The defence The Sentimental Softie
“It owes the canon nothing.”
The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.
Back to trending 
Airplane!
Comedy · 1980
An ex-fighter pilot is forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
Movie details
Airplane!
“What's slower than a speeding bullet, and able to hit tall buildings at a single bound?”
1980 Comedy 1h 28m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.3 / 10
Community rating
An ex-fighter pilot is forced to take over the controls of an airliner when the flight crew succumbs to food poisoning.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Airplane!?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Arthouse Gremlin
“The stranger, the better.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Comedy · 1987
An irritable marketing executive, Neal Page, is heading home to Chicago for Thanksgiving when a number of delays force him to travel with a well meaning but overbearing shower curtain ring salesman, Del Griffith.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Comedy · 1986
After high school slacker Ferris Bueller successfully fakes an illness in order to skip school for the day, he goes on a series of adventures throughout Chicago with his girlfriend Sloane and best friend Cameron, all the while trying to outwit his wily school principal and fed-up sister.
Iliza Shlesinger: Freezing Hot
Comedy · 2015
Smart and brazen comedian Iliza Shlesinger shares her unflinchingly honest observations on the differences between men and women. Filled with hashtag-able catch phrases, this is a laugh-out-loud revelation exposing some of women’s best kept - and ugliest - secrets, including truths about first date attire, fantasy break-ups and the tireless pursuit of not being cold while still looking hot.
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Comedy · 1999
When diabolical genius Dr. Evil travels back in time to steal superspy Austin Powers's ‘mojo,’ Austin must return to the swingin' '60s himself - with the help of American agent, Felicity Shagwell - to stop the dastardly plan. Once there, Austin faces off against Dr. Evil's army of minions to try to save the world in his own unbelievably groovy way.
Happy Gilmore 2
Comedy · 2025
Happy Gilmore isn't done with golf — not by a long shot. Since his retirement after his first Tour Championship win, Gilmore returns to finance his daughter's ballet classes.
Problem Child 2
Comedy · 1991
Junior and his father, Ben, move from Cold River to Mortville. Junior becomes threatened by Ben's desire to date again and find a new mother for Junior, and sabotages each of his dates.
Hot Shots!
Action · 1991
The gang that created Airplane! and The Naked Gun sets its sights on Top Gun in this spoof. Topper Harley is a talented but unstable fighter pilot with an axe to grind: clearing the family name. His mission is to avenge his father and save a mission sabotaged by greedy weapons manufacturers. He also gets involved in a relationship with Ramada Thompson, a woman with an unusually talented stomach. Hot Shots! makes fun of a variety of other films, from Dances with Wolves to The Fabulous Baker Boys.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Comedy · 1988
When the bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin investigates events following the shooting of his partner, he stumbles upon an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.
Mayday
Action · 2026
When a U.S. Navy pilot on a top-secret mission during the Cold War gets trapped behind enemy lines, his only chance at survival is to form an alliance with an eccentric ex-KGB agent.
Lift
Action · 2024
An international heist crew, led by Cyrus Whitaker, race to lift $500 million in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Jim Abrahams · David Zucker · Jerry Zucker
Written by
Jim Abrahams · David Zucker · Jerry Zucker
Robert Hays
Ted Striker
Julie Hagerty
Elaine Dickinson
Leslie Nielsen
Dr. Rumack
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Roger Murdock
Lloyd Bridges
Steve McCroskey
Peter Graves
Capt. Clarence Oveur
Robert Stack
Captain Rex Kramer
Court is in session
Put Airplane! on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Arthouse Gremlin
“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”
It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.