Released in 1987,Spaceballsassembled some of the biggest names in comedyincluding John Candy,Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis, and Joan Rivers, and blasted them into a galaxy far, far away as they embarked on a farcical parody of the originalStar Warstrilogy. Full of slapstick sight-gags and intergalactic puns, no one was safe from the parodying of director and co-writer Mel Brooks who took aim atStar Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, Transformers,and more.
Spaceballs
The movie was a huge hit with critics and became an instant cult classic, with many considering it the pinnacle of thesci-ficomedygenre. Mel Brooks isa master at blending sharp satire, slapstick humor, and applying a playful twist to popular genres, but he’s not the only one.
Here we’ve looked outside his body of work and have handpicked 10 great movies that fall within the sci-fi genre and share a similar tone toSpaceballs. These outrageous comedies and clever parodies are perfect for those who appreciateSpaceballs' offbeat humor and irreverent charm.
10Multiplicity (1996)
Released in 1996,Multiplicityfollows Michael Keaton as a man who discovers a way to duplicate himself, allowing him to be in multiple places at once. What, at first, seems like a great solution to his overly busy lifestyle soon becomes a problem as the duplicated versions of himself begin to develop their own personalities.
Multiplicity Possesses a Certain Charm and Appeal That Makes up for Its Shortcomings
Michael Keaton is undeniably a talented actor, his movie output, however, has been somewhat of a mixed bag. Fromcritically acclaimed classicslikeBeetlejuice,Batman,andBirdmanto absolute stinkers likeWhite NoiseandJack Frost; consistency isn’t Keaton’s strong point.
For all intents and purposes,Multiplicityshould find itself positioned firmly among the stinkers; it bombed at the box office and was ravaged by critics. Underneath it all, though, there’s a certain charm that makes it near impossible not to crack a smile as you bear witness to the multiple Michael Keaton’s and their ridiculous shenanigans unfold.
9Innerspace (1987)
Starring Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, and Martin Short, and directed by Joe Dante with Steven Spielberg serving as an executive producer,Innerspaceis a hilarious sci-fi romp that proves that the genre needn’t be overly intelligent or cerebral to be entertaining and engaging. It tells the story of a marine who, during an experiment gone wrong, unexpectedly finds himself miniaturized and stuck inside the body of a hapless store clerk. Together, the unlikely duo must learn to work together to rectify the situation.
Innerspace Is Now a Hidden Gem
One would think that with the talent associated,Innerspacewould be considered an all-time classic, remembered and revered by many. The movie won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, was a hit with critics, and had a decent run at the box office. For some reason or another, though, it seems to have been lost in time. That’s not to say, though, it’s not a delightful little comedy that hasn’t lost any of its charm since its release over 30 years ago.
8Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarokis the third Thor solo film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first directed by Taika Waititi. In the sequel, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself stranded on Sakaar, ruled by the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Soon he teams with Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to return to Asgard and defeat his sister Hela.
WhileMarvel was certainly no stranger to comedy by this point;having dipped its toes in the genre with films likeAnt-ManandGuardians of The Galaxy, never before had it embraced this level of absurdity and outright silliness as it did inThor: Ragnarok, and it paid off. While the first twoThormovies were pretty serious in tone, that all changed when director Taika Waititi stepped in.
Best known for his work on the mockumentaryWhat We Do in The Shadowsand the comedy-dramaHunt for the Wilderpeople,Waititi brought his unique, comedic chops to the table and masterfully reimagined the character and franchise as a laugh-out-loud, almost farcical, sci-fi action-comedy, making for the most successful entry in the series to date.
Critics and Audiences Loved Taika Waititi’s Take
After being repositioned as a comedy, the movie proved to be a huge hit, outperforming the previous twoThorentries at the box office and scoring a near-perfect critic’s score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The acting from Chris Hemsworth as Thor was particularly praised along with the supporting performances from Jeff Goldblum and Cate Blanchet as the film’s antagonists. Audiences and critics also enjoyed the humor and witty dialogue as well as the CGI effects and action sequences.
7Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1984)
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
A group of scientists band together to save the world from mutated killer tomatoes.
Fans ofSpaceball’s absurdist, parody-style humor might find something enjoyable inAttack of the Killer Tomatoes, as long as they expect a heavy emphasis on the ‘absurd’ part. The movie does what it does on the tin and does so with its tongue firmly placed in its cheek. Made on a budget of less than $100,000, it is a schlocky, sci-fi horror, B-movie that in itself is a spoof of other sci-fi horror b-movies. On top of this, there are some amusing nods and references to other, bigger movies, includingThe Birds,Jaws,andSuperman.
Attack of The Killer Tomatoes Was Not Critically Acclaimed but is Considered a Cult Classic
Unsurprisingly, a movie about oversized killer tomatoes didn’t go down a storm with critics with many predictably failing to find the humor in the movie’s ridiculous premise. The movie did find an audience, though, and managed to make a healthy profit. The movie’s success spawned a further three sequels, all co-written by the same three writers and directed by John DeBello. The original is now considered a cult classic with a solid fanbase who appreciate its silliness.
6Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)
Arguably theCitizen Kaneof the ‘science-fiction- musical-romantic-comedy’ subgenre,Earth Girls Are Easysees actors Geena Davis and Charles Rocket encountering a trio of aliens played by Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans,and Jim Carrey. It just so happens these aliens scrub up pretty well and after a crash course in the planet’s culture, they’re ready to hit the dating scene.
Earth Girls Are Easy Is Good, Silly Fun That’s Bolstered by Its Impressive Cast
Charming, good-hearted, and goofy,Earth Girls Are Easydoesn’t pretend to be anything particularly deep but has enough amusing sight gags, witty dialogue, and catchy musical numbers to provide a solid 100 minutes of good, fun entertainment. Its strong cast of established actors and shining newcomers helps elevate the movie further and cement its place as a cult classic.
5Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Hot Tub Time Machine
Rude, crude, and utterly ridiculous,Hot Tub Time Machine,follows a ragtag group of hard-drinking buddies who find themselves stuck in the past due to a time-traveling hot tub. While not an instant hit, the fun premise and likable cast led to strong word-of-mouth feedback eventually resulting in enough popularity to justify a sequel.
Hot Tub Time Machine Adopts a Similar Irreverent Style of Comedy to Spaceballs
Hot Tub Time Machineplayfully takes aim at ’80s nostalgia and time-travel clichés with the same brand of absurdity thatSpaceballsadopts. Both movies embrace ridiculous scenarios and self-aware characters, delivering the kind of over-the-top comedy that appeals to fans of slapstick, satire, sci-fi, and spoofs.
4Men in Black (1997)
Men In Black
Men in Blacksees Will Smithand Tommy Lee Jones teaming up in this buddy cop movie with a sci-fi twist. The galaxy defenders are tasked with protecting the Earth from the scum of the universe. From wisecracking pug dogs to ferocious giant bugs, the duo encounter all manner of weird and wonderful alien creatures, many of whom operate in disguise on planet Earth.
Men in Black Perfectly Utilizes Its Immense Budget
Unlike other movies that dip their toes into the realms of parody and sci-fi absurdism and deliberately lean into cheap, campy special effects for comedic effect, Men In Blackgoes all out, utilizing some of the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Released in 1997, with a colossal budget of around $90 million, the studio was able to create an utterly jaw-dropping spectacle that is just as visually impressive as it is hilarious.
3Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
With an all-star cast thatincludes Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Nighy, John Malkovich and the voices of Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren and Stephen Fry, 2005’sHitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyis the first and only big screen adaptation in theHitchhiker’sfranchise.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the GalaxyStarted Life as a BBC Radio Broadcast
Created by Douglas Adams,Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxyis a sharp, sardonic, and very British sci-fi comedy that, since being aired as a radio comedy broadcast in 1978, has been adapted into novels, stage shows, video games, a TV series, comic books and, in 2005, a feature-length movie.
It follows a man named Arthur Dent who is swept off Earth just before its destruction and embarks on a chaotic journey through space, encountering strange alien species and cosmic absurdities, all while searching for the ultimate ‘meaning of life, the universe, and everything.’
2Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Part of theAbbott and Costellofilm series, here, the duo play bumbling detectives who must help clear an invisible man wrongly accused of murder, leading to a series of chaotic and hilarious misadventures. Released in 1951,Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Manplayful blends classic horror and sci-fi with comedic elements.
Abbot And Costello Meet the Invisible Man Flips Genre Conventions On Their Heads
Similar toSpaceballs,Abbot and Costello Meet the Invisible Manis a joyous slapstick, absurdist lark nested within a familiar genre framework. It takes the serious Invisible Man character from the ‘Universal monster’ pantheon and throws him into a narrative filled with farcical, comedic gags in a manner similar to howSpaceballsparodies the serious tone ofStar Warsand other sci-fi epics.
1Real Genius (1985)
Real Genius
Real Geniusesis a ridiculously fun comedy from 1985 that pays homage to both the teen comedy genre and the sci-fi genre whilst simultaneously parodying them. It stars Val Kilmer as a super-intelligent student who, along with his science partner, creates an advanced laser weapon. Chaos ensues as the pair try to prevent the weapon from falling into the wrong hands and being used for nefarious purposes.
Real Genius Was a Hit with Critics but Didn’t Make Much of an Impact on the Box Office
The movies scored a respectable approval rating of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, with criticspraising Val Kilmer’s onscreen charismaand the movie’s playful tone and fun sight gags. Unfortunately, this critical success didn’t translate into box office performance and, while not a flop, it only grossed around $13 million at the box office.
