The persons and events in this film are fictitious - fortunately! A masterpiece of off-the-wall comedy, Airplane! features Robert Hays as an ex-fighter pilot forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning; Julie Hagerty as his girlfriend/stewardess/co-pilot; and a 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. And the story races from one moment of zany fun to the next.
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award3 wins & 7 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Airplane! is more than a pleasant surprise, in the midst of this dim movie season. As a remedy for the bloated self-importance of too many other current efforts, it's just what the doctor ordered.
– Janet Maslin,
New York Times,
20 May 2003
fresh:
It is sophomoric, obvious, predictable, corny, and quite often very funny. And the reason it's funny is frequently because it's sophomoric, predictable, corny, etc.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
6 Dec 2005
fresh:
From the clever Jaws take-off opening to the final, irreverent title card, laughs come thick and fast.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
1 Apr 2008
fresh:
The fact that the movie doesn't work as well today as it did in 1980 in no way diminishes its importance in recent motion picture history.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
1 Apr 2008
fresh:
The gags aren't exactly clever, but there are a lot of them, and the cutting finds a fast, effective tempo.