives. Now, with most of the passengers and the entire cockpit crew down with the food-borne illness, Striker has no other choice but to confront his inner demons and take over the control of the ungovernable aircraft with the help of a gruff air-traffic controller and his former commander. Can Ted land the plane and save them all? —Nick Riganas
    • spoof
    • airplane
    • food poisoning
    • color remake of black and white film
    • deadpan
    • 319 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • You've read the ad, now see the movie!
    • Genre
      • Comedy
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      For the argument between announcers concerning the white and red zones at the airport, the producers hired the same voice artists who had made the real-world announcements at Los Angeles International Airport. At the real airport, the white zone is for loading and unloading of passengers only, and there's no stopping in the red zone (except for transit buses). They were also married to each other in real life.
    • Goofs
      At the airport, Oveur gets a call about the "transplantation girl" with the white/red/black phones. After he picks up the wrong phone, (script supervisor) Nancy Hansen can be clearly heard laughing in the background.
    • Quotes

      Rumack: You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.

      Elaine Dickinson: A hospital? What is it?

      Rumack: It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.

    • Crazy credits
      Author of A Tale of Two Cities ... Charles Dickens
    • Alternate versions
      Some versions do not have subtitles on a part where the Jive Dudes are talking. The original theatrical release had subtitles.
    • Connections
      Edited into The A-Team: The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      Stayin' Alive
      Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb

      Performed by The Bee Gees

      Courtesy of RSO Records

      Published by Stigwood Music, Inc.

    User reviews573

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Arguably one of the funniest films ever made
    "Airplane!" is, was and always shall be the master of spoof movies. It is single-handedly responsible for literally inventing a sub-genre of comedy. It is the ultimate Silly Movie. A satire of the disaster movies of the 1970s, particularly the "Airport" series, nothing makes sense and it doesn't need to. There's no real plot. Just laughs - and plenty of 'em.

    It was helmed by the ZAZ trio (Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker), whose dedication to making the audience laugh is surprisingly adamant. Recent spoofs may have left a bad aftertaste in your mouth, but it seems to be a universal agreement: "Airplane" is the funniest film of its genre ever made. (Closely followed by "The Naked Gun" - also penned by the ZAZ trio - perhaps.)

    The plot: Ted Striker (Robert Hays) is a war veteran-turned-cab-driver who decides to chase after his girlfriend, an airline stewardess named Elaine (Julie Hagerty), who has dumped him in order to pursue a new life. Right before her plane takes off, Ted climbs aboard, hitching a ride in order to woo her back into a relationship again.

    When the aircraft is in midflight, both pilots become very ill after eating their meals. Eventually many passengers begin to show symptoms of a rare disease, apparently transmitted by the food. Onboard, Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen) takes care of the sick passengers as Ted - an ex-fighter pilot from the war - decides to try and land the plane. If he messes up they will all die, and in a particularly funny scene, the pressure becomes so unbearable that he begins to literally sweat gallons in the cockpit.

    That is essentially all the film is about, but most of its duration is spent cracking jokes. Spoof films are entirely different from other movies because normally we would criticize a film if it considered its plot to be the least important element. Not so here. This is a truly brainless piece of celluloid - a movie that doesn't try to be anything that it isn't. From the opening credits - that cleverly spoof "JAWS" - to the closing we realize that this is an altogether unique film going experience.

    The movie's biggest laughs come through unexpected flashbacks, such as when Ted remembers where he first met Elaine in a crummy bar ("...it was worse than Detroit..."), and begins to disco-dance a la John Travolta from "Saturday Night Fever" (complete with Bee Gees soundtrack blaring in the background and the famous Travolta pose). Then, later, we are taken back to when Ted was hospitalized after the war, and finds out that he was responsible for the death of six men. "Seven, actually," he is informed, which adds to the pain of the moment for him.

    Though this movie is very funny, many jokes misfire. If you're not pop culture savvy and you don't remember Mrs. Cleaver from TV's "Leave it to Beaver", the humor is going to go over your head. But unlike many comedies, "Airplane!" offers something unique for each person. I know that as a film lover, I picked up on many movie in-jokes that some people might not recognize. And then there were the gags that I first missed but picked up after a second viewing, or when someone explained them to me, or both. And I'm sure there are many yet that I'm not aware of. It seems that every time I watch it, there's something else to laugh at that I missed previously.

    "Airplane!" not only was a huge success in 1980 (the year of its release), spinning off a horde of imitators and one sequel - it was also responsible for crowning Leslie Nielsen "The King of Spoof." Prior to "Airplane!" Nielsen had been a veteran of more serious productions, stemming back to playing cowboys on "The Mickey Mouse Club" and other embarrassing attempts at acting. However, Nielsen later claimed that he had always wanted to do a comedy, even when he first started acting seriously with projects such as the classic "Forbidden Planet" (one of the best science-fiction films ever made). He later reunited with the ZAZ trio for "The Naked Gun" trilogy, appeared in similar spoof films over the years such as "Wrongfully Accused" and "Scary Movie 3," and had his iconic comedy shtick ripped off by many screen veterans - most noticeably by George Gaynes in the unbearable "Police Academy" (1984).

    When it comes down to a single evaluation, "Airplane" is simply the best spoof film ever made. It's like a MAD Magazine parody come to life. There are the occasional misfires, but unlike many other spoof film imitators, this one contains far more hits. The deadpan acting is genius and everything else fits into place, resulting in what may arguably be one of the absolute funniest films ever conceived and put on the big screen. And if you decide to watch the movie, don't blink - you might miss a gag or two. The "Police Academies" will come and go but "Airplane!" will never be forgotten.
    helpful•296
    49
    • MovieAddict2016
    • Jun 6, 2004

    FAQ1

    • What is the movie based on?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 2, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Kentucky Fried Airplane
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles International Airport - 1 World Way, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Paramount Pictures
      • Howard W. Koch Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $83,453,539
    • Gross worldwide
      • $83,453,539
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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