Okay, settle back into that worn spot on the couch, maybe pop open a Tab (if you can find one!), because we’re firing up the VCR for a trip back to 1982 with Airplane II: The Sequel. Following up one of the most relentlessly hilarious, game-changing comedies ever made? That takes guts. Or maybe just a studio mandate. Either way, grabbing this tape off the rental shelf always felt like a bit of a gamble – could it possibly recapture that Airplane! magic?
The answer, as many of us discovered under the flickering glow of a CRT, is… well, kinda. Sorta. It tries really hard.
### Houston, We Have a Retread
Let's be honest, the shadow of the original looms large over this one. The legendary ZAZ trio – David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker – who gifted us the first masterpiece, were notably absent here. Paramount, eager to capitalize on the original's $170 million+ windfall (on a tiny $3.5 million budget!), pushed ahead, handing the keys to writer-director Ken Finkleman. You might know Finkleman from… uh… well, he also directed Grease 2 that same year, which tells you something about the studio logic perhaps. The result is a film that often feels less like a sequel and more like a cover band playing the greatest hits, just slightly off-key.
The setup is familiar, yet different: instead of a malfunctioning 707, we have the Mayflower One, the first commercial lunar shuttle, experiencing its own series of catastrophic (and comedic) failures en route to the moon. Once again, traumatized pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) finds himself improbably needing to save the day, while simultaneously trying to win back his now-fiancée, flight attendant Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty). Sound familiar? It should. Many plot points and even specific joke structures are lifted directly from the first film, sometimes feeling like leftover gags that didn't make the original cut. It’s a testament to the genius of Airplane! that even its B-sides could form the backbone of another movie.
### The Crew You Know, Plus Shatner!
What Airplane II absolutely gets right is bringing back the core cast and letting them do their thing. Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty slip back into their roles with charming sincerity, their wide-eyed earnestness amidst the chaos remaining a key comedic anchor. Seeing them together again provides a genuine jolt of nostalgic pleasure. And then there’s the supporting players – Lloyd Bridges returning as the increasingly unhinged Steve McCroskey ("Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue!"), Peter Graves as the delightfully inappropriate Captain Oveur, and Chad Everett as the suave Simon Kurtz. They know the drill: deliver the absurdity with absolute deadpan conviction.
The big addition, of course, is William Shatner as Buck Murdock, the lunar base commander. It’s a genius piece of casting, letting Shatner lean into his established Star Trek persona while simultaneously sending it up. His interactions with the blinking computer and his general command-chair gravitas, played completely straight, are highlights. Fun fact: apparently, Shatner’s deal included a hefty amount of screen time, which might explain why we spend perhaps a bit too long on the moon base sequences compared to the frantic action aboard the shuttle.
### Gags, Glorious Gags (Mostly)
While the hit rate isn't as astronomical as the original, Airplane II still packs in a dizzying number of visual puns, non-sequiturs, and background gags. The sheer density is impressive, even if the quality varies wildly. For every genuinely funny moment (the flashing red light bit, Sonny Bono's cameo), there’s a joke that feels forced or simply falls flat. The production design has that distinctly early-80s sci-fi feel – lots of blinking lights, chunky consoles, and miniature work that looks charmingly tangible now compared to today's slick CGI. There’s a certain tactile quality to the model shuttle and the lunar base sets that screams "video rental era."
You don’t watch Airplane II for groundbreaking practical effects in the action sense, but the visual gags themselves are the effects. The timing, the framing, the commitment to the bit – that's where the craft lies. It doesn't feel as sharp or relentlessly inventive as ZAZ's direction, but Finkleman keeps the pace brisk, ensuring that if one joke doesn't land, another one is right behind it. Remember that feeling, watching it late at night, maybe catching a gag you missed the first ten times? That’s part of the sequel’s enduring, if slightly diminished, charm.
### The Verdict from the Rewind Button
Listen, Airplane II: The Sequel was never going to be Airplane!. It cost significantly more to make (around $15 million) and brought in far less ($27 million domestic gross), signaling that lightning rarely strikes twice, especially in comedy. Critics at the time were lukewarm, often pointing out the recycling of jokes and the missing ZAZ spark. Yet, for those of us browsing the aisles of Blockbuster or the local mom-and-pop video store, it was often there. It offered another dose, albeit diluted, of that specific brand of rapid-fire absurdity. It was familiar faces, familiar rhythms, and enough genuine laughs to make it a worthwhile rental, especially if the original was checked out.
It’s like comfort food – not the gourmet meal the first one was, but still satisfying in its own way. You pop it in, you know mostly what you’re getting, and you enjoy the ride, chuckling at the gags that still work and forgiving the ones that don’t.
VHS Heaven Rating: 6/10
Justification: While nowhere near the comedic genius of its predecessor and heavily reliant on recycled material, Airplane II succeeds thanks to the returning cast's deadpan brilliance, some genuinely funny moments, and the welcome addition of William Shatner. It lacks the ZAZ magic and freshness, preventing a higher score, but delivers enough laughs and pure 80s sequel energy to be a fun, nostalgic watch.
Final Take: It may have picked the wrong week to follow a masterpiece, but Airplane II still offers enough chuckle-worthy turbulence for a retro movie night – just don’t expect the same comedic altitude.