Plot
Planet Spaceball's President Skroob sends Lord Dark Helmet to steal Planet Druidia's abundant supply of air to replenish their own, and only Lone Starr can stop them.
Release Year: 1987
Rating: 6.9/10 (68,884 voted)
Critic's Score: 46/100
Director:
Mel Brooks
Stars: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis
Storyline King Roland of the planet Druidia is trying to marry his daughter Princess Vespa to Prince Valium, but Vespa is kidnapped by the evil race of the Spaceballs. The Spaceballs ask Roland a tremendous ransom: all the air of Druidia (you see, the air of Spaceball had serious pollution problems...). The King decides to offer a generous amount of money to a space rogue, Lone Starr, to persuade him to save Vespa. What follows is the parody of a _LOT_ of famous SF movies.
Writers: Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan
Cast: Mel Brooks
-
President Skroob
/
Yogurt
John Candy
-
Barf
Rick Moranis
-
Dark Helmet
Bill Pullman
-
Lone Starr
Daphne Zuniga
-
Princess Vespa
Dick Van Patten
-
King Roland
George Wyner
-
Colonel Sandurz
Michael Winslow
-
Radar Technician
Joan Rivers
-
Dot Matrix
(voice)
Lorene Yarnell Jansson
-
Dot Matrix
(as Lorene Yarnell)
Sal Viscuso
-
Radio Operator
Ronny Graham
-
Minister
Jim J. Bullock
-
Prince Valium
Leslie Bevis
-
Commanderette Zircon
Jim Jackman
-
Major Asshole
Filming Locations: Imperial County, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $22,700,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $6,600,000
(USA)
(28 June 1987)
Gross: $38,119,483
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
During the self-destruct sequence, when the "Cancel Self Destruct" door is opened, the "Authorized By" line at the bottom has the name ALBIEZ. Peter Albiez was one of the special effects staff.
Goofs:
Continuity:
In the scene when Yogurt shows Lone Starr & the gang his Schwartz ring, when the shot zooms in to a closeup of the ring, you can see the "S" on the ring has a different appearance than the earlier shot.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Radio Operator:
Colonel Sandurz! Colonel Sandurz:
What is it, Sergeant Ricco? Radio Operator:
You told me to let you know the moment Planet Druidia was in sight, sir. Colonel Sandurz:
So? Radio Operator:
Planet Druidia's in sight, sir. Colonel Sandurz:
You're really a Spaceball. You know that, don't you? Radio Operator:
Thanks, sir.
User Review
Yuks in "Space"...
Rating: 9/10
Leave it to Mel Brooks; no one else could make a space movie with references
to "The Wizard of Oz", "The Godfather", Mr. Coffee and flying
Winnebagos.
"Spaceballs" is just about the best post-"History of the World Part I" film
Mel has made and that's saying something, considering how many great jokes
Mel and Company is able to pull off while within PG territory.
Easy enough to guess that this is Mel's take on "Star Wars", complete with
his own versions of C-3P0 (Dot Matrix), Princess Leia (Princess Vespa),
Chewbacca (Barf the Mawg) and a combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker
(LoneStarr).
Oh, and let's not forget Dark Helmet! The very embodiment of evil (Mel
Brooks-style) who not only wears a black cloak and headpiece but also a
stylishly-wide black tie. And when he strikes...it's usually not above the
belt.
The gags come fast and furious and, as is usually the case, all the regular
faces show up (Graham, DeLuise, Van Patten) and Mel gives it all he's got.
Lots of space sagas get equal ribbing (the "Star Wars" trilogy, "Alien",
"Planet of the Apes") and there isn't a cliche that Mel fails to notice.
You can't blame Mel Brooks for thinking this genre needed a good skewering.
He started it in "History of the World" with his "Jews in Space" coming
attraction and continues it here. My only complaint: Mel, why did you have
to wait so long??
Eight stars, plus a half star more for Pizza the Hutt; I loved it,
especially when the pepperoni started running. Also for President Skroob's
(Brooks') comment after being mis-transported ("Why didn't somebody tell me
my a** was so big??").
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