I’ve always known that Airplane! is more than just one of the best ‘80s movies – which is already a great accomplishment – it’s one of the greatest comedies of all time. However, what I didn’t know is how genuinely off the rails and bonkers it is. Therefore, you can understand why all I could think after watching this classic comedy for the first time was WTF.
What moments made me think “what the fuck,” you might ask? Well, the true answer is the entire movie did. However, these moments below are the ones that made me laugh the hardest and think WTF with a lot of exclamation points after it.
We Need To Address All The Death, Medical Emergencies And Injuries In This Film
Now, I know that in a film all about an Airplane! that’s heading toward a crash injuries are bound to happen. However, that typically happens at the same time as the crash, and for the majority of this movie, the plane is simply going on a bumpy ride in the air. So, you can imagine my surprise when multiple people died and even more faced medical emergencies or injuries throughout the entirety of the film.
All these bits are actually hilarious, and many of them serve as reasons why Airplane! is not on our list of ‘80s movies you’ve probably forgotten, because it’s hard to stop thinking about just how many people died or got injured in the oddest ways on this aircraft.
Some prime examples of fatal or near-fatal moments that got me included (but are not limited to) the woman getting slapped over and over and over again by a line of basically all the passengers and pretty much the entire plane getting some sort of food poisoning.
However, the most shocking WTF deaths that took me by surprise were the ones caused by Ted Striker simply telling people about his time in The War. By my count, three different people died because they couldn’t stand listening to the former pilot's lament, and two of the three deaths would be impossible on an airplane (one person created a noose...that's not physically possible or allowed in these flying tin cans). It rode the line between maybe too dark and kind of funny, and it really threw me off my rhythm.
Overall, these various injuries and deaths peppered throughout the film felt like SNL sketches that are simultaneously terrible and amazing, and I say that as a very high compliment.
The Entire Kareem Abdul-Jabar Joke Went In A Direction I Wasn’t Expecting
Obviously, I was aware that the co-pilot on the plane was being played by Kareem Abdul-Jabar. However, I did not expect him to actually be playing himself!
You know how in Ocean’s Twelve – which is unironically one of my favorite Steven Soderbergh movies, by the way – there’s a gag about Tess looking like Julia Roberts? Well, I thought that would be the situation with Airplane! with the basketball player.
I figured when the NBA legend was called out on the plane for looking like himself, he’d just look confused and maybe even get a bit flustered about looking like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I thought that in this universe, the basketball player was canon, and he had a doppelganger who was a pilot.
However, this pilot was, in fact, Kareem Abdul-Jabar in disguise.
Honestly, it was such a hilarious gag, and taking it one step further by having Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play himself and getting aggressive about it all made me say WTF in the best way.
There Was An Entire Disco Dance Number, Because Of Course
A disco dance number in a dive bar…sure, why not!
Just to make matters more ridiculous, Elaine and Ted met in a bar, and they had a romantic moment while busting a move on a disco dance floor in outfits that are suspiciously similar to the ones worn in one of the best movies of the ‘70s, Saturday Night Fever.
Not only do they do a silly little disco dance, but the scene is also full of fights and tomfoolery, making for a truly WTF moment that was completely unexpected. Honestly, I loved it.
The Suggestive Inflatable Autopilot Was Simultaneously Gross And Hilarious
Let’s be real, in this ‘80s movie the real hero is the inflatable co-pilot Otto. However, let’s also not forget that Otto is kind of creepy and very suggestive.
From the moment the co-pilot inflates to the final scene where he and his new inflatable girlfriend fly into the night, Otto is trying to get with everyone, especially Elaine. Honestly, it was gross at times, however, I can’t deny how funny and truly genius this non-verbal character was.
Even though the inflatable co-pilot makes me a bit uncomfortable, it also cracks me up that Otto evokes such a strong reaction. He’s a plastic pilot for heaven's sake, he shouldn’t be that funny, but he is. Therefore, WTF.
The Unhinged Drive To The Airport With The Greenscreen That Didn’t Match Had Me Cackling
We’ve talked a lot about how unhinged Airplane! is, but we haven’t talked about the most unhinged character. That person is Captain Rex Kramer, who steps in to help land the plane from the airport. We're introduced to just how wild he is by way of his trip to the airport.
In most movies, they use a greenscreen or a video background to make it look like the car is driving. In Airplane! the background does not match the drive, and as Rex makes his way to help save the plane the backdrop is all over the place.
He’s driving on the side of the road for quite a while, then they seem to hit someone on the side of the road. That’s followed by a greenscreen that makes it look like they’re swerving all over the place and being chased by horses. Let's just say the baffled passenger mirrored my own reaction to all of this.
Of course, by this point in the movie I knew to expect the unexpected and severely silly, however, this whole scene that ends with Rex punching a bunch of randos at the airport is up there as one of my favorite WTF moments.
All in all, Airplane! lives up to the hype, and it’s 100% not only one of the best movies to stream on Paramount+, but hands down one of the best comedies. I’m always here for some dumb comedy, and that’s all this flick is. All the WTF moments added up to create this kooky and completely original movie, and I’m so happy I finally got around to watching it.
You can stream Airplane! with a Paramount+ subscription.
