Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

A faulty computer causes a passenger space shuttle to head straight for the Sun. Can Ted Striker save the day and get the shuttle back on track - again?

Director:

Ken Finkleman

Writer:

Ken Finkleman

Stars:

Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lloyd Bridges	...	Steve McCroskey
Raymond Burr	...	The Judge
Chuck Connors	...	The Sarge
Rip Torn	...	Bud Kruger
John Dehner	...	The Commissioner
Chad Everett	...	Simon Kurtz
Peter Graves	...	Captain Clarence Oveur
Julie Hagerty	...	Elaine Dickinson
Robert Hays	...	Ted Striker
Kent McCord	...	Unger
James A. Watson Jr.	...	Dunn
William Shatner	...	Commander Buck Murdock
Stephen Stucker	...	Jacobs / Courtroom Clerk
John Vernon	...	Dr. Stone
Al White	...	Witness

Storyline

Years have passed since Ted Striker heroically saved many lives by avoiding a plane crash. Working as a test pilot for a new Lunar Shuttle, he gets innocently sent into a mental ward after a crash of the badly constructed, computer-navigated spaceship. When he hears that the exactly same type of shuttle is scheduled for a moon flight soon, he breaks out to hinder the launch. Aboard, Ted finds his ex-ex Elaine Dickinson working as stewardess again and her fiancé Simon, a member of the committee that wants the Mayflower I to be launched. In flight, the ship's computer ROK 9000 takes control, killing the crew. Ted and Elaine manage to switch it off, and now it is up to Ted again to save the passengers' lives - if there only wouldn't be these flashbacks to the war and these people who know Ted and have no faith in his abilities at all.

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Plot Keywords:

hare krishna | repeat sequel | time bomb | crazy humor | parody | 

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Taglines:

Just when you thought it safe to go back into the departure lounge.

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 December 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Flying High II

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$27,150,534

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Howard W. Koch Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The window behind the "Transcendental Air" desk shows the cityscape from Logan's Run (1976).

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Goofs

During Striker telling "his story" to Dr. Stone, he says, "fate dropped me into the seat of a 767 into Chicago with no crew." In Airplane!, Striker tells Dr. Rumack that the plane has four engines ("It's an entirely different kind of flying, all together."). A 767 only has two engines. There has never been a four engine variant of the 767. Also, Airplane! takes place in 1980. The 767 did not go into commercial service until September, 1982.

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Quotes

Buck Murdock: Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.

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Crazy Credits

Worst Boy ................... Adolf Hitler

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Alternate Versions

In the TV version of 'Airplane II' there were 2 gags involving the Texan played by Hugh Gillin that were not in the theatrical release. One involved him giving a large sum of money to a man representing a heart foundation who then keels over dead when he sees how much money the Texan had given him. The other involves the Texan asking for something to read while on the shuttle flight and Mary the stewardess gives him a huge pile of books. There's also an extra scene in line when Sonny Bono buys the $1 million dollar auto insurance policy. In the theatrical version the first time we see Sonny Bono is when he's buying the bomb in the airport all-purpose shop. None of these scenes are on the DVD as extras.

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Connections

Featured in The Spoony Experiment: D.O.A: Dead or Alive (2011)

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Soundtracks

Think Music
Written by J. Griffin

User Reviews

Sequel To Spoof!

More-of-the-same sequel sees Robert Hays, Julie Haggerty, and Lloyd Bridges(among a few others) return as they are now involved with the first lunar space shuttle that is accidentally sent into a collision course with the sun after a computer malfunction. Once again only Ted Striker can land the ship, and save their lives, with help from the airport crew(this time William Shatner as Buck Murdoch).

Sequel tries awfully hard for laughs but comes up short; most are either recycled from the first, or outright fail, though William Shatner is the highlight here, successfully spoofing his "Star Trek" action hero persona well(Watch out for the Enterprise...) Promises a Part III that never materialized, so we'll likely never know if that was a good or bad thing!