Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
Today’s review is Spaceballs
Back when spoof movies were clever and funny, you could throw in a fart joke or kick someone in the balls, but now spoof is synonymous with brainless less than funny potty humour with no heart or clever quotable lines.
So today when I was having trouble finding a Forgotten Friday, I posted a Spaceballs quote and decided that today was going to be Spaceballs. I know its not forgotten, but this movie is over 20 years old, and if you haven’t heard of it then its about time you did!
Genre: Comedy
Directed by: Mel Brooks
Staring:Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, Joan Rivers
Released: June 24, 1987
THE GENERAL IDEA
In Mel Brooks grand tradition of genre spoofs, this one takes on the space opera that pokes fun at other films of the genre, but is primarily poking at Star Wars.
When a Druish Princess (from the planet Druidia) is kidnapped and held ransom by the militant Spaceballs, King Roland hires rogue ruffian Lone Starr and his co-pilot Mog Barfolomew to rescue her. Lone Starr has troubles of his own from the infamous Pizza the Hutt, and therefore takes on the task in hopes of paying off his debts.
THE GOOD
The tongue in cheek poking at Star Wars is all done tastefully with comparing lightsabres to penis size, and potty humour involving Force choking your balls. The gags are non-stop. There is no slow part of this film as time and time again shameless shots are taken at Star Wars as they break the fourth wall and acknowledge they are a movie. Yogurt (Mel Brooks dressed as a Jewish Yoda) admits the real power behind the Schwartz was Merchandizing! And when they resort to a copy of Spaceballs the Movie to find the heroes (found on a shelf with a number of other Brooks films), there is comedy wordplay gold there.
The characters are all perfect, and we even get a cameo appearance from Michael Winslow (the sound effects guy from Police Academy) Ok, that cameo had relevance in 1987, and most of you wont remember Winslow after that as his gimmick got old.
THE BAD
This is spoof done to perfection as only Mel Brooks can do. Somehow spoofing turned into something petty and without humour. I have little bad to say about this film that isn’t directly related to the lack of more spoof films of its calibre.
I also think there was a missed opportunity to have Spaceballs 3 as the followup titled The Search for the Sequel. Brilliant.
OVERALL
I just love this film to death. Part of that love comes from my love of sci-fi, specifically Star Wars and the deep respect I have for Mel Brooks for making racy potty humour actually clever and entertaining while really understanding how to poke fun respectfully without insulting. Its a hard craft to master and Brooks has it.
I am going to introduce a new rating system for my Forgotten Fridays picks.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as
much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
