Spaceballs Reviews

• When will then be now? Soon. How soon?

  
  By A3OI841P5R6FCH on 2005-07-12
  You know, it's odd: the years have been a bit kinder to this movie since I saw it last. I actually kinda enjoy its scads of cheap laughs (all of which Mel Brooks admits he's both ashamed of and proud of in the commentary track), "groaners", and just plain nonsensical rejoinders ("They've gone to plaid"??? WTF???). None the less, "Spaceballs" ain't quite as funny as the Brooks movies that came before it; I consider it the first to mark the decline of the legendary co-writer/actor/producer/director as a genius in the field of genre-satire comedy. I could hardly sit through his horrific Zucker-Abrahams-Zuckeresque efforts "Robin Hood: Men In Tights" and "Dracula: Dead And Loving It". And don't get me started on "Life Stinks"! Also, as far as sci-fi genre parodies go, "GalaxyQuest" is light-years ahead of "Spaceballs" when it comes to consistent and not-so-cheap laughs. In any case, I'm upgrading my rating of this bad-boy from three stars to... three-and-a-half stars (rounded up to four)!
  
  A few of my fave "Spaceballs" scenes:
  
  - Dark Helmet (a pre-"Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Kids" Rick Moranis) inquires about the relationship between the crew members of his flagship following a less-than-competent attack on Princess Vespa's escape vessel, and discovers that they all share the same last name... which I'll not disclose. You'll have to find out for yourself.
  
  - The "When will then be now?" scene, featuring Dark Helmet and Col. Sandurz, doin' a strange take on Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First?" sketch. While not laugh-out-loud funny, I found it rather amusing in an odd way.
  
  - Dark Helmet's lightsaber-schwartz duel against the hero Lone Star (Bill Pullman) had some good points, especially when 'Helmet reveals his relationship to Lone Star... which proves to be a less than significant one. One of the movie's bigger moments of dumb humor, but a good one none the less.
  
  - Come to think of it, most of my favorite "Spaceballs" scenes involve Dark Helmet in one way or another, including the Dark-Helmet-playing-with-his-action-figures scene. In the commentary track, Brooks states that Moranis came up with his lines for the scene all on his own right before Sandurz interrupts him... and what lines they are!
  
  - I also get a kick, though not much of a laugh, out of the Schwartz-master Yogurt (Mel Brooks, modeled after Yoda) showing off to Lone Star and his compatriots all of the "Spaceballs" merchandise: lunch boxes, t-shirts, what-have-you. Yogurt then comments that merchandising is "where the REAL money from the movie is made!" Having worked at a comics-cards-and-collectibles shop for a few years, I know all too well just how true that statement is. Brooks gets in a few good remarks about this scene in the commentary track.
  
  Other notable Brooks commentary track bits include the man discussing his preference towards writing his movies over directing them, as well as his working relationship with gene Wilder. Also covered is how he discovered the movie's principal cast mates, and his desire for the movie to just be an hour-and-a-half-long flyby shot of the interminably long Spaceball-1 vessel. He also throws out a few bits of droll and dry humor here and there. Then there's the part I found most interesting: his viewing the rough cut of the film with George Lucas, whose ILM effects shop was doing most of the effects for the film. Brooks was bent on making sure none of the scenes in "Spaceballs" offended the guy in any way. When I heard this I said to myself, "Why?! Why should you give a cr@p if Lucas doesn't like certain things in the movie?! If you think it's funny and it works, just go with it, approval be d@mned!" Sheesh, grow a set of cosmological spheres, willya, Mel?! Then again, it IS Lucas' company doing the effects...
  
  Other bonus bits included in the Collector's Edition DVD: the obligatory trailers & teasers, storyboard-to-film comparisons, and other tchochkes presented in three different menu formats: The Spaceball-1 bridge display, the dash of Lone Star's Eagle 5 Winnebago, and the dash of Princess Vespa's Mercedes. Each menu template includes various buttons, which activate several silly functions. Other buttons activate the Featurettes section, the Trailers section, the Fun & Games section, and others. The featurettes include "Spaceballs: The Documentary", a half-hour-long behind-the-scenes retrospective dealie featuring Mel Brooks and most of the surviving members of the principal cast (Rick "Dark Helmet" Moranis is the only notable no-show) talking about the making of the movie, and their fondest "Spaceballs" experiences. Especially scary was Joan Rivers talking about her part in the movie. And I don't mean she was saying scary things; I mean she LOOKED scary! I mean, seriously-- there oughtta be a law that holds cosmetic surgeons to a three-facelift limit per celebrity, ya know?
  
  Anyhoo, SB:tD covers the usual stuff: the special effects, the actors just gushing over how "tremendous" and "skillful" Brooks and their cast mates' acting chops were (which eventually degenerates into an all-out Mel Brooks butt-kiss-fest), how the project was conceived and developed, costume design, et cetera. Also covered is Brooks' quasi-"Mommie Dearest" disdain for styrofoam cups and the near-disaster that occurred with the guy playing Pizza the Hut. Top it all off with a Mel Brooks love-in by the cast & crew, and you've got all the angles covered...
  
  ... well, not quite, perhaps, `cuz the second doc features Brooks and co-writer Thomas Meehan having a dialogue about how the idea for "Spaceballs" came up, what inspired them, and all sorts of other stuff you may or may not find interesting. I managed about ten minutes of this bit before I decided to check out the John Candy tribute doc. This show was pretty good, and didn't drag too much.
  
  Also included was what I considered the most interesting special feature: the flubbed scenes! Usually a Special Collector's Edition DVD shows deleted scenes... but this is the first time I've ever seen an SCE platter with a screwed-up scenes section! And not only are these moments shown in all their ignominious glory, they're also given the telestrator treatment, which points out exactly where the flaws are! It kinda makes me wonder if Mel Brooks isn't planning some sorta "Spaceballs: The Special Edition" re-release in the future with all of the muffed moments digitally "corrected", and other moments "enhanced"! Hopefully these "corrections" and "enhancements" will also be satirical in nature, poking fun at the stuff Lucas did for the Special Edition Star Wars flicks! One can only hope...
  
  Thrown in for fun is the "Spaceballs" Trivia game, twenty-five questions to test your knowledge of the movie. I managed to get 22 of `em right on the first try, myself. Pretty pathetic, huh?
  
  Finally, there's the most convenient "extra" to take advantage of when you're in a hurry: the "View movie in Ludicrous Speed" button! Hit the button and watch the flick from start to finish in thirty seconds! Then you can move on to greater things... like playing with your dolls-- er, action figures again.
  
  'Late
  
  

• All-Around Great Spoof

  
  By A33L7G4E8CID3 on 2001-03-10
  Spaceballs is perhaps the best Sci-fi spoof of all time. It has already been mentioned that it spoofs Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, but it really spoofs nearly every big Sci-fi movie ever. Star Wars, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey ("...they've gone to plaid!") and many more. Some of the best sequences are the "ludicruous speed" scene, the "instant video" scene, and the whole Yogurt part. Mel Brooks plays the spoof of Star Wars' Yoda who is the guardian of the Schwartz and is also heavily into Spaceballs Merchandising, including the Spaceballs flamethrower. ("The kids love this one.") Rick Moranis, of course, is the Darth Vader spoof, and I have to congradulate the casting department, because Rick Moranis and Darth Vader have to be as close to being polar opposites as you can come. Although I have heard it called unfunny and lame by others, I think it is a very funny movie and deserves to be watched not only by Sci-fi fans, but by anybody looking for a good laugh.
  
  

• Star Wars, look out!

  
  By A1CDZM5YMB61PD on 2001-05-10
  Space Bum Lone Starr (played by Bill Pullman) and his sidekick Barf (John Candy playing a half-man/half-dog who's his own best friend) find themselves in hot water when Pizza the Hut calls in their debt of one million space-bucks. Quick cash dances before their greedy eyes when they are called upon to rescue Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the clutches of the evil Spaceballs led by the nasty, brutish and short Lord Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis).

  Getting hold of Vespa proves only the beginning of their adventures, though. Throughout the movie they continue to dodge Dark Helmet and his overlord President Skroob (Mel Brooks), meet Yogurt (Mel Brooks, again) and learn to use "The Schwartz", rescue planet Druidia, defeat the Spaceballs, and find true love. [Color, created in 1987, with a running time of 1 hour, 39 minutes.]

  Now that my own children have discovered Star Wars, it was time to introduce them to the ultimate parody thereof - Spaceballs! Created by Mel Brooks, this great movie leaves one in stitches. And, not only is Star Wars the theme of the day, quick references are made to Alien and other movies. Now, it did earn a PG rating, based on a number of swearwords and a few off-color sequences, such as Skroob appearing briefly in bed with two women, using a urinal, and so forth. However, with a little judiciousness, this movie can be watch with smaller children.

  So, overall I do recommend this movie highly.
  
  

• May The Shawartz be with you..again

  
  By A1WWDFQ8HSKT0 on 2000-08-15
  Someone just had to say it. This film is a hilarious satire with tons of Star Wars references not to mention crude humor. Is there anything Mel Brooks can't do? He even makes the film feel like a serious sci-fi film at times, but then the mention of something like a maid "sucking and blowing" the air out of a planet sets you back into top comic wrap speed.

  The cast is great with the quick zingers but mostly it is Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet. He's a finny little guy and his quick witty lines are cleverly timed. Let's get into the story which is leads us to the Planet Drewida where the Princess is about to be married off to an uncaring prince. At the same time planet of people know as the Spaceballs plan to take the air of the Planet. Leave it up to Bill Pullman and John Candy playing a Han Solo and Chewbacca like characters respectively to save the day. They decide to help the princess (played by Daphine Zaniga) and her sassy robot gal pal (voiced by Joan Rivers) out in order to get out of debt of Pizza the Hut. The insanity doesn't end there as the villains try to find out that the Princess has escaped the planet and to help their cause for stealing Drewida's air.

  So there is the story. And basically a bunch of chaos insues, but the movie plays like an actually action movie with a few spoofs quality. The jokes are so adult (not necessarily sexual, but adult) that I think the film plays as a satire rather than a silly spoof with cheap little sight gags that kids will love. What surprises me is the fact that there is so much swearing and ethnic jokes and the movie only got a PG rating. Mel Brooks is a genius and his jokes of promotion of the movie in the movie are too funny and very typical of the timing of the release (1987). I must say that if you love silly stuff and are an adult, you're going to love this movie. Not those that are easily offended though.
  
  

• Nice Fade, Great DVD

  
  By A3DE1IYJGU5HPW on 2001-09-04
  I can still remember the first time I watched Spaceballs. I was about 9 years old, at a friend's house for a sleepover. I'd already eaten an enormous bag of potato chips, and drank so much Coke that my joints were aching from the sugar and caffeine. After laughing so hard it hurt for an hour and a half, I threw up and had to go home. To this day, I cannot eat plain potato chips without getting nauseous, and I have Mel Brooks and Spaceballs to thank for it.

  Spaceballs, like Brooks' other movies (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights) is a spoof of all things SciFi - and the ridiculous (ludicrous?) marketing blitz surrounding movies like Star Wars. Plot is unimportant: Lone Star, a kind of space cowboy who drives around in a Winnebago with wings, has to rescue Princess Vespa, a snob who ran away on her wedding day, and save her planet from the Spaceballs, an evil race that wears gigantic Magic 8 Balls on their heads (and rear ends, too). The movie is a collection of scenes and jokes from different science fiction and action movies popular in the 1970s and 1980s, some of which border on the inanely stupid and some of which (Pizza the Hut comes to mind) are still funny today.

  It's a good and funny movie, if your idea of good is what a 9-year-old boy at a sleepover would find good and funny. It's also a great retro-piece for us children of the 1980s, and is a relatively inexpensive DVD for the fond memories it elicits. The DVD itself is great: a tight-as-nails video transfer and a solid 2.0 sound track to match. Brooks' commentary can be funnier than the movie, although his Jewish jokes get a little old after a while (especially if you're seen them done over and over in his films.)

  At this price, it's a hard disc to beat. There is a rumor that MGM plans to revisit this movie along with several of Brooks' other films sometime in mid-2002; if you can't wait that long, 12 bucks is a pittance for a transfer this good and a commentary track this entertaining, even if the movie has lost a little of its shine as we've grown up.

  Let the Schwartz be your guide, if you can't decide.
  
  

• Absolutely hilarious!
  By AAIL33CYCT47J on 2000-01-08
  This is my favorite Mel Brooks movie. I can't stop laughing every time I see it. You don't need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy it - everyone will understand and appreciate the humor. A must see for anyone who likes Mel Brooks or "Airplane"
  
  
• Collect what? A forced pre-menu trailer?! Not all bad tho!
  By AMWL7XIWIPXEZ on 2005-05-09
  This is an A++ movie, but the "special" DVD release is not as special as I had hoped.
  
  Let's look at the bad parts first!
  
  The pre-menu "don't pirate this disc" bit is a new live-action waste of time and seems to run much longer than the old-sk00l FBI warnings, despite the new version being in english only. How much money went into producing that claptrap anyway? The usual English/Spanish/French full-screen blurbs are more than adequate. Save the disc space for a better compression rate (not that this DVD release fails where it counts...).
  
  Along with the new, patronizing, live-action piracy bit is an advert for the remake of the pink panther movie. One I was not able to cirumvent by pressing every menu button on my remote. This does not make for a happy viewer. And not just because it's yet another remake of yet another old movie that trashes the old and can't draw in the viewers at the theatres too, making execs wonder what went wrong as they then proceed to make a remake of another old film... but I digress. I also double-checked the price of the disc and all the blurbs on the box. I didn't pay for a pathetic trailer I can't get around. I paid for a movie. Not extra advertising in every place they can shove it.
  
  Also, for "flubs" I had read "bloopers". Unless I missed a menu, there are no bloopers - which are usually far more interesting than pointing out flubs (production goofs such as pointing out the camera tracks in one scene and a poorly set up mirror in another), most people will find or just not care about. I want actors saying the effenheimer or the sclhizzlebler because they couldn't remember a line correctly!!
  
  On the plus side, the opening menu (disc 1) is HIGHLY entertaining if you let it sit there and just run for a while.
  
  DTS sound is AWESOME too. Alone it's worth the price! Specially in the F/X shots, you'll be blown away by the remix - it is INCREDIBLE and exceptionally well done.
  
  Video quality is excellent for a restored 19 year old film too.
  
  Nice to see the trailers and featurettes; especially when they hadn't been given the restoration treatment. (not being sarky here, it's incredible what they can do to restore and preserve film these days!)
  
  The trivia game seems trivial; very obvious questions and the response sequences are too few to maintain interest.
  
  But all in all, the restoration and enhancement of the video and audio is well worth the price.
  
  As for the movie itself... easily one of Brooks' best works and is a great parody of the original Star Wars series, most of which were good in their own right but this parody of the original trilogy is stingingly funny.
  
  I sincerely hope Brooks does a sequel (prequel) to Spaceballs because the "prequel" SW trilogy is so horrendously awful that any spoof of it would rake in far more money, of that I have no doubt!!
  
  
• Spaceballs
  By A190VSB24P9YZQ on 2002-05-29
  The Planet Spaceball has a problem; They're slowly running out of air. However, they have a plan; Capture Vespa(Daphne Zuniga), the Princess of their peace-loving neighbor planet Druidia, which would force their father, King Roland(Dick Van Patten), to give them the combination to the air shield, which underneath contains 10,000 years of fresh air. Instead, the Princess and her droid Dot Matrix(Voice of Joan Rivers), running away from her wedding to Prince Valium(JM J.Bullock), they find her. After being offered $1 million spacebucks, which they need to pay off gangster Pizza the Hutt(Dom DeLuise), space pirate Lonestarr(Bill Pullman)and his half dog/half man sidekick Barf(John Candy)go to stop the evil Lord Dark Helmet(Rick Moranis)and Spaceball President Skroob(Mel Brooks)and along the way, Lonestarr learns the ways of the Schwartz from the everlasting know-it-all Yogurt(Mel Brooks)

  This movie, along with "DRACULA DEAD AND LOVING IT" is Mel Brooks at his best. It's fricking hilarious!! Bill Pullman is great as Lonestarr, a spoof combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, Daphne Zuniga gives her all as Princess Vespa, John Candy is hilarious as Barf, Joan Rivers is decent as Dot Matrix, Rick Moranis is downright classic as Dark Helmet, a wimpy puny spoof of Darth Vader(He's the funniest guy on this movie!!!)and the rest of the cast is average.

  Highly recommended as one of Mel Brook's best and with lines like "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate", "You are to refer to me as idiot, not you captain!", you won't stop laughing. So see this film.

  AND MAY THE SCHWARTZ BE WITH YOU!!
  
  

• We needed more Schwartz in the Collector's Edition!
  By A34R39IAPS2OEE on 2005-05-04
  The movie itself is pure Mel Brooks. I really enjoy how Mel brings hilarious havoc to the sci-fi genre, spoofing movies from Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers to Star Trek and Star Wars. I am surprised that MPAA had originally given this movie a PG rating instead of a PG-13 rating since the movie is heavy on adult humor, language, and sexual innuendos - not exactly what I would call a flick for the whole family. Enough about the movie; this review is about the newly released Collector's Edition (CE), especially the bonus material.
  
  The Dolby 5.1 sound quality has been enhanced compared to the original 2000 DVD release, but I will need to confirm this. I'm glad MGM offers a DTS track on disc 1. I have not yet compared Mel's commentary on the CE to the original release. I did make some limited comparisons of the picture quality: The colors are more vibrant (perhaps too much on the red?) and the picture is clearer to my eyes; the skin tones look correct to me. Since the video presentation is not THX quality, you will see some specks and film blemishes. The aspect ratio on the CE (1.85:1 for 16x9) is the same as the original 2000 release, but on my Sony monitor (4:3) the CE widescreen version is "slightly" zoomed in more than the 2000 widescreen released version.
  
  I am disappointed in the Special Features. Why? For one reason, it does not include Rick Moranis. He is mentioned but is not interviewed at all - how can Mel not include Dark Helmet! In addition, you will not find any behind-the-scenes coverage (other than still photos) such as those found on the 2000 DVD release. Mel did not include any deleted scenes or bloopers (no, the film flubs don't count). However, there is a well-produced 29 minute documentary that includes the other main actors and crew members. You will learn that the actors and crew members had more laughs making this movie than the audience had watching it. If this is true, Mel should have included some of those comical moments in the Special Features. Also missing on this CE is a featurette about special-effects. The conversation between Mel and co-writer Thomas Meehan is rather boring, but the tribute to comical genius John Candy is commendable, touching, and about time.
  
  The CE is a 2-disc DVD set. It is a shame that MGM and Mel could not/would not include more about this classic comedy. Overall I give the CE version a 3/5. The movie gets 4/5!
  
  
• "May the Schwartz be with you"? For this they need writers?
  By AVBTGT6U62KFH on 2000-11-13
  "Spaceballs", a parody of the space adventure genre, is one of the worst of the bunch. A synopsis of the film's plot is not necessary: Suffice it to say that the viewer is inundated with jokes -- one coming roughly every 20 seconds -- made at the expense of "Alien," the "Star Trek" movies and the "Star Wars" films, with the latter taking the brunt of the attack. Thrown in for seasoning, as well, are jokes about sequels and movie merchandising -- "Spaceballs" dolls, "Spaceballs" breakfast cereal, and, of course, the "Spaceballs" flame thrower -- which Brooks sees as having been a side effect of Hollywood's space program. What you're conscious of throughout this movie is that you're sitting in your seat, not laughing at performers who desperately want you to laugh. Rick Moranis has a few good moments mugging to the camera as the Darth Vader character, Dark Helmut. The director himself plays two characters, the shorter of which is a greenish, gnomish, Yiddish little sage called Yogurt. Yogurt's catch phrase, and the movie's, is "May the Schwartz be with you." And for this you hire writers? In his other role, of President Skroob, leader of "Spaceballs", the planet, Brooks has a couple of almost-passable scenes, like the one in which he tries, with disastrous results, to have himself beamed up -- "Star Trek"-style -- into the next room. "Spaceballs" is actually a kind of comic black hole. All in all, the movie is about as funny as having coffee spilled in your lap. Except that there's no burn -- just that slightly embarrassing, uncomfortable, all-wet feeling.
  
  
• .....
  By A204CZ8K5HQKK3 on 2001-02-27
  It had been years since I'd seen the film and I didn't remember it being very good... but for 8 bucks I figured I'd give it another chance. Should have trusted my memory... Mel Brooks really bottomed out after he stopped working with Gene Wilder (and ditto for Wilder, but that's another story). The jokes are limp as a wet noodle, the comic timing is terrible. I did not laugh ONCE. That's a total of ZERO laughs for those of you keeping score at home. The commentary track is also painfully boring as Brooks continuously explains the obvious and pats himself on the back...
  
  
• Worse than can be easily imagined.
  By on 2002-10-29
  Putting this movie in your player can clear a room faster than a Fire Alarm. It was apparent when HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART I was released that Mel Brooks had blown his comedic gift, but I doubt anyone expected the man behind the truly great YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN to bottom out as completely as he did here. Witless and torturously unfunny, with nearly every tired, corny gag ponderously telegraphed minutes in advance, (It's...the...Statue...of...Liberty... "Planet...Of...the...Apes"...joke...coming...up...in...a...moment).There's really no way for me to convey how unremittingly awful SPACEBALLS is. When I saw it in the theater, I can recall only two genuine laughs in the entire picture: The never-endingly long spaceship that just keeps on passing by at the beginning, and the "One Froggy Evening" / Looney Tunes reference during the ALIEN parody. I believe I spent the rest of the time retching.You'd be better off watching your toenails grow than punishing yourself by sitting through this mess.
  
  
• Tired, obvious jokes and fourth-wall humor
  By A2VF79Z6SDBIAS on 2007-08-09
  A friend of mine was raving about this movie, so I finally decided to check it out. I could not even watch the whole thing, I got so bored and fed up with the cornball attempts at humor. ("We're gonna jam their radar!" and the spaceship shoots raspberry jam at the radar dish. Give me a break. Or how about all the dumb jewish jokes (the "Druish Princess") and weak plays on words - "May the Schwartz be with you"? Character names like "Pizza the Hut"? Mel Brooks has always had a weakness for obvious plays on words, but rarely are they as flat as this.)
  
  Equally hackneyed are the "jokes" that rely on breaking the fourth wall (i.e. the actors acknowledging the audience) - there are several scenes where the characters make a big to-do about being in the middle of a movie called "Spaceballs" and it's all just pointless and obvious. I tried really hard to get into the "zaniness" of the Star Wars spoof, but it was just ... not funny.
  
  The problem with this movie is that it tries way too hard to be funny and it is way too self-aware. The best parodies are the ones that are completely serious in delivering utterly absurd scenarios. But this movie felt like Mel Brooks was almost reminding the audience over and over that something funny was going on. If you have to be reminded to laugh, it ain't that funny.
  
  
• So unfunny it's scary
  By on 2000-08-22
  I saw this when it came out in theaters and I wasn't the only person not laughing. How Mel Brooks is able or was ever able to get any films financed is beyond me. Who thought it would be a good idea to release a Star Wars spoof in the mid-late 80's when no one cared about Star Wars anymore. It only goes to show how comedically out of touch Mel Brooks is, when he thinks that Star Wars is still the cutting edge of pop culture 10 years after the movie left theaters. Loaded with unfunny line after unfunny line. This is the kind of stuff your grandpa would tell you and think it's funny. Well, I guess it makes sense seeing as how old and crusty Mel Brooks is. All these jewish references in the movie don't do anything for me. It looks like Mel Brooks has confused a Sci-fi spoof with Yiddish theater. I guess you have to be jewish to find this guys "humor" funny. If 2nd grade level fart and booger jokes really crack you up then you'll love this movie.
  
  
• what's the matter Sanders?... Chicken?
  By A341BG8RMH8QW on 2003-02-15
  Spaceballs was one of the truly towering movie experiences of my youth. Forced to read during one of those interminable home room "quiet reading" times of my sixth grade school year, I first encountered the novelization of this movie. It was pretty funny...but it was not the movie (which I later rented).

  The comedy of Mel Brooks has always been sheer buckshot. There are no "smart bombs" in his arsenal. He throws everything he's got out there and if it hits, so be it.

  Spaceballs hits consistently.

  From Druish Princesses, Colonel Sanders, and Schwarz jokes (which inspired some pretty stupid crank calls-before caller I.D.) to Dark Helmet and Pizza the Hut-this movie is hilarious. Even Joan Rivers has some good lines.

  This movie specializes in the kind of one-liner that you will find yourself quoting (often inappropriately) for years to come. I would place Spaceballs somewhere between Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Princess Bride in my Pantheon of "quotable" movies. I have never been able to confront plain yogurt without my thoughts drifting to this movie.

  For those of you wondering whether you should upgrade from a VHS copy to a DVD the answer is a definite yes. The commentary alone is worth the price of admission. The menu screen is priceless.

  Before I go, I must make a nod to Rick Moranis. Spaceballs is probably his second best movie after Strange Brew. The role of Dark Helmut shows him at the height of his comedic powers. The final battle with (as he says it) "Loooone Star" still leaves me rolling with laughter.

  God has a sense of humor. Otherwise we wouldn't have movies as great as Spaceballs. Get a copy today and share in the cosmic laughter.
  
  

• "Go to Ludicrous speed!"
  By A1NLZVP501JM5Z on 2006-07-24
  Ah, Spaceballs is a classic. Some of the jokes don't hit, but there are so many of them that theirs bound to be some that make you laugh. I love the Ludicrous speed scene and when the ship passes overhead for 5 minutes. Also
  "Who is he?"
  "Hes a a@$hole Sir."
  "I known that, whats his name?"
  "A#!hole, Major A!@hole. Thats his name Sir."
  Then the end of the conversation after everyone stands up.
  "I knew it. I'm surrounded by a#!holes."
  
  The alien bit was pretty funny too. Well I'll stop talking about the highlights and get to the negatives........................
  hmmmmm.................well okay there are no negatives. Get this movie and have some fun!
  
  
• Balls of Space
  By A3KN8IUZ1Q3AUU on 2000-03-17
  If I could have chosen to give this movie a 4.9 out of 5, it probably would have fit better even though This movie is one the best comedies of all time. The only other movies I would say that are ahead of it are one or two other comedies, and most of other movies like "Young Frankenstien" and "The History of the World Part I", but that's beside the point. This is a must for anyone who likes a good laugh. Mel Brooks is one of the most ingenius writer/director of all time, if the most ingenius. Him and his movies usually turn up to be a huge impact on almost every comic or comedic performance that ever is seen (or not seen for that matter) or even heard of. No comic can honestly tell you that he wasn't impacted by Mel Brooks, and this movie shows some of the reasons why they have always looked up to him. In other words, if haven't seen this movie, I advise that you either rent or buy or see it any way possible, but when you do, prepare to have your sides split.
  
  
• Spaceballs
  By on 2000-04-07
  Spaceballs is the funniest movie that I have ever seen. I was introduced to it by one of my friends about two and a half years ago, and since then, I've rented it about eleven times, seen it twenty-three times, and after that, finally decided to buy it. Get this movie, or at least give it a shot, even if it doesn't seem like your type of movie. I can guarentee you by 99.9% that it will be one of the funniest, if not the funniest movie you've ever seen. You've got to believe me when I say that you'll like it even if you don't think it's your type of movie. My sister said she wouldn't watch it because she hates every space movie, and despises Star Wars. However, I finally got her to watch it, and after, she was sorry that she hadn't given it a try earlier. She laughed literally throughout 75% of the movie.

  About how it relates to Star Wars: It's got all your characters, but in different forms. There are the following characters in Space Balls, that relate to Star Wars: Barf: He is a Mawg, half man, half dog. He represents Chewbaka, and is played by John Candy. Dark Helmet: The equivilent to Darth Vader. He is played by the guy in Honey I Shrunk the Kids. President Scroob: In a way he is like the emporer, and is played by Mel Brooks. Lone Star: The movie's equivilent to Han Solo, except he has the movie's equivilent to the force, the shwartz, which I will later talk about, instead of Luke Skywalker. Princess Vespa: Daughter to King Roland, king of the Druids on planet Druidia. She is the equivilent to Princess Lea. Yogurt: Yogurt is Yoda in this movie, and he is the "keeper of a greater magic," the shwartz. Shwartz: Dark Hemet has it, Lone Star has it, and Yogurt has it. It's the movie's equivilent to the force.

  And I will just state the rest of the things that are depicted in this movie. These are: The Planet of the Apes, The Doublemint twins in the movie are Marlene and Sharlene. The actuall Doublement twins' names are Margie, Angie. Then you've got your Jawas. C-3PO is played by Dot, a women droid, Princess Vespa's droid of honor at her wedding. You've got the light-sabers, and Planet Tatooine. And the Death Star. All of this things are in the movie, plus many more, but in different forms.

  I hope everbody who reads this review thinks about it seriously, and will see the movie, because I put a lot of time, effort, as well as heart and soul into this review, and you owe the movie that much. So, next time you rent a movie, seriously, consider Spaceballs.
  
  

• Spaceballs on DVD?!? Sign me up.
  By AHVWV1G4DGDW5 on 2000-12-06
  What can I say, this is yet another one of those DVD's you have to have in your collection. Mel Brooks is a master at doing parodys and site gags, and this movie shows it. While not being as good as Blazing Saddles, the DVD is still scoring extremely high. I've owned this movie on every format excluding LaserDisc and including Beta, and I must say, this is the best transfer I've seen. The original transfers had a "washed-out" look to them, and the audio was sub-par. The DVD is absolutely amazing, the picture is clear and sharp, the colors are much better, you can even see Dark Helmet spit coffee on the camera, something I hadn't seen before. This dual-sided DVD features the 4:3 Pan-and-Scan (for you old fogies who want a full screen) and the wide screen presentations, including audio commentary by Brooks recorded in 96, and a wonderful Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track which was mastered extremely well. If you know someone who likes Brooks, pick the DVD up as a gift, trust me, they'll love you for it.
  
  
• Spaceballs -- The waste of Film
  By AN0URCSC1PTHR on 2003-10-05
  What an awful movie. Mel Brooks is arguably one of the best comedy directors of all time. Why did he do this? Why did he waste his time? I know that other reviewers like this, but compared to say a "Young Frankenstein" this movie was horribly disappointing. I mean there were some great 'in jokes' as usual, but they were so few and far between that they were not worth looking for. It just wasn't funny.
  
  
• "May the schwartz be with you!"
  By A18RQ2URRGIIEA on 2005-05-02
  Following the multi-million-dollar success that George Lucas enjoyed with his original "Star Wars" trilogy of films released in 1977, 1980 and 1983, comedic actor/writer/director Mel Brooks was inspired to create one of his most outlandish films in 1987 entitled "Spaceballs". The film begins on the dark planet of Spaceball, which no longer has a breathable atmosphere. There, President Skroob (Mel Brooks) wants to steal another planet's atmosphere and transport it back to planet Spaceball, so he orders Colonel Sandurz (George Wyner) and Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis spoofing "Darth Vader") to take a giant military spaceship (much much larger than any of Lucas' spaceships, except for the Deathstar) to planet Druidia to kidnap Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga spoofing "Princess Leia") and hold her for ransom. On planet Druidia, Princess Vespa is scheduled to marry the very boring Prince Valium (JM J. Bullock) as arranged by her father, King Roland (Dick Van Patten). However, when Princes Vespa has cold feet, she runs from the Druidic church with her android, Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers spoofing "C3PO"), and takes off from planet Druidia in what was to be her honeymoon spaceship. In space, she is encountered by the giant Spaceball ship, but is rescued by the trader/smuggler Lone Starr (Bill Pullman spoofing "Han Solo") and his sidekick Barfolemew 'Barf' (John Candy, 1950-1994, spoofing "Chewbacca") in a space-worthy Winnebago RV. As with the constant love-hate relationship that Princess Leia and Han Solo had in Lucas' "Star Wars" trilogy, so too do Princess Vespa and Lone Starr have a similar relationship. Along the way though, Lone Starr finds out from a mysterious Yoda-like character named Yogurt (Mel Brooks again) that he's really a prince and sets out to rescue Princess Vespa who had eventually been captured by Dark Helmet. It is from Yogurt that we hear those immortal words, "May the schwartz be with you," spoofing Lucas' creation of the Force in "Star Wars".
  
  With hilarious one-liners, a classic Mel Brooks storyline, good actors and reasonable special effects, "Spaceballs" is a truly funny comedic sci-fi spoof. Rick Moranis' portrayal of Dark Helmet is one of the funniest roles, especially since he can't always keep his visor open. Also funny are George Wyner and Joan Rivers. Overall, I rate "Spaceballs" with 4 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys a great spoof by Mel Brooks, sci-fi and a good laugh. Even product merchandising isn't free of being spoofed by Mel Brooks in this hilarious film.
  
  
• MAKE A SEQUEL!!
  By on 2006-02-10
  this maybe the funniest movie of all time. i must give you a list of characters:
  
  Lone Starr--Luke Skywalker/Han Solo
  Barf--Chewbacca
  Dark Helmet--Darth Vader
  President Scroob--Emperor Palpatine
  Yoghurt--Yoda
  Pizza the Hut--Jabba the Hutt
  Spaceballs--Storm Troopers
  Princess Vespa--Princess Leia
  Dot--C3PO
  
  this movie is hilarious, although not for little children (language). the best quote is:
  
  Dark Helmet: "Lone Starr, before you die, there is something i must tell you: i am your father's cousin's best friend's former roomate!"
  Lone Starr: "and what does that make us?"
  Dark Helmet: "Absolutely Nothing!"
  
  
• 0 stars
  By AVAYPWDKBZPT3 on 2006-05-02
  This is the biggest pile of stinky cheese from the eighties ever it is just horrible
  
  don't waste your time or money
  
  instead go to mac D and geta double cheeseburger
  
  
• Sub-par spoof of the lowest order
  By A29HWPLXMQ53B2 on 2007-11-29
  Yowza, how did Mel get money to produce this schlock? I laughed a lot with his earlier films, but this one was hard to sit through. Cornball stunts, 3rd-grade humor, well, you get the picture.
  
  
• Spaced out Comedy.
  By A243DCSDPR7E2G on 2000-03-22
  This title is sure to please if you are a fan of Mel Brooks. Slap stick never had a better slap! The only problem I found. is its in 2.0 surround. not 5.1, so the sound quality was not as good as it should be.
  
  
• Compulsary viewing for Brooks fans and Star Wars fans alike.
  By on 1999-07-28
  I first saw this movie when it was broadcast on TBS a few years ago. Many of the jokes were cut or edited for TV, yet I found SPACEBALLS to be an inspired treat for those of us who found STAR WARS to be just a little "ludicrous." I immediately bought it on video and discovered the jokes that had been edited out- this is definitely vintage Brooks. Pizza the Hutt was disgustingly hilarious and I liked how Brooks worked those lightsabers into this. I can't even fathom anyone but Rick Moranis playing Dark Helmet- he is simply hilarious. Even the special effects are pretty good. One drawback, however: I would have preferred to have seen Madeline Kahn play Princess Vespa instead of Daphne Zuniga.
  
  
• Prepare to fast foward!
  By AZ1H3VLCDR298 on 2001-01-02
  Mel Brook's hit comedy gold with this film, released in the 80s and spoofing star wars. The cast is terrific,and the special effects are actually quite darn good too. I just bought this DVD, and the best part of the film is mel brooks directors commentary! this is the best commentary on any dvd I own. mel brooks jokes around, is good-humored, and there is not too many pauses in the commentary either. If you arent a fan of commentary, I promise that you find this one at least fun to watch once. Everyone reading this has probably already seen the film, so let me tell all of you the sound on this disc is fantastic, especially for a relativily old master tape. the picture gives you 2 sides-one for pan/scan, the other for widescreen. if you loved the film, you will love this DVD! Movie:5 stars Disc: 5 stars. enjoy!
  
  
• Good for insomniacs...
  By on 2001-08-30
  This is the best proof that Mel Brooks had completely lost his touch in the 80's. After making some of the funniest movies ever through the mid-70's, he really stalled in the 80's. This movie has bad writing, bad perfomances, and is one of the dullest movies I've seen.
  
  
• One of the stupidest movies ever made!
  By on 2002-06-04
  Spaceballs must be one of the stupidest movies ever made! If I could give this movie 0 stars I would. This movie was cheaply made and not at all funny. Tacky and tasteless. No storyline and the special effects were nauseating-literally. Don't waste your money like I did.
  
  
• Maybe I need to be Druish?
  By on 2002-08-30
  This is, without a doubt, one of the worst movies ever made. How Mel Brooks can make both Young Frankenstein (a true classic) and this dull, unfunny, horrible movie just boggles the mind. Baby Jane's daddy was wrong, apparently you can lose your talent.
  I made the mistake of suggesting to a friend that we see this movie when it was at the theater - and he still hasn't forgiven me. I haven't forgiven me.
  
  

• Young Frankenstein
• The Mel Brooks Collection (Blazing Saddles / Young Frankenstein / Silent Movie / Robin Hood: Men in Tights / To Be or Not to Be / History of the World, Part 1 / The Twelve Chairs / High Anxiety)
• Robin Hood - Men in Tights
• Airplane! (Don't Call Me Shirley! Edition)
• Three Amigos!