Summary
Released in 1987,Spaceballsis director Mel Brooks’Star Warsparody. Known for his raucous and often crude comedies, such asBlazing SaddlesandYoung Frankenstein,Spaceballscontinued Brooks' streak. Thesci-ficomedy adventure took aim at many classics aside from George Lucas' space operas, including Stanley Kubrick’s2001: A Space Odysseyand Ridley Scott’sAlien.Spaceballsstars Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, Joan Rivers, and Brooks himself. The movie’s humor is directed at sci-fi tropes and popular media, embracing ribald jokes and scathing observations to deliver a comedy that has endured to the present day.
Now, 40 years later,Spaceballsis getting a sequel. With many long-gestating sequels often failing to appease fans, likeDumb and Dumber ToorIndependence Day: Resurgence, some may be concerned aboutSpaceballs 2,especially considering the time gap between the movies. However, the sequel has plenty from the last 40 years working to its benefit.
SpaceballsWas Mel Brooks' Spoof OfStar Wars
Spaceballshas small momentslampooning movies likeAlien, seen with the chest-bursting Xenomorphs dance number, and2001: A Space Odysseywith the lengthy spaceship reveal. Butthe movie’s characters and story were built from the bones ofStar Wars.The core narrative follows Pullman’s Lone Starr, a combination of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, and his sidekick Barf, a Mog, or doglike alien race, who pokes fun at Chewbacca. Their quest has them aiding a princess, like Leia inStar Wars, and her C-3PO knockoff, Dot Matrix, when Dark Helmet threatens their planet, a clear jab at Darth Vader.
The story mirrorsStar Wars, with characters parodying the significant roles in the film, butSpaceballsalso takes shots at lore and even real-world influences from the sci-fi franchise. Lone Starr must master The Schwartz (like The Force), which is taught to him by Yogurt, played by Mel Brooks in Yoda-esque makeup. Yogurt also makes an extended joke about George Lucas' financial windfall, thanks to his retaining the merchandising rights forStar Wars.Spaceballseven parodies Lightspeed, with their ridiculous Ludicrous Speed, which causes humorous fallout. WhileSpaceballspoked fun at numerous science fictionmovies, its main target was alwaysStar Wars.
How TheStar WarsLandscape Has Changed SinceSpaceballs
WhenSpaceballshit theaters in 1987, only the originalStar Warstrilogy had been released, withReturn of the Jedicoming out in 1983. Since that time, the amount ofStar Warscontent has drastically changed. The entire prequel trilogy was released, fleshing out Anakin’s backstory prior to his time as Darth Vader, and highlighting Obi-Wan’s story before aiding Luke.Revenge of the Sithbrought the prequel trilogy to an end in 2005, but the franchise continued with the belovedanimated seriesStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
Disney wound up with the rights toStar Warsin 2012, planning an extensive future for the franchise. Disney’s sequel trilogy of films featured new characters like Rey, Finn, and Poe, with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford all returning to their roles as well. WhileThe Force Awakenswas met with enthusiastic fan reactions, the series continued to squander audience goodwill, ending with a thud in 2019 withThe Rise of Skywalker.However, Disney also released spinoff films, withRogue Oneproving to be one of the franchise’s best movies, andSolo, which fleshed out Han’s backstory with middling results.
The most significantStar Warsexpansion in recent years has been the Disney+ streaming TV shows.The Mandaloriankicked things off with impressive results, and despite ups and downs, it has remained popular. Other shows, likeThe Book of Boba FettandThe Acolyte, have missed the mark, with the former wasting a fan-favorite character from the original trilogy. However, while it initially felt unnecessary,Andorhas proven to be one of themost impactful storiesStar Warshas ever told, showing there is still promise for the franchise.
Spaceballs 2Has Plenty Of NewStar WarsMaterial To Parody
With such a staggering amount of newStar Warscontent,Spaceballs 2has plenty of new material to pull from when it comes to making jokes.There is so muchStar Warsmedia thatSpaceballs 2may have more trouble deciding what not to lampoon.While they are likely to stay away from shows likeThe Acolyte, the poor reception ofThe Book of Boba Fettis perfect canon fodder for the sequel.Spaceballs 2also has the opportunity to poke fun at the pure oversaturation ofStar Wars, as it is venturing into the territory of having too much to keep up with. The initial love ofThe Force Awakensbefore the franchise declined to middling reviews and tepid fan reception also provides fertile ground for parody.
With Dark Helmet returning,Spaceballs 2will get a boost from Rick Moranis coming out of retirement to play the role.While that news is big enough, it also allowsSpaceballsto provide the character with a fleshed-out backstory akin to Anakin’s, which could offer a humorous origin story behind his big helmet. There may also be elements of a legacy sequel at play.Alongside Bill Pullman will be his son, Lewis Pullman, playing the new character Starburst, the offspring of Lone Starr. While fans still have time before the 2027 release ofSpaceballs 2, the 40-year gap between sequels has provided more than enough new Star Wars material primed for parody.
