Spaceballs (1987)

 Spaceballs (1987)

“May the Schwartz be with you!”

In 1977, there was a certain sci-fi movie named Star Wars that was released and would go on to change how movies were made and distributed. To honor the juggernaut’s release, Mel Brooks would release a spoof of the movies, ten years later and with George Lucas’s blessing. Believe it or not, this is my first actually foray into the zany and crazy mind of Mr. Brooks. I mostly liked what I saw, although pundits do not favorably compare this movie to his earlier ones. As spoofs go, this is a masterpiece compared to the drivel that is released today. Through the potty humor and physical comedy, at least Brooks incorporates a story unlike people today (looking at you, Aaron Seltzer). Yeah, the movie is dumb and silly, but its memorable and will make you laugh a few times at least. It is an honorable spoof, and it has a very nice cast. My favorite character is Pizza the Hutt. The pieces of cheese or the sliding pepperoni on his body made for a very unique (and hilarious) character.

To get this film made, Brooks needed Lucas’s permission which he got. The man could have easily said no, but Brooks was even able to use Industrial Light & Magic for post-production. There just had to be no merchandising (would have loved a Dark Helmet figurine). When all was said and done, Lucas called Brooks and told him he could not stop laughing, a very high honor indeed. Brooks made the effort to cast Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise in his film, but they turned him down. That is how Bill Pullman was discovered, when Brooks saw him in a play. In terms of character and production design, the film does a good job making everything look professional. I liked the opening scene with the spaceship; a dumb but funny scene that sets the stage for the movie.

It is a peaceful era on the planet Druidia. King Roland (Dick Van Patten) is marrying off his daughter, Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) to some prince. She and her bot were able to escape the wedding but became captured by President Skoob (Mel Brooks) so Roland can give him the keys to the planet’s atmosphere after Skroob wasted the fresh air on Planet Spaceball. His archvillain, Dark Planet (Rick Moranis) was able to capture Vespa. But now Han Solo-wannabe Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-human, half-dog counterpart Barf (John Candy) must rescue the princess while being on the run themselves from Pizza the Hutt (Dom DeLuise).

You can tell the cast had a great time making the movie. In addition to Pizza the Hutt, my favorite character is Rick Moranis’s Dark Helmet, the complete opposite of the actual Darth Vader. I mean, the dude even secretly plays with dolls-which actually led to a gut-busting sequence. Juvenile characters, but the actors were able to make it work. Mel Brooks is also fantastic as the evil President. Let’s not forget John Hurt who plays a version of himself from Alien. That chestburster scene is also gold.

Overall, Spaceballs is a fun movie. As a spoof, it is dumb, silly, and juvenile. But I mean those adjectives in a good way, because Brooks interjected his film with a large heart and a proper story. I now see that he has a steady hand when it comes to humor. As someone who loves Star Wars, I think the film does a good job handing the franchise some humorous jabs. Every joke does not work, but the ones that do really do!

My Grade: B