Spaceballs

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Spaceballs

PG

Released Jun 4, 1987

1h 32m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

104 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

In a distant galaxy, planet Spaceball has depleted its air supply, leaving its citizens reliant on a product called "Perri-Air." In desperation, Spaceball's leader President Skroob (Mel Brooks) orders the evil Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) to kidnap Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) of oxygen-rich Druidia and hold her hostage in exchange for air. But help arrives for the Princess in the form of renegade space pilot Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-man, half-dog partner, Barf (John Candy).

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Critics Consensus

There's fine spoofery and amusing characters in Spaceballs, though it's a far cry from Mel Brooks' peak era.

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Jay Carr

Boston Globe

Spaceballs has the happy air of a comic enterprise that knows it's going right. It just keeps spritzing the gags at us, Borscht Belt-style, confidently and rightly sensing that if we don't laugh at this one, we'll laugh at the next. And so we do.

Apr 12, 2024

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Janet Maslin

New York Times

If it isn't likely to generate what Mr. Brooks himself refers to as 'Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money, neither is it anything less than gentle, harmless satire that occasionally has real bite.

Apr 12, 2024

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Harper Barnes

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It probably will do fairly well with kids and younger adolescents, who haven't heard the bad puns and seen the sight gags a thousand times before.

Apr 12, 2024

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Cathy Burke

United Press International

This sendup by director Mel Brooks incorporates the silliest aspects of all the major space adventures of the last decade, and the whole is a hilarious combination of its parts.

Apr 12, 2024

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Robert W. Butler

Kansas City Star

Spaceballs doesn’t aspire to art; it’s perfectly happy to provide at least two good laughs every minute. That’s not a bad batting average.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 12, 2024

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Terry Lawson

Dayton Daily News

It is with a great deal of pleasure that I inform you that Spaceballs is twice as funny as the title and that it is funny from blast-off to splashdown.

Apr 12, 2024

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Joseph M

Classic Mel Brooks comedy. One of his best. Any fans of comedy and or Star Wars this is a must-see. So many one-liners in references. Highly recommend seeing this in theaters if you have the chance during throwback showings..... LUDICROUS SPEED... GO!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

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Rich

Unquestionably the greatest movie of all time

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/03/24

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smichalkowski

Haven't seen it in decades but it was good

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/02/23

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Arlan P

What is there NOT to like...it's Mel Brooks!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

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Joshua C

Absolutely hilarious!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

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Crystal U

Awesome as always!! I think my kids appreciated more of the humor now!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/26/21

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Mel Brooks

Director

Mel Brooks

President Skroob

John Candy

Barfolemew "Barf"

Rick Moranis

Lord Dark Helmet

Bill Pullman

Captain Lone Starr

Daphne Zuniga

Princess Vespa

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Synopsis

In a distant galaxy, planet Spaceball has depleted its air supply, leaving its citizens reliant on a product called "Perri-Air." In desperation, Spaceball's leader President Skroob (Mel Brooks) orders the evil Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis) to kidnap Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) of oxygen-rich Druidia and hold her hostage in exchange for air. But help arrives for the Princess in the form of renegade space pilot Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-man, half-dog partner, Barf (John Candy).

Director: Mel Brooks
Producer: Mel Brooks
Screenwriter: Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan, Ronny Graham
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp.
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: French
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 4, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 20, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $36.7M
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Surround

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