The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension

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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension

PG

1984

1h 43m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

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45 Reviews

69%

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10,000+ Ratings

Buckaroo Banzai is caught with his trusted allies, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, in a battle to the death between evil red aliens and good black aliens from Planet 10. Led by demonic dictator John Whorfin, who has taken over the body of Italian scientist Dr. Emilio Lizardo, the aliens try to get the Overthruster back from Buckaroo Banzai. But the good black aliens are willing to destroy Earth rather than let these renegades return to their planet.

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Critics Consensus

Sci-fi parodies like these usually struggle to work, but Buckaroo Banzai succeeds through total devotion to its own lunacy.

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

A state-of-the-art spaceship flying at the speed of light without narrative coordinates, Buckaroo Banzai is the very oddest good movie in many a full moon.

Aug 20, 2008

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Richter's comic genre hybrid comes complete with its own mythology, and team of established superheroes, and is curiously appealing.

Aug 16, 2007

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Variety Staff

Variety

It violates every rule of storytelling and narrative structure in creating a self-contained world of its own.

Jun 5, 2007

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

The vast, delirious joke of W.D. Richter’s sci-fi comedy... is that it plays like the 189th issue of a comic book that actually has no prior issues.

Jan 22, 2025

Full Review

Janet Maslin

Video Review

Unmistakably tongue-in-cheek, the movie follows Buckaroo (Peter Weller) to the frontier of ultra-hip sci-fi parody. John Lithgow gets a chance to pull out all the stops as a mad scientist, and when things are funny they’re very much so.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2022

Full Review

Alan Jones

Starburst

Too wacky and spaced out for its own good.

Jul 21, 2022

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David M.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai is a unique film in a lot of ways. To start off simply it is not for everyone. You will either adore this film or know it’s not for you after the first viewing. Fans of the film like myself understand that. It’s how special and different the movie is. But that’s okay. I first saw it really little and it took over my imagination! That feeling has never really left me. I understand the movie is wacky, crazy and silly. But I love it. I think part of it is the filmmaker’s created this world where they dropped you in the middle of everything going on. It had this comic book and movie serial feel to it as well. That made me just fall in love. But if it we didn’t have Peter Weller and the cast playing those parts at that time in their careers it would not have worked either. That is to me why it’s become such a cult film all those pieces fell into places people found it on their own. I hope if you do watch this one you get as much enjoyment as I always do!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/03/25

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Sean R

This movie is unlike any other movie of it's time. Kevin Smith called it an absolute art piece, saying "it doesn't care what you bring to the table, it brings itself to the table and says: figure it out". That's about right. I have seen this movie 5-6 times over the years and absolutely love it. A few years ago I re-watched it with my ~16 yo daughter, telling her "This is one of my absolute favorite movies." After we finished the movie she said "Now why is this one of your favorite movies?" And I can totally get why she'd say that. But I stand by my guns, it's a fantastic movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

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Edward F

Watch it for John Lithgow.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

Full Review

Timothy H

Couldn't make it through this. It seems like there should be decent development but it just falls flat. The pacing and script just seem so unnatural.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

Andrew A.

The vibes are cool, but the story is murkily laid out

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

Eye C

Ok, a serie B movie with top actors before that they became top, never the less it’s way too weird and not so good made.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/22/25

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W.D. Richter

Director

Peter Weller

Buckaroo Banzai

John Lithgow

Doctor Emilio Lizardo

Ellen Barkin

Penny Priddy

Jeff Goldblum

New Jersey

Christopher Lloyd

John Bigboote

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Inter-Dimensional Ford

2:20

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Awesome Credits

2:34

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Transmission to the President

2:07

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Penny for Your Thoughts

1:48

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Dr. New Jersey

1:23

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Saving the Day

2:38

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Dr. Lizardo Loses His Mind

2:48

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Duck Hunting Discovery

2:42

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - There You Are

3:23

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension: Official Clip - Holographic Warning

2:05

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Synopsis

Buckaroo Banzai is caught with his trusted allies, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, in a battle to the death between evil red aliens and good black aliens from Planet 10. Led by demonic dictator John Whorfin, who has taken over the body of Italian scientist Dr. Emilio Lizardo, the aliens try to get the Overthruster back from Buckaroo Banzai. But the good black aliens are willing to destroy Earth rather than let these renegades return to their planet.

Director: W.D. Richter
Producer: Neil Canton, W.D. Richter
Screenwriter: Earl Mac Rauch
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Sherwood Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 15, 1984, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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