The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension

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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension

PG

Released Aug 15, 1984

1h 43m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

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

Full Review

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

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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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Topher S

Very fun retro scifi/adventure serial

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/25

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Rex M

This movie has little chance of changing your life. It's just fun to watch and bonus the 80s dialog is amusing. That being said, as a Gen X'er, Buckaroo Banzi has its own modest pillar in my temple of favorite movies.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

Full Review

Ryan M

Classic movie with great performances by big name actors that had not yet reached their ultimate prominence. However, Lithgow as Jon Whorfin stole the show. Saw it at the theater back in '84 with my dad and just took my 17 year old to a one-time showing at an old art house style theater this past Saturday. Just as enjoyable as it was 40 years ago.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/09/24

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This Old G

A weirdly insane sci-fi romp that never gets old every time I watch it. Certainly one of a kind

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/03/24

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G

I have no less than 5 copies of the movie on DVD, two tshirts, a movie poster, a fridge magnet, several cosplay identification badges, quite a few pins, a copy of the Marvel comic book adaptation and the topper is a YoYodyne Propulsion Systems coffee mug. To this day the movie remains my favorite of all time. I might attend a Comic-con soon and get a pic with Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller). Buckaroo Banzai was my first real action hero even before they were called that. Peter Weller in an interview once said Buckaroo isn't a superhero and is made better by the people he surrounds himself with. Those hard rockin' Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroos most trusted inner circle. Turning 60 this year reminds me that next year the movie celebrates its fortieth anniversary. I even have my eye on an Oscillation Overthruster. Update: I actually now have a screen accurate Oscillation Overthruster I am a bit slow on things sometime, though it gets to my noggin eventually. I was listening to Legendary Labels: Sun Records and just like that the light went on. The Ike Turner song Rocket 88 is the Buckaroo Banzai intro to the short musical piece in the film. Yes, I know it is spelled Rockit 88 in the movie. The Oldsmobile 88 and its Rocket 88 V-8 motor are legendary performers. In fact, they were immortalized in the 1951 hit record, "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats, who cut the tune that has been called the first rock 'n' roll recording. A rollicking and outlandishly awesome movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/01/24

Full Review

Person 1

The first 10 minutes was a bunch of people in costumes clicking sci-fi buttons while saying nonsense sciencey words. And it somehow managed to go downhill from there.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/19/24

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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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