Justin's Rating: Sir Punkalot (that one's for Lance)
Justin's Review: Everybody I know has their own favorite Mel Brooks movie. Pretty much, the race is divided into four films: Young Frankenstein, History of the World Part I, Blazing Saddles, and Spaceballs (with Robin Hood: Men in Tights a distant fifth). I drop my nonexistant hat into the Spaceballs ring, because it's simply the funniest, most satirical, and least offensive of all Brooks' outings.

In a plot that more or less parodies Star Wars, you have your evil race of Spaceballs (led by President Skroob [Brooks] and Dark Helmet [Rick Moranis]) who are devising a plot to steal the air from planet Druidia for themselves. They try to kidnap the snarkish Princess Vespa, and only Lone Star (Bill Pullman, who went on to ID4) and half-man, half-dog Barf (the late John Candy) can save her.

The jokes boil down to about three areas: parodies of sci-fi films (tack in Aliens and Star Trek into the mix), stupid humor, and jokes about the movie industry in general. The later is my favorite by far, as Spaceballs doesn't take itself as a film too seriously. During a pseudo-lightsaber duel, Dark Helmet accidentally kills one of the camera crew. And in one of the best ongoing jokes, there's a reference to movie merchandising (see Intermission!).

The dialogue is pretty witty, with the attempting-to-be-evil Dark Helmet trading coups with Lone Star in Star Warsian fashion ("So, we meet at last for the first time for the last time!") This is perhaps Rick Moranis' best role in his career; he is at once menacing and cheesy, short and scary, black and white. He gets that cool helmet (and even an overlarged pith helmet at one point) that's gotta get the chicks. If we could see a Celebrity Deathmatch with Darth Vader vs. Dark Helmet, well, Vader would probably win. But Helmet would be far more entertaining.

Special effects are early-80s par, but it's forgivable. The jokes do go by so fast that you might need to rewind to catch them all. Although one of the best jokes is impossible to miss: the opening sequence (the parodies the traditional Star Wars Star Destroyer flyby) has Spaceballs One flying by the camera for a total of 90 seconds (an eternity on the screen... it's what we call "comedy torture").

But, in the end, it's about family values, taking care of the dog, and trying to get away with racy jokes in a way that kids won't quite understand (I didn't, when I saw this film in my youth). Make it part of your collection... or else.

Didja Notice?
Michael Winslow CAN get work outside of Police Academy!
The Planet of the Apes parody
Spaceball I has a circus, a zoo, and a mall, all in one spaceship!
On the "Spaceballs: The Colouring Book," that's Optimus Prime from Transformers on the cover. (Thanks Robert!)
The stomach-bursting cameo of the original victim from Alien reprising his role (Thanks Reid E.)

The Movie Store!
Spaceballs: Movie [VHS]
Spaceballs: Movie [VHS Widescreen]
Spaceballs Official Poster Magazine
Spaceballs: The Book

Intermission!
Have fun counting the number of "official" Spaceballs products that are featured throughout the movie. Here's my list. "Spaceballs...

• the Movie"
• the Toilet Paper"
• the Doll"
• the Breakfast Cereal"
• the Coloring Book"
• the T-Shirt"
• the Flame Thrower"
• the Plate"
• the Towel"
• the Video"
• the Sheets"
• the Placemat"
• the Shaving Cream"