Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) - Movie recycling, - not so hip

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Santa in his sleigh gets involved on this holiday-targeting poster for Ken Finkleman's Airplane II: The Sequel

The Sequel takes place in the future, where a moon mission gets off course due to a homicidal computer, so that the passenger rocket steers straight for the sun! With a bomb!

The Sequel is basically the original comedy classic Airplane! (1980) all over again, but with less original material, (because most of it is simply recycled here), and no Leslie Nielsen. The ZAZ creators of the original (Jim Abrahams, plus brothers Jerry and David Zucker) had nothing to do with the follow-up, and it suffers in freshness and creativity, - and in its basic story.
Even so, this thin cup of tea attracted stars Rip Torn (The Mouse (1996)), William Shatner (Range 15 (2016)), Raymond Burr (Mallory: Circumstantial Evidence (1976, TV movie)) and most of the rest of the original cast back, and Lloyd Bridges (Winter People (1989)) single-handedly secures the film's third star with his hysterical acting.
It is written and directed by Ken Finkleman (The Newsroom (1996-05)).

Related post:

Airplane! (1980) - Classic deadpan/spoof/crazy-comedy!

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 27.1 mil. $ (North America only)
= Uncertain, likely a box office success (returned 1.80 times its cost domestically alone)
[Airplane II: The Sequel opened 10 December (USA) and runs 85 minutes. Finkleman was also hired by Paramount to write Grease 2 (1982). Shooting took place in Los Angeles, California. The film opened #2, behind The Toy, to a 5.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week. Its gross is down 67 % from the original's 83.4 mil. $ domestic gross, - on a budget that was only 23 % the size as the one for The Sequel. The world gross should nevertheless secure the film profitability. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch harder than this one. Finkleman returned with Head Office (1985). Robert Hays (Starman (1986-87)) returned in Trenchcoat (1983), Julie Hagerty (The Winner (2007, TV-series)) in Lost in America (1985), and Bridges in 8 TV credits before he returned to cinemas in Weekend Warriors (1986). Airplane II: The Sequel is rotten at 42 % with a 5.33/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Airplane II: The Sequel?

Airplane! (1980) - The deadpan/spoof/crazy-comedy classic!

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The iconic poster poster for Jim Abrahams, David and Jerry Zucker's Airplane! makes me laugh all by itself

The majority of the passengers and personnel on a route airplane contract sudden food poisoning, so that a former hunter pilot with practically no skills for flying a major airplane has to step in for the ailing pilot.

This the first disaster movie spoof/satirical comedy by co-writer/directors 'ZAZ', Jim Abrahams (Mafia! (1998)), David Zucker (Scary Movie 3 (2003)) and Jerry Zucker (Ghost (1990)), is an incredibly funny film, even though I personally might find that Abrahams' Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) has even more laughs.
The style is the same though: A bombardment of gags and jokes and funny moments. The trio managed to cast a string of great male actors formerly unconnected with comedies for Airplane!, and they made them play their ridiculous lines and characters straight: Leslie Nielsen (Spy Hard (1996)), Lloyd Bridges (Bear Island (1979)), Peter Graves (Biography (1994-01, TV series documentary)) and Robert Stack (Uncommon Valor (1983)). Especially Bridges and the master of deadpan-comedy, Nielsen, carry many of Airplane's funniest moments.
Airplane! especially spoofs the disaster films Zero Hour! (1957) and Airport (1975), and references numerous other known films of different genres.
The ZAZ-trio more or less founded the spoof genre in American films here with this nonperishable delight.

Related post:

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Be reminded of some of the fun of Airplane! in its pretty long trailer here

Cost: 3.5 mil. $
Box office: 130 mil. $
= Blockbuster (returned 37.14 times its cost)
[Airplane! was released 2 July (USA) and runs 87 minutes. The ZAZ trio bought the rights to remake Zero Hour! for 2.5k $, from which they got the basic plot structure for the film. Shooting took place in California, including Los Angeles, from June - August 1979. Nielsen brought a whoopee cushion onto the set to keep his cast mates off balance. The film made its budget in its first week of release domestically and became the year's 4th highest grossing film. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch harder than this review. The ZAZ trio returned united with Police Squad! (1982, TV-series) and theatrically with Top Secret! (1984). Robert Hays (Dr. T & the Women (2000)) returned in Angie (1979-80) and theatrically in Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Julie Hagerty (Instant Family (2018)) in The Day the Women Got Even (1980, TV movie) and theatrically in A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy (1982). Airplane! is certified fresh at 97 % with an 8.38/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Airplane!?