SPACEBALLS: Classic or Dud

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Visionary pinnacle of Rick Moranis filmography?

Or just, like, dumb?

― Nitsuh, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You're implying it can't be both, I see.

I don't think I could ever be asked or induced to watch it again. But for some stupid reason I was thinking about it yesterday. Whatever can it mean?

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Please watch Spaceballs again Ned.

Word is, it will top the C4 100 Best Movies of All Time.

― mark s, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I HAVE MY DOUBTS.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Spaceballs" is brilliant, if only for the line, "You shot my hair!" Definitely a keeper.

― Dan Perry, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I *MUST* see this again.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

For reasons I can't remember, I have a photo of me outside an Odeon cinema about to go in and see Spaceballs.
I thought it was okay, but not, y'know, brilliant.

― DavidM, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My head hurts. I saw the damn thing in the theaters when it first came out, for my sins, and I found it pretty draggy and obvious then. I can't imagine it being much better now.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It wasn't really draggy, but the obviousness of it is part of what makes it so funny. I deeply treasure the "comb the desert" scene, as well as Dark Helmet playing with his action figures and the diner scene.

― Dan Perry, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah, it does have a few moments doesn't it? That's odd tho because I normally don't find Mel Brooks even remotely funny. The credit's got to go to Rick Moranis.

― Kim, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

When I was about ten I thought it was the funniest movie ever made.

I watched it again a couple of years ago, and sat dumbfounded at how awful it was. A disappointment, to say the least.

― Ally C, Sunday, 25 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

They jammed the radar!

― Mr Noodles, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oddly i was thinking about this movie yesterday too (post reading a sniffy Time Out review of Young Frankenstein which really does get it wrong). Maily i was trying to remember if the tagline was : "In space, no-one can hear you laugh". Merely because I couldn't hear anyone laugh in the cinema too.

Its just lazy pinning a parody on just one film. Your are much better off working on entire genres (Blazing Saddles does Westerns, Young Frankenstein is really an affectionate parody of the Universal Monster movies). But see the Scream/Scary movie thread for further views on parody/pastiche.

― Pete, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I saw it on my thirteenth birthday and laughed 'til my stomach hurt. I won't bother seeing it again though, as it couldn't possibly live up to my recollection.

― Trevor, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

bah, i loved it. Ludicrous Speed!

― katie, Monday, 26 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

I'm surrounded by Assholes!

Can anyone look at Pizza the Hutt without going "urghhhh!"?

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Combing the desert is really the only thing about that film that I still laugh at.

"We ain't found shit."

― martin m. (mushrush), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"Funny, she doesn't look Druish."

I loved this movie as a kid, and I refuse to see it ever again for fear that it won't be funny.

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

That's an excellent rule, Jordan.

― The Huckle-Buck (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

The Major Asshole sequence is the funniest thing like ever. "Keep firing, Assholes!" The whole Dark Helmet thing is just really funny. The rest I can take or leave, especially Yogurt.

"Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.

― adam (adam), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I even like the bad lines from this movie.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 22:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Is there a Mel Brooks S/D?

Destroy: Spaceballs and anything after it
Search: History of the World Part One and Silent Movie

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 20 May 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Spaceballs is a definite dud. I loved that film when I was a kid (I think) then I watched it again and it's not funny. I don't like Star Wars, so maybe that has something to do with it...

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 20 May 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

well, that little doll that goes, "May the Schwartz be with you" makes me laugh.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 20 May 2004 06:14 (twenty-two years ago)

eleven months pass...

IT'S ON!!

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0007O38XU.01._PE30_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 27 April 2005 20:08 (twenty-one years ago)

classic!

― Star Cauliflower (Star Cauliflower), Thursday, 28 April 2005 01:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i can recite this movie from start to finish, line by line. for real. i think the "now now" scene is still one of my favorite cinematic moments.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 28 April 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

this movie has not aged well

― strng hlkngtn, Thursday, 28 April 2005 02:34 (twenty-one years ago)

of course it hasnt. i think thats part of its charm.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 28 April 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a lot worse than it was, but Classic for getting the film out on video to see what the good guys are gonna do next. "When will then be now?" "Soon"

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 28 April 2005 06:54 (twenty-one years ago)

And I came to SPaceballs before I came to The Smiths, so when I got Hatful of Hollow and saw "How Soon Is Now?" on the track listing I thought it was gonna be about spaceballs. Maybe it is.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Thursday, 28 April 2005 06:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Mostly dud, with classic bits.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Thursday, 28 April 2005 06:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Remember to vote it on the eighties film poll!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

For a long time I thought Spaceballs was Mel Brooks' last good film, but then I saw Life Stinks (from 1991), which is, like, his best. It's been downhill ever since though.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:32 (twenty-one years ago)

>this movie has not aged well

That's too bad, since I suffered through it when it was released and it spurred me to swear off Brooks. Chuck it all but Yogurt (and maybe the John Hurt thing).

Mel's last consistently good film might've been Young Frankenstein.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you seen Life Stinks? It really is his greatest hour, I think.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:47 (twenty-one years ago)

you CRAZY.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 28 April 2005 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

"Nice dissolve."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 28 April 2005 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Mel's last consistently good film might've been Young Frankenstein.

Maybe his only consistently "good" film, but far from his most funny... which are the two I mentioned as "search."

― Eric von H. (Eric H.), Thursday, 28 April 2005 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Life Stinks might be the worst movie I've ever seen.

― The Yellow Kid, Friday, 29 April 2005 06:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Robin Hood was better than Spaceballs

― Open your eyes; you can fly! (ex machina), Friday, 29 April 2005 07:14 (twenty-one years ago)

History of the World, save for The Inquisition and the 15 Commandments, is shit. Silent Movie is cute but goes to juniorhigh too often, and is best loved by those who've seen three or fewer vintage silent comedies. (Both illustrate the movies' criminal waste of Sid Caesar, too.)

His first four films are his best, and no one's mentioned his classiest, The Twelve Chairs. (DeLuise never better.)

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 29 April 2005 12:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Silent Movie... is best loved by those who've seen three or fewer vintage silent comedies.

Putting the finger-W to my forehead.

― Eric von H. (Eric H.), Friday, 29 April 2005 12:53 (twenty-one years ago)

History of the World also features the best performance by Madeline Kahn in a Brooks film. No discussion allowed.

― Eric von H. (Eric H.), Friday, 29 April 2005 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

i didn't laugh when i was a kid, i won't laugh now.

― g-kit (g-kit), Friday, 29 April 2005 13:08 (twenty-one years ago)

five years pass...

This movie sucks

― third-strongest mole (corey), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:43 (fifteen years ago)

I'm a bit scared to watch it as an adult in case it does.

― rhythm fixated member (chap), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:44 (fifteen years ago)

is your entire adult personality built on the foundation that spaceballs rocks

― Enter the Noid (s1ocki), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:51 (fifteen years ago)

It's a fragile edifice, but it's all I've got.

― rhythm fixated member (chap), Friday, 1 October 2010 15:58 (fifteen years ago)

This movie is incredible, corey is mistaken

― progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Friday, 1 October 2010 16:21 (fifteen years ago)

Blazing Saddles still makes me lol and lol and lol but this is a pretty terrible movie guys :(

― Already WSed last summer (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 October 2010 16:25 (fifteen years ago)

I feel exactly the opposite!

― progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Friday, 1 October 2010 16:27 (fifteen years ago)

All his movies have dead spots.

― raging hetero lifechill (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 1 October 2010 16:27 (fifteen years ago)

at this point, i would rather watch this than any of the star wars movies tbh

― tylerw, Friday, 1 October 2010 16:28 (fifteen years ago)

That wd always be true for me tbh

― Already WSed last summer (Noodle Vague), Friday, 1 October 2010 16:29 (fifteen years ago)

I even like the bad lines from this movie.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 19 May 2004 22:02 (6 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Friday, 1 October 2010 16:49 (fifteen years ago)

two years pass...

Spaceballs the breakfast cereal!

― The New Jack Mormons! (kingfish), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 17:05 (thirteen years ago)

Watched about two minutes of the animated series on Netflix streaming. I don't understand how the first two minutes of any TV show can be that bad (and I love the movie).

― Vinnie, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 18:00 (thirteen years ago)

animated series?

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 18:33 (thirteen years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceballs:_The_Animated_Series

I don't remember ever hearing about it when it was on the air.

― Vinnie, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 19:03 (thirteen years ago)

twelve years pass...

Cast photo and HD version

First cast photo for ‘SPACEBALLS 2’

Starring Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, George Wyner, Mel Brooks, Josh Gad, Keke Palmer and Anthony Carrigan.

In theaters in 2027. pic.twitter.com/EAfkrfIMHV
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 25, 2025

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/G4GvoI7IS0K568kUc3KIog--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xNDkwO2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/deadline.com/bdf2eab9ba8f5c9c04cebee4361c4883

― Glower, Disruption & Pies (kingfish), Thursday, 25 September 2025 19:46 (eight months ago)

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