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The humour featured in Airplane could have been groan-worthy in the wrong hands. But what could've been cringy becomes hilarious thanks to the execution and the actors involved.
The plot revolves around a traumatic soldier, Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who boards a flight to make amends with his girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty). However, due to a food poisoning incident in the flight, Striker himself has to pilot the aircraft.
I don't know if it's my Gen-Z mind, but the gags felt completely unpredictable to me. It was completely random, which made it funnier than it should have. It also helps that the gags were delivered with a deadpan expression and a serious tone. Whether it be the pilot asking obscure questions to a child or a man getting stabbed but still managing to hit the moves, it was all perfectly done.
Almost all the actors give great performances in the film. But I want to rave about two performances, i.e. Julie Hagerty as Elaine Dickinson and Leslie Nielsen as Dr.Rumack. The flashback sequence showing how the couple met was completely carried by Julie Hagerty with her over-the-top expressions. The role of Leslie Nielson as Dr. Rumack could have appeared as an actor being bored or uninterested if done in a wrong manner, but Leslie Nielson manages to make it hilariously stoic.
In the end, I would like to say this has become one of the funniest comedies of all time. Even after 43 years, it is still funny to the core.
