Airplane! (1980)

**A memorable comedy that deserves to be revisited occasionally.**
I can't say how innovative this film was in its time because I'm not one of those cinema experts who know almost everything (I'd like to know more, and I always learn more, but I'm reduced to the insignificance of knowing little). However, as far as I can understand, I think it was one of the first nonsense American satires, heavily inspired by Monty Python, an English group that was having its biggest successes at that time, and the film “National Lampoon Animal House”, which had also been released at this time.
For this work, Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers (who direct and write all the script) made a hilarious story around a domestic flight in the USA that goes very wrong when almost everyone, including the pilot and co-pilot, eat a spoiled fish. There are some jokes that work better, others worse, but the film's humor is intelligent enough to escape the easy laugh label. The joke where the pilot tries to seduce a child is perhaps the most infamous moment in the film, but I'm not a huge fan of political correctness and I handled it very well. The writers also can't resist the temptation to include some sex jokes, but I didn't see anything that I really think crossed the line of what was acceptable.
For the film, they're called actors with a notable satirical and humorous streak, but who had not always had the opportunity to focus on comedies, or had not made films before. This was the case with Peter Graves, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty or Lloyd Bridges, but also with Leslie Nielsen. It's quite surprising, considering we remember him for his comedies, but he hadn't done any notable comedies before this film. The cast seems to be having so much fun working that I believe the entire group has great memories of the project. As a technical and aesthetic work, the film stands out for the quality of the cinematography and filming work, but also for the good props and effects achieved.

Right from the "Jaws" (1975) inspired opening titles, this is a treat of comedy that sends up just about every genre of cinema as poor old "Ted" (Robert Hays) has to stave off an airborne disaster aboard his aircraft. Half the folks travelling have been stricken with food poisoning and when the cockpit it wiped-out, it falls to him to bravely take the joystick and try to land in Chicago. Luckily, his ex-girlfriend "Elaine" (Julie Hagerty) is there, as is the always scene stealing inflatable "Otto" pilot. Lloyd Bridges is entertaining as the air traffic controller as is Robert Stack as the man trying to to talk down the stressed wartime pilot whom he used to command. The visual jokes are occasionally a bit too slapstick, but it's the writing that makes this funny - it is a pun writer's wet dream with plenty of risqué double entendres and literal interpretation of language that creates ample enjoyable ambiguity and humour. Clearance Clarence and Roger, Roger - it's quickly paced and unlike so many comedies from the 1970s really does raise a smile 40-odd years later when political correctness would probably throttle this at birth. Yes, it's a bit puerile but it is still well worth a watch.