Customer Reviews

Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension! (Widescreen)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

For some reason, three of my favourite science fiction "B movies" are interlinked on Amazon.ca, at least on the day of writing this review.

I hadn't planned to write a review for Buckaroo Banzai, but after having just entered reviews for two other classics (Night of the Comet and Cherry 2000), Buckaroo Banzai seemed to round out the trilogy.

Existing reviewers have covered this movie well enough for the most part, though the word "tedious" does not come to the tip of my tongue based on my personal sensibilities.

Certainly Buckaroo Banzai is probably the most "80's" of the three productions I have just named. At what other time in history could the "good aliens" have been Rastafarians (a deft touch on the part of the writers for sure)?

Who then are the bad guys? Well, here's a hint: What if, like the guy on the sample cheque at your bank, they were all named "John?" At the time of the production, besides wearing blister pack glasses (it was new then), my friends and I were mastering all the Johns of this movie, and I can still recall John Smallberries from memory over 20 years later.

What a cast - Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum - and all at the peak of their powers.

In my view, there was not one thing wrong with this movie. It was flawless, startling, quirky, crazy, brilliant, scene by scene, start to finish. Every scene worked, and each built on previous scenes to create a cinematic leaning tower of pisa that may never be equaled. (OK, only here would a simile of that kind be defensible!?!?)

The sad part, a sequel was clearly intended - but didn't materialize - when the subtle humour and deft touches flew far over the heads of the mainstream American audience (who rewarded The Terminator of the same year with two sequels).

I am a fan of The Terminator as well, and I think Schwarzenegger is under-rated both as an actor and as a governor - he is in fact a brilliant man - but this movie is much, much better than The Terminator - which does NOT need my review.

Plain and simple: This is one of the best science fiction/satirical allegories ever produced. Ever. A masterpiece.

And that's probably all I need to say here.

It's really sad that there are people who don't get the movie have to pass themselves off as film critics. The people who say this film is low budget, plotless, and generally a bad film are obviously over-Lucas-ized and can't get passed the 'Star Wars is the measuring stick of Sci-Fi' mentatility. This movie was designed to have a low-budget look. It's supposed to have a campy feel with stupid dialog. THAT'S THE POINT! It's a flashback to the Ed Wood era. Wondering why the alien ships look like sea shells? They are! They wanted a non-tech look. No plot? Are you nuts, there's a clear plot. Some folks must have gone to the bathroom. This film stands the test of time... if you can laugh every time it's played, it's a good sign. This classic is not meant to be a big epic film and win an Oscar; it ain't the Godfather. It's fun, plain and simple. The stars shine, Ellen Barkin is unbelievably sexy, Jeff Goldblum is perfect as the new guy, Peter Weller plays the straight-man with flawless ease, and John Lithgow is a god. If you buy this film, do yourself a favor and just enjoy it. Don't compare it to Star Wars, cuz that's not what it's trying to be. In a world full of 'reality' programming and realism, we need this 2 hour escape!

I'm still waiting for the sequel... BB Versus The World Crime League... WHERE IS IT!?

"No, no, don't pull on that, you don't know what it may be attached to"

Both my daughter and I, her mother, have loved this film, watching it a number of times, particularly when one of us was low. The comment in one review that it was a "guy" thing to love this film is nonsense. The love of Buckaroo Banzai transcends gender.

Sure, I couldn't tell you this minute what all the plot is, or how I remember Penny Priddy, but I still rent the film as one way of displaying to my class what a "Wisdom saying" is. I go quickly to the scene where Peter Weller as Buckaroo Banzai says "Wherever you go, there you are." It happens to be the equivalent of Ecclesiastes (Qohelet) "If a tree falls in the forest, whether it falls to the north or falls to the south, where it falls is where it lays." The women in this family understand that at different times in our lives we may be rock stars, neurosurgeons, nuclear physicists, and rocket car drivers, especially having lived near the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, where the rocket car was driven into the eighth dimension. My daughter loved John Lithgow in his first alien impersonation; I'm more fond of Peter Weller, the straight man for all this inspired insanity.

There is no plot that I can remember 10 minutes after viewing the film, and yet there is a narrative thread about a multitalented person whose job it is to save the world, against all odds. Whether you see yourself, your parent, your child, your friend, your president, or your country in such a role, this film is an aid to relax your expectations, for its all-too-brief time span.

One of my all-time favorites; a blend of sublime, serious SciFi spoof, laughable technology, and even emotional ups and downs. Almost a cross between "Airplane", "Matrix", and "2001" with it's plot leaps and imagination gymnastics. Some of the lines were so campy I myself couldn't have read it with an straight face, but the cast did, especially Weller (with that distant, absolutely earnest visionary countenance), and that resulted in a truly effective spoof, far above the likes of "Police Squad" or "Naked Gun" (which I also like, however). Ok, 54 words in the last sentence was too much, but you'll thank us for recommending this movie for a "hey, what do you want to do tonight" night.

It took me a few times to really get the movie, so don't expect a quick insight the first time around. Not intended to impart a moral, unless you pick up on some of the philosophical statements sprinkled throughout, such as, "No matter where you go, there you are"...

This is one of those films that some people watch repeatedly and find something new to laugh at each time. Unfortunately, it is also one of those films that some people will never "get" and it seems as those some of the reviewers here are in that latter category. This movie is supposed to be camp and comic book like, that's the point!

It's a lot like Monty Python -- at first blush you either laugh or are confused by the silliness of it, but "upon further review", you realize that there is an incredible layer of sophistication. There actually is a lot of intellectual humor and "in" jokes in this film, many of which are subtle and occur in the background. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not putting this with Goddard's "A Bout De Souffle" (although Barkin's character does somewhat resemble Jean Seberg), but there clearly is a method to this madness and it succeed at what it is attempting.

I disagree with those with the belief that this film has no plot. If you strip away all the superfluous stuff, you have a very plausible sci-fi plot -- an alien race from an alternate universe has discovered that a master criminal is hiding on Earth and have threatened to destroy our planet to prevent him from returning. The hero must find him before that happens. Sound just as plausible as any Star Trek plot.

I can't tell you whether or not you will like this film, but I will tell you to watch this with an open mind. Sometimes you just have to let art flow, it's not necessarily taking you anywhere, just enjoy the ride.

Remember as Buckaroo says "Nothing is ever what it seems but everything is exactly what it is"

What can I say about Buckaroo Banzai? It's one of the quirkiest, silliest movies ever made that still has the power to dazzle and mystify. I've been a long-time Doc Savage fan, and this movie is a hilarious send-up of Doc Savage; it's just simply updated. I'd also add Mystery Men to that list as well. Whatever it's about, it's got to be played for fun and Buckaroo Banzai does exactly that. And what _was_ that watermelon for?

This movie is just fantastic. I bought it, it came quickly (thank goodness) and I watched it immediately. Originally purchased because of my Jeff Goldblum obsession, stayed for Peter Weller. A quirky classic.

This movie is for sure one of the best wacky, yet intelligent, comedy/sci fi movies ever made. Along with some other great "offbeat" 80's sci fi/comedy movies like Repo Man and Real Genius, this is a must see
Sure the plot makes no sense, but that's the point- once you realize that, you can basically enjoy the humor which is at certain points hillarious...
I first saw this movie when I was in around 8th grade back when it came out in 84 and while I didnt understand it back then either, the highly original and unique special effects ideas (the creature stuck to the bottom of Buckaroo's car) and style stuck with me for a long time.
If you grew up in the 80's this makes for a funny flashback film in some ways. However, even with Perfect Tommy's Duran Duran style, Peter Weller's straight from '84 striped shirt, the way overdone music video-type ending sequence, and the totally 80's synthesizer soundtrack, this movie isnt just "80's cheese" by any means. The plot, special effects design, and overall style of humor of this film were so original it stands the test of time pretty well. If you like sci fi and 80's comedies, this is one of the best of both and you should check it out

Buckaroo's invention is called the 'oscillation overthruster'!

"The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension"is a movie that is, as the filmmakers intended, hard to categorize; it's part comedy, part social satire, part bug-eyed alien flick, and part doomsday thriller. It's such a hodgepodge that it deserves repeat viewings to get all the jokes, nuances, and confusing plot line.

The biggest smiles come from the puns at the expense of the alien "John's". Christoher Lloyd's character's last name is a prime example of this technique.

The actors seemed to have had a ball in their respective roles. Especially memorable are bits by John Lithgow as the demented Dr. Lizardo, Carl Lumbly as a quirky alien with a Rastafarian complex, Matt Clark as a representative of the military, the aforementioned Lloyd, Robert Ito as Dr. Nikita, and in a brief appearance, the late Rosalind Cash.

The extended opening sequence, offered on this DVD, features an uncredited Jamie Lee Curtis and provides some much needed background prior to the opening credits.

The film's frentic pace and off-the-wall sight gags/jokes might cause some confusion and slight discomfort, but it has its pluses.

After all these years, it would be interesting if, say a Tim Burton, decided to "reimagine" this film from 1984.

Now, that would be something!

Actual rating: 3.5, rounded off to 4.