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Granted, the Mel Brooks space farce was never that funny
to start with, it was merely only two or three reasonably
good giggles and a few good set pieces, but today, not even
those jokes and that backdrop do much. However, I’m guessing
if you haven’t seen the film fifteen times and are yet
to reach your sweet sixteen’s, it might still evoke a
smile on your mug.
If you’ve seen Star Wars, you’ll get the
funnies of the film. Rick Moranis, wearing an over-sized dark
helmet plays, well, Dark Helmet (yup, that’s the ‘Darth
Vader’ gag), Bill Pullman is disinclined hero Lone Starr
(a play on Harrison Ford’s Han Solo), John Candy is his
steadfast mog (half man, half dog) subordinate Barf, and Daphne
Zuniga is the princess that needs rescuing (hello Leia).
Since it’s Brooks that’s behind the film, most
of the jokes have a Jewish slant. The gag that takes the Mickey
out of the over-merchandising of George Lucas’s Star
Wars series is a winner, and the director’s imaginative
take on Jabba the Hut – or in this case, Pizza the Hut
– is memorable too.
When all is said and done though, Spaceballs plays
more dated than a Bing Crosby record would on FM radio. What
was funny in 1987 just isn’t as funny in 2005. Still,
there’s enough here to warrant it a place in screen spoof
history.
Spaceballs is still mildly engaging fun, but don’t
rush out and revisit it if you think it’s going to encompass
the same ‘Force’ it did back in the Reagan-era.
DVD Extras
The excellent extras package includes a newly-recorded documentary
on the making of the film (featuring near everyone but Rick
Moranis, for some reason, and the late John Candy), a featurette
on Candy, a conversation with the writers, several trailers
for the film, goofs, quotes, storyboard-to-film comparisons
and most derisorily, because it’s the same one that Brooks
did for the laserdisc version back in 1996, the audio commentary.
Wouldn’t it have been nice to have that updated? Possibly
with the ensemble cast? Oh well.
Conclusion: Movie 70% Extras 75%
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