It’s a shame that parody films are almost extinct in 2024 because so many of my favorite comedy films are parodies. Airplane! still remains one of the most revered comedies to this day, largely due to its timeless writing and endless hilarious details. It’s clear that it was crafted with care, which can’t be said for the films that killed this great subgenre.
The main culprits are the films Epic Movie, Date Movie and Disaster Movie. Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer are the directors of all these films, and they need to be arrested for murder for killing the parody film sub genre so thoroughly. These movies are like the film equivalent of a child jumping up and down and saying “Look at how funny I am! Look at how funny I am!”
There’s absolutely no subtlety to the humor and nothing is taken seriously. Great parody films have genuinely well written plots and characters that serve as a canvas for the humor to shine. None of the above listed films have that, and they’re objectively terrible as a result.
Airplane! is an excellent example since it’s the gold standard for parody in filmmaking. It works extremely well since the characters don’t get the joke. The characters take every absurd comedic moment seriously, which is the core reason why Airplane! works.
Imagine if Leslie Nielsen delivered any of his lines without a completely deadpan attitude. It would “take the onus off the audience to laugh” as Bryan Cranston so succinctly put it. The jokes wouldn’t be nearly as funny if the characters were in on it.
Another reason why Airplane! works so well is because the writing is never sacrificed for comedy. Most of the scenes are absolutely absurd, but by the end we genuinely care about the outcome of these characters. They’re absolutely ridiculous, but their struggles and motivations are relatable.
We feel as though we’re a part of this chaotic flight, which can’t be said for any of the Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer films.
Airplane! also plays into the ambiguity of the English language expertly. Ted Striker being asked if he wants “smoking or no smoking” at the ticket station and then being handed a smoking ticket is comedy gold, and that’s only a 10-15 second scene. The whole film is littered with jokes such as this, and all of them are funny.
“Who’s on First?” is a classic comedy routine for a reason.
There’s also a great variety of jokes in Airplane!. The film parodies war movies, thriller/disaster movies and even romance movies. Every scene has some sort of punchline woven into it, creating a relentless storm of high quality jokes.
Airplane! also isn’t afraid to use background characters to aid comedic moments. The film uses its setting extremely well, using passengers and airport workers to create a variety of comedic moments.
There’s also many smaller gags that go to show the level of effort put into the film. For example, the airplane’s engine noises are propeller noises instead of a jet. One can watch the film several times and still notice things they hadn’t before.
All of this is to say that this type of movie isn’t being made anymore. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is probably the best movie in this subgenre in years, and it largely went under the radar. It seems as though studios aren’t willing to fund parody films, especially as superhero movies continue to supplant comedy movies in general.
It’s the sad truth: superhero movies are the new comedy movies, and we’re stuck with them until the pendulum swings the other way. That’s not to say that creative people aren’t still making spoof content. Scumbag Dad is a great example of someone who is keeping the genre alive, even if it’s not in movie form.
However, the next classic spoof movie may not come out of Hollywood. Nearly everyone has access to a good quality camera these days, and it costs nothing to write. Perhaps even you, dear reader, will revive a once thriving subgenre.
Only time will tell. For now I’ll continue to rewatch the great spoof movies we already have from the likes of Mel Brooks, David Zucker and others. I highly recommend The Naked Gun as another excellent film, especially if you want more Leslie Nielsen.