The sequel to the groundbreaking hilariously funny Airplane is neither groundbreaking nor hilarious. Most of the time it's slightly amusing. Most of the time the sequel rides the wave that the first movie created and the writer/director of this movie did nothing to help it, only hurt it.

This time the ridiculously silly movie starts off like the last Airplane movie except that this time it's the first commercial shuttle flight to the first colony on the moon. Ted Stryker, played by Robert Hays (Dr. T and the women,) was the test pilot to test the shuttle and after the prototype crashed he was sent to the insane asylum. Meanwhile, the shuttle goes forward with its mission. Stryker escapes and tries to get on the shuttle to stop it. Of course he does, and he tries to stop the mission and get back together with his girlfriend Elaine, played by Julie Hagerty (What about Bob?)

Ok the first movie was written and directed by Jim Abrams and the Zucker Brothers, David and Jerry. Airplane II was written and directed by Ken Finkleman. I mention this because Finkleman appears to have nothing to do with the first movie, and with very few exceptions he steals every joke from the first movie, makes a minor change to the joke and then puts it in the new film. Doing it once or twice, say like in Austin Powers, its ok, but if most of your jokes are based on the original jokes from the first movie, then it quickly becomes tiresome and unfunny.

There are a few jokes that are funny, the beginning with the Iran Air Courtesy shuttle is one, and most of the stuff with William Shatner was funny until the very end. There are some bits and pieces in the middle but Finkleman depends too much on the original jokes and in the end it kills the movie.

The failure of the movie is on Finkleman. Haggerty and Hays and everyone else did a fine job but they weren't shooting another film as much as performing an encore of the previous show. However the one actor who was missing from this movie which was noticeable was Leslie Neilson. He had an uncanny ability and timing for these kinds of movies which made the Naked Gun series so wonderful. His absence hurt the movie.

I say if you have never seen the Airplane movies, get the first one, it's the best. Ignore this one unless it's on TV, but don't see the sequel before you see the first Airplane movie or any of the Naked Guns, it is a poor imitation.

Brian - the Naked Gun