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Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1998
In some respects an environmentally friendly recycling of the earlier film, Airplane II digs up enough fresh jokes and situations to remain entertaining if not surprising. This time the setting is the near future, shortly after a lunar colony has been established and is ready to accept the first civilians. To convey these intrepid travellers a shuttle service is created, with the maiden voyage being that of the Mayflower 1. As in Airplane the passengers are a motley bunch of weirdos, extremists and bright-as-a-button children. Unfortunately this time they're all doomed from the start by budgetary constraints and cut corners.

The crew are familiar faces; headed by the dotty and slyly suggestive Captain Oveur (Peter Graves), support is provided by Unger (Kent McCord) and Dunn (James A. Watson Jr). In the cabin Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty) finds herself coping with some excitable charges, with little help from the honestly blunt information signs. On the ground the grizzled figure of McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges) has a firm grip on the reins, oblivious to the insane ramblings of Jacobs (Stephen Stucker). Ironically it's Ted Striker (Robert Hays), the only one missing, who's confined to an asylum (following his disastrous stint as a Shuttle test-pilot). It's only when news of the impending flight filters through that Striker decides to act, giving hope to frequent flyers everywhere.

Less a sequel and more a retread of the original spoof, Airplane II sets itself the difficult task of equalling (if not surpassing) its forebearer. In an enthusiastic fashion writer/director Ken Finkleman springs from the blocks, thickly layering one-liners, sight gags and scenes of farce. Remaining true to the genre he gives us the singular delight of witnessing how the foreground action is shadowed by jokes in the background, adding an extra dimension to the comedy. It's a two-way bonus really, since the audience is too busy scanning for these little gems to notice any lulls in the pace. Unfortunately Finkleman sets an overly brutal pace, such that Airplane II fades badly towards the end as the struggle for laughs becomes obvious.

Curiously the realisation that they've already mined the many jokes possible on board a jet seems to have an unexpected dividend; more effort is put into the off-Shuttle action. Thus in the courtroom scenes Airplane II occasionally scales the heights of hilarity, most notably during the examination of a wartime pilot; here the dialogue is a symphony of misunderstanding. Elsewhere, on the Moon for example, William Shatner (as Buck Murdock) proves surprisingly adept at comedy, sending himself up unmercifully. In fact Shatner's is probably the best performance in the film, though Airplane II was never intended to be a showcase of thespian prowess.

Ultimately while Airplane II is nowhere near as consistent as its forerunner, some funny moments still creep in. Perhaps the weakest angle concerns the numerous cameos, almost all of which have dated rapidly; it seems that nothing can condemn a movie like forgotten topical references. So, watch Finkleman's effort for an easy laugh and be grateful that no one has scripted a further sequel (yet).

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