SummaryWhen the evil Dark Helmet attempts to steal all the air from planet Druidia, a determined Druish Princess, a clueless rogue and a half-man/half-dog creature who's his own best friend set out to stop him! But with the forces of darkness closing in on them at ludicrous speed, they'll need the help of a wise imp named Yogurt and the mystica...
SummaryWhen the evil Dark Helmet attempts to steal all the air from planet Druidia, a determined Druish Princess, a clueless rogue and a half-man/half-dog creature who's his own best friend set out to stop him! But with the forces of darkness closing in on them at ludicrous speed, they'll need the help of a wise imp named Yogurt and the mystica...
Spaceballs has the happy air of a comic enterprise that knows it's going right. It just keeps spritzing the gags at us, Borscht Belt-style, confidently and rightly sensing that if we don't laugh at this one, we'll laugh at the next. And so we do. After a long dry spell, Brooks is back on the money with Spaceballs. [24 Jun 1987, p.33]
Full of love, Spaceballs is full of laughs; after 13 years of screen disappointments, Brooks has almost delivered another Young Frankenstein. May the box office be with it. [24 Jun 1987, p.1D]
A masterpiece. More than just an uproarious spoof, Mel Brooks' 1987 comedic epic is a timeless jewel that shines bright in the cinematic cosmos. It is not merely a great movie; it is a landmark in the annals of cinema that deserves its place among the greatest movies of all time.
Before the era of Scary Movie and its ilk, Spaceballs had already set the gold standard for parody films. Unleashing a barrage of laughs at warp speed, the movie manages to create its comedic universe by playfully skewering Star Wars, Star Trek, and the entire sci-fi genre without missing a beat. The humor is as relentless as it is contagious, with iconic moments like the "Ludicrous Speed" or "Comb the desert" scenes forever imprinted in the memory of all those who watched.
Yet Spaceballs is not just about the laughs. It's about **** conventions and redefining what cinema can do. Brooks and his team weren't afraid to pull any punch, pushing the envelope of filmic storytelling. One of their boldest choices was the frequent and delightful breaking of the fourth wall, a move that was innovative and audacious for its time. Remember that scene where the villains literally fast-forward their own movie to figure out what to do next? Genius! This surreal meta-humor added a fresh and unexpected layer to the movie, setting it apart from its peers and influencing the generations of films that followed.
The characters are unforgettable, each one beautifully played by a cast clearly having the time of their lives. Who could ever forget Rick Moranis as the **** yet lovable Dark Helmet, John Candy's delightful turn as Barf the Mog, or Bill Pullman's charmingly naive Lone Starr? These performances are inimitable, their comedic timing impeccable.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the clever writing and direction of Mel Brooks. The movie works because it not only satirizes beloved sci-fi tropes, but it also appreciates and understands what makes them tick. The result is a film that both roasts and honors its inspirations in equal measure, a balancing act few have managed to pull off.
In conclusion, Spaceballs is more than a movie. It's a celebration of all things science fiction, a love letter to the absurd and the fantastic. It's a testament to the power of laughter and the importance of not taking ourselves too seriously. In an era of carbon-copy blockbusters and cynical cash grabs, this movie stands as a monument to creativity and irreverent joy. In short, Spaceballs is not just one of the funniest films ever made, but it is also one of the most significant. It's time we start recognizing it as such.
A lot of the gags are pretty good. It's not that Star Wars is less worthy of satire than horse opera or gothic horror. It's not that Mel Brooks has lost his cunning, though he does need a freedom of speech not to be found under a PG rating. What's missing is that zany old gang of his. There is simply nobody like them on this trip. [13 July 1987, p.68]
Candy and Moranis are real talents, but they're completely wasted, like everyone else here, sacrificed to the grade-school inanities of that self-indulgent script. [26 Jun 1987, p.D6]
Brooks' own timing as a director doesn't seem up to its usual snuff. Light-years stretch out between the set-up of a gag and its payoff, and for a director who has always depended on the quantity of his jokes rather than the quality, the gap is fatal. When a character is introduced as "Pizza the Hut," and then shown as a melting mass of mozzarella and tomato sauce, the result is to turn a fairly clever pun into something thuddingly obvious and vaguely nauseating. [24 Jun 1987, p.3]
What happens when you have Mel Brooks make a parody of Star Wars? You have Spaceballs! Loveable characters like Barf, Yogurt and Dark Helmet. Great cast with John Candy, Mel Brooks & Rick Moranis. This movie is lots of fun, if you haven't watched it already, what are you waiting for?
A movie scratchily made to attract people's laughter. We basically get it... we love this movie and all, but this movie felt dated don't you think? As some sort of Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, and Planet of the Apes spoof and released in 1987, it sorta felt dated.
Call me whatever you want, but Spaceballs is not that funny. It's painful to watch and relies on toilet humor and bad jokes as backbone. Just as I said in my review of Scar MoVie, the whole spoof genre is collapsing, thanks to movies like these.
There are good satire comedies and then there are bad satire comedies. This is one of the bad ones. With little left to recognize from star wars in the film and probably the worst physical humor ever demonstrated on screen, this isn't silly it's just stupid. I remember laughing when I was younger at this film, guess its only funny to five year olds because this was a complete waste of time!