07. Januar: Airplane! (OV)

Clearance, Clarence? Roger, Roger! Huh?

Ted Striker is a traumatized ex fighter pilot war veteran with a serious drinking problem. Drinking problem? Well, splashing every drink all over himself is in fact somewhat critical. Probably just as critical as his mission to win back his girlfriend Elaine, who works as a flight attendant and currently en route from LA to Chicago, where the following disaster soon develops.

With Ted and plenty of other passengers on board, an incapacitated flight crew with food poisoning isn’t great news but might not necessarily be a reason to be alarmed – as long as there is anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane? Luckily, there is! The inflatable autopilot may take over control. But isn’t there an even better solution? Again, there is. All eyes are on Ted now, who has indeed developed a fear of flying, but who is also their last chance to make it back to the ground alive. Very much to his own disbelieve: “Surely, you can’t be serious?” – “I am, and don’t call me Shirley”!

There’s hardly a second that passes without an assault by a wickedly accurate spoof, cringe-inducing pun or inspired sight gag, and the years have not diminished the film’s dumb appeal. (John Ferguson, Radio Times)