{"id":25206,"date":"2017-05-04T15:47:16","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T19:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=25206"},"modified":"2017-05-04T15:49:04","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T19:49:04","slug":"spaceballs-1987","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2017\/05\/04\/spaceballs-1987\/","title":{"rendered":"Spaceballs (1987)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It makes me laugh quite a lot that modern Hollywood are planning to spoof \u201cStar Wars\u201d when Mel Brooks pretty much supplied the definitive \u201cStar Wars\u201d spoof thirty years ago. You can argue maybe there\u2019s more to offer, but no, Mel Brooks did it first and best. He mocked the characters, he mocked the plot holes, and he even mocked the rampant consumerism that George Lucas partook in when \u201cStar Wars\u201d became a cash cow. \u201cSpaceballs\u201d involves the evil President Skroob kidnaps Vespa during an arranged marriage, in an effort to steal planet Druidia\u2019s fresh air. The evil Lord Dark Helmet is assigned to complete the task of sucking Druidia\u2019s air, and hires Lonestarr and his pal \u201cBarft\u201d (The mog, a half man and half dog) to find Princess Vespa when she escapes the arranged marriage.<\/p>\n

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She\u2019s accompanied by her female droid Dot Matrix, a bitchy and crabby assistant voiced by the late Joan Rivers. After crashing, Lonestarr meets the mystical Yogurt, who teaches him the art of \u201cThe Schwartz\u201d which the hero uses to realize his destiny. \u201cSpaceballs\u201d is a childhood favorite, but also a damn funny and looney satire that brings together an unusual cast of people that aren\u2019t typically Brooks regulars. There\u2019s Bill Pullman as Luke and Han Solo amalgam Captain Lone Starr, Daphne Zuniga is Princess Vespa, John Candy is hilarious as Chewbacca clone \u201cBarf,\u201d and Rick Moranis is raucously funny as villainous Lord Dark Helmet. If there\u2019s anyone in the movie having a great time, and arguably a better time than everyone else, there\u2019s Rick Moranis.<\/p>\n

Moranis plays the villainous monster that is a bit of a slimy and short bad guy underneath his helmet, and damn does he get some of the best moments of the entire movie. I\u2019d be remiss if I didn\u2019t mention Candy who is great as the mog \u201cBarf,\u201d and George Wyner who works well off of Moranis as a zany villain. Director Brooks tackles just about every nuance of \u201cStar Wars\u201d that he can and does a great job with the inclusion of small little gags. There\u2019s Lonestarr\u2019s flying Winnebago space ship winking at the run down Millennium Falcon, and \u201cBarf\u201d is even a subtle wink at the origin of Chewbacca, who Lucas created inspired by his sheep dog. He even mocks the entire stunt double gags in a hilarious bait and switch in the finale.<\/p>\n

You can argue that \u201cSpaceballs\u201d is one of the last great Brooks\u2019 spoofs as he has a good time satirizing the \u201cStar Wars\u201d franchise juggernaut, while grabbing top notch performances from the entire cast. He even manages to squeeze in a great \u201cAlien\u201d nod. \u201cSpaceballs\u201d is the definitive \u201cStar Wars\u201d lampooning that still manages to grab some strong laughs with its wit and subtle gags involving this odd universe Brooks creates.<\/p>\n