Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)

Two things strike me about this movie. How much better it holds up than my memory of it, and also how much worse it is compared to the original.

ZAZ exhausted every single airline-related joke the first time around, so they elected not to return for this studio-mandated sequel (as they were busy developing Police Squad! with Leslie Nielsen). Plot-wise, it's exactly the same, except now the plane is a space shuttle and all the passengers are heading to the moon for some reason. Yeah, it's completely stupid. The '80s were wild.

The result is uneven to be sure, but are enough gags crammed in that even when they don't land, it remains partially successful. It just goes to show, not anyone can make these movies funny. It's a case of flying too close to the sun.

2 drinking problems out of 5

Airplane! (1980)

From the brainchild of ZAZ (Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker) comes a spoof classic that is so immensely quotable and laugh-a-minute funny, it belongs on the pantheon of great comedy movies. What began as a humorous send-up of disaster films such as Zero Hour! (1957) and the Airport series ended up as the blueprint for every parody movie to come. It comes at a time when serious actors like Peter Graves and Lloyd Bridges weren't afraid to take the piss out of themselves. Of these, Leslie Nielsen (known for dramatic roles at the time) made his transition to deadpan comedy icon. Packed to the brim with slapstick, sight gags, puns, one-liners and clever wordplay, it's a relentless barrage of lowbrow silliness that is still considered one of the funniest films of all time.

5 Shirleys out of 5

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

Oh man, I really wanted to love this more than I did. Set in December 1973 (33 years after the first story), it reunites Peter Billingsley along with the original cast of kids in a sequel reboot that celebrates the nostalgia of the holiday as an adult. It opens with the announcement that the Old Man has died, which casts a dark cloud over the rest of the movie, while a 42-year-old Ralphie must now take over the role as family man on Christmas. While sweet in many respects, it's a far cry from the brilliance of Bob Clark's original film. As a lifelong fan, this had a lot to live up to and that proved to be a foolhardy task. As nice as it is to see familiar faces 40 years later, it's equally as disappointing to see how age has ravaged a timeless classic. It's just depressing. Getting old is sad. Lightning doesn't strike twice, even when they attempt to recreate certain scenes shot-for-shot. Also, it would have felt slightly more special if Melinda Dillon had come out of retirement to play the mom again (she passed the following year). But time will tell if people continue to watch this sequel 40 years later, or if they'll just default back to the original.

2½ sled jumps out of 5