I wanna start out this review by saying that this film is one of my favorite films of all time! Seriously, every time I break out my copy of the DVD or see it playing on television, I immediately get the biggest grin on my face. And the best part about it is the fact that I have seen it hundreds of times, and I STILL couldn't begin to really understand some of it!
The film kicks off by dropping us into a universe that already exists, and we are expected to just catch up. Buckaroo Banzai is pretty much the smartest man on the entire planet. He's the best neurosurgeon, scientist, auto mechanic, musician, spy, and humanitarian that Earth knows. In this universe, he is everywhere. Comic books, action figures, any form of merchandise that you could name and Banzai's face would be slapped all over it. But soon, Buckaroo and his band of companions lovingly known as the "Hong Kong Cavaliers" are thrust into a war between two alien races from the 8th Dimension, the evil Red Lectroids and the peaceful Black Lectroids. The leader of the Red Lectroids, Lord John Whorfin, has been stuck on Earth for decades inside the body of famed scientist-turned psychotic patient Dr. Emilio Lizardo, and when he sees Buckaroo on TV achieve the impossible by blasting into another dimension with a mechanism called the Oscilation Overthruster, he realizes that he has finally found a way to get back home and continue his evil ways. Of course, Buckaroo gets involved after the Black Lectroids demand that he stop Whorfin. And if he fails, then they would stage a nuclear attack that would cause the start of World War III. So no pressure. Aided by the Cavaliers and the Blue Blazer Irregulars, Buckaroo Banzai launches into a battle where time is most definitely of the essence.
I think the thing I love the most about this movie is that it never takes itself too seriously. It's not trying to spoon feed you a huge amount of backstory just so you could better understand what's going on. It's telling you that this place already exists, and you will just have to follow along as well as you can. It's incredibly goofy. That's proven when its showcased that all the Red Lectroids, when displaying human form, take the guise of Caucasian males. And the Black Lectroids, well, they choose the human form of Rastafarian Jamaicans. And all the aliens, on both sides, choose the first name John. So we're inundated with characters with names like John Bigboote, John Smallberries, and John Yaya, among others.
The film kicks off by dropping us into a universe that already exists, and we are expected to just catch up. Buckaroo Banzai is pretty much the smartest man on the entire planet. He's the best neurosurgeon, scientist, auto mechanic, musician, spy, and humanitarian that Earth knows. In this universe, he is everywhere. Comic books, action figures, any form of merchandise that you could name and Banzai's face would be slapped all over it. But soon, Buckaroo and his band of companions lovingly known as the "Hong Kong Cavaliers" are thrust into a war between two alien races from the 8th Dimension, the evil Red Lectroids and the peaceful Black Lectroids. The leader of the Red Lectroids, Lord John Whorfin, has been stuck on Earth for decades inside the body of famed scientist-turned psychotic patient Dr. Emilio Lizardo, and when he sees Buckaroo on TV achieve the impossible by blasting into another dimension with a mechanism called the Oscilation Overthruster, he realizes that he has finally found a way to get back home and continue his evil ways. Of course, Buckaroo gets involved after the Black Lectroids demand that he stop Whorfin. And if he fails, then they would stage a nuclear attack that would cause the start of World War III. So no pressure. Aided by the Cavaliers and the Blue Blazer Irregulars, Buckaroo Banzai launches into a battle where time is most definitely of the essence.
I think the thing I love the most about this movie is that it never takes itself too seriously. It's not trying to spoon feed you a huge amount of backstory just so you could better understand what's going on. It's telling you that this place already exists, and you will just have to follow along as well as you can. It's incredibly goofy. That's proven when its showcased that all the Red Lectroids, when displaying human form, take the guise of Caucasian males. And the Black Lectroids, well, they choose the human form of Rastafarian Jamaicans. And all the aliens, on both sides, choose the first name John. So we're inundated with characters with names like John Bigboote, John Smallberries, and John Yaya, among others.
Buckaroo's pals, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, also utilize some pretty interesting names. Guys like Rawhide, Perfect Tommy, Reno Nevada, New Jersey, and the never shown Pecos are an eclectic grouping of guys, each with their own gimmick. For example, Perfect Tommy believes himself to be absolutely that, perfect. At the other end of the spectrum, New Jersey is a huge cowboy and country music nut, and only takes the name New Jersey because that happens to be where he hails from. And of course, there's the love interest thrown in. In this case, her name is Penny Priddy. She starts out as the girl in the dance club who's down on her luck, but then we get the story of how she's (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!) apparently the identical twin sister of Buckaroo's recently deceased wife, neither of whom ever knew about the other. Kind of interesting, with a little weird thrown in. But that's okay, because this movie's not trying to be sane in any way.
The cast is just a fantastic variety of styles. Well known actor Peter Weller takes the role of the title character, while veteran actor John Lithgow brings Lord John Whorfin to life. Then add to that Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, and Clancy Brown, and you've got a pretty in-depth group of actors that played these roles to perfection.
The cast is just a fantastic variety of styles. Well known actor Peter Weller takes the role of the title character, while veteran actor John Lithgow brings Lord John Whorfin to life. Then add to that Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, and Clancy Brown, and you've got a pretty in-depth group of actors that played these roles to perfection.
One thing that this film did do, however, is fall into the trap of promising a sequel that never materialized. At the end of the film, right before the credits, we are promised that Buckaroo and the gand would return in "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League". It's already established in the film the existence of the World Crime League as a group which Buckaroo and the Cavaliers have encountered on numerous times before. The leader of the League, Hanoi Xan, is actually responsible for the deaths of Buckeroo's parents when he was just a kid. A Film showcasing the battle between the two forces would have been amazing. Sadly, though, nothing came of it. The studio decided not to partake in another adventure in the Banzai Universe. However, Buckaroo has continued throughout the years. Just in written format, such as comic books and graphic novels.
I highly recommend this film to anyone who wishes to view it. In today's Hollywood, we're constantly being given sequels and remakes. But this film is, and always will be, a complete original. Some of you may not exactly "get it". But that's okay. The only thing this film wants is to be enjoyed by you, your family, friends, and whoever else watches with you. I guarantee you'll get a chuckle at some parts of this film, if not the entire thing. Until next time, I leave you with the rather unorthodox yet quite fun ending credits sequence.