Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

Joe works a soul-crushing job and feels like death all the time. He goes to the doctor who tells him he only has 6 months left to live. What will he do with his remaining time? Travel to the South Pacific and throw himself into a volcano, of course. That's the setup. It's up to you if you want to follow him there. This is a wonderfully whimsical fantasy adventure and one of my favorite films.

4½ floatable luggage out of 5

Caddyshack II (1988)

Sequel to the 1980 classic comedy is a major downgrade in quality, although with the benefit of hindsight, it's not nearly as bad as it's been painted. Chevy Chase is the only actor who returns, but he's joined by Dan Aykroyd (who takes over the Bill Murray role) and Jackie Mason (who plays the Rodney Dangerfield character). Plus, that gloating animatronic gopher is back. The biggest slight against it is that they toned down the naughty R-rated humor and whiffed it with a watered-down PG rating, ensuring that no one is happy.

2 Kenny Loggins songs 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