Airplane II: The Sequel

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, William Shatner, Peter Graves, Chad Everett, Rip Torn, Raymond Burr, Sonny Bono
Directed by: Ken Finkleman
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
1982

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Ted Striker (Robert Hays) finds himself on a doomed spaceflight, which is heading toward the sun. He tries to overcome his past fear of failure to once again save the day.

Review:

Tim: Airplane II: The Sequel is a movie that is perhaps not as funny as the original, but still fairly entertaining in its own right. The first film was much more accessible, though- you could sit back and enjoy the zaniness. This film requires a significantly greater suspension of disbelief, as it has much more of a science fiction aspect than the original. Still, if you're able to go along with the farfetched story, the movie does provide some decent laughs.

What I liked best about this movie is how they tied it to the original. In these spoof comedies, sequels can often feel like forced, rushed money grabs. This movie does have some that feel to it, but it also feels like more of a continuation than I would have expected. It was nice to see Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty back. Their characters were central to the original film, and it was fun to see them reprise their roles here. I also liked seeing Lloyd Bridges back again. While the movie is hurt by the absence of Leslie Nielson, it benefits from the addition of new cast members, like William Shatner and Sonny Bono. The cast might not be great, but they are enjoyable.

The story is pretty stupid, but I was still fairly engaged in the movie from start to finish. There's a ton of jokes, and as expected, many don't connect. However, the ones that do are quite funny. There wasn't anything overly edgy in this film, but it's not an unpleasant experience. I laughed a number of times. Plus, the movie is extremely short, at only 85 minutes, so it rarely feels draw out or slow.

I know most people would claim that Airplane II: The Sequel is significantly worse than the original. I would disagree. First off, I didn't love the original Airplane! as much as many people. I think these two films are closer in quality than many people realize. The original is definitely better, but this sequel is pretty close. Maybe I'm crazy, but I somewhat enjoyed this experience- not enough to say this is a good movie (because it isn't), but I still had fun watching.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Airplane, Airport, Fletch, The Naked Gun