Airplane!

“Voted “one of the 10 funniest movies ever made” by the American Film Institute, Airplane! celebrates 40 years of off-the-wall laughs with this limited edition remastered Blu-ray, from a 4k film transfer supervised by the directors. Robert Hays is an ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning, Julie Hagerty co-stars as his girlfriend/stewardess/co-pilot, and joins the cast of all-stars including Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar… and more! Their hilarious high jinks spoof airplane disaster flicks, religious zealots, television commercials, romantic love… the list whirls by in rapid succession.”

There is a certain type of comedy that simply doesn’t exist anymore in films today. The parody genre probably reached its heights in the 80s and 90s with subsequent films such as The Naked Gun films, Top Secret!, Spaceballs, etc., but started to severely dwindle in the past two decades thanks to the Scary Movie franchise. Done right, the absurd humor and over-the-top gags can be timeless, which is what you see in Airplane!, thanks to the brilliant writing/directing of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker.

What’s so interesting about the film after 40 years is that airports and airlines are nothing like what you see in the film anymore. I’ve never been approached by someone trying to get donations for some religious organization, or sat in a smoking section on an airplane, but even after all these years of those practices becoming obsolete, it’s still hysterical to watch given the situation happening on-screen.

The story itself is a bit dull, but that is part of the humor of the film, as it emulates a certain type of thriller involving disaster on an airplane. Instead of a hijacking or mechanical problem, it’s food poisoning that incapacitates the majority of the passengers and crew, causing the only one with any type of flying experience. Ted Striker, a former fighter pilot who after a disastrous mission suffers from a severe drinking problem and anxiety toward aircraft, now is the only hope for the safe return of all aboard. I’m guessing this genre has been played out a bit, as you really don’t see films taking place only on airplanes anymore. There really are only so many stories you can tell about them. Still, Airplane! will always be known as the quintessential comedy of the skies, bringing laughter for even more decades to come.

As much as the majority of the film still holds up over all these years, there are a few moments that just fall flat. The character of Johnny played by Stephen Stucker has always been severely annoying to me, and every one of his gags, which start to add up by the end, are all a complete waste of time. A lot of the flashback sequences of Ted and Elaine also deter from the story and don’t really add that much humor. That being said, the funny sequences do outweigh those that don’t work, like every scene with Leslie Nielsen, and my all-time favorite sequence with Robert Stack. To me, Robert Stack will always be known for his chilling narration of Unsolved Mysteries, and kicking some religious zealot ass.

Video

Airplane! is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 featuring a brand-new remaster from 4k film transfers. Paramount has given this film a great treatment, with this new transfer looking fantastic. Immediately you can see how much more detailed the film is, with grain kept at a manageable level. Colors look quite a bit more vibrant than the previous release, which for a film that is now 40 years old, is quite impressive.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. There doesn’t seem to be anything new with this aspect of the disc, regardless, the track does sound quite good. Levels are well balanced between the surrounds and center channel, with no defects of note.

Special Features

This seventh Paramount Presents release features a new slipcover that opens to reveal the movie poster. Also, several new extras are included.

As with other releases from this line, certain extras are omitted from previous Blu-ray extras, including the Long Haul Version and Trivia Track that were featured on the “Don’t Call Me Shirley” edition.

New Features:

• Filmmaker Focus: Writers/Directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker on Airplane!
• Q&A with the directors of Airplane! (Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood – January 10, 2020)
• Isolated Score

Original Special Feature:

• Commentary by Writers/Director Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Producer Jon Davison

Airplane! still ranks as one of the best spoof films of all time, beautifully remastered by Paramount in their new line. The humor isn’t for everyone, but those that are fans of this film will want to see this, as it has never looked better. A great addition to the Paramount Presents line!