KATE SAYS this film is full of great lines, so many that it is hard to choose a favorite. I think mine is "No, no, no, don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to" but that could change tomorrow.
The movie ends rather abruptly--there really is no big confrontation or send-off. But then the movie's plot is almost the least important part of the movie which focuses more on interactions than sequencing ("There! Evil pure and simple by way of the Eighth Dimension!").My favorite part of this movie is the scooby gang and their interactions with Buckaroo. When Buckaroo first addresses Penny/Peggy in the audience, one scooby member whispers to another, "That's weird." It's hilarious.
Because of course Buckaroo's whole life is weird. But the scooby-gang treats (almost) everything that happens to him as totally normal. Because of course it is to them--until it gets weird.
But that everyday, easy-going interaction is my favorite part of other movies, like in The Fugitive where Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones) and the scooby gang grouse to each other about boots and donuts. And Buckaroo Banzai is especially fun in this way because of the amazing cast.
The other movies on our 80's list have included stars. This movie is bang-full not just of stars but of actors who have worked steadily in the last 30 years or more. I mean, how cool does a film have to be that includes Vincent Schiavelli as well as Christopher Lloyd and Dan Hedaya? It is the awesomest collection of random, skilled, odd-ball actors ever. Kudos!!
The lack of a coherent pay-off does keep the film in cult territory rather than, like Princess Bride, in cult/classic film territory. Still, as an example of low-key banter--excluding the wild & amusing John Lithgow--and of letting jokes sit in a scene without calling attention to them (like Goldblum showing up in full cowboy regalia for apparently no relatable reason and being called Jersey), Buckaroo Banzai was far ahead of its time.
MIKE SAYS I'm not quite sure how to take this film. At times it borders on farce, but the cast play the thing so straight and casual, that you start to take them seriously. Which is kind of confusing when you have the main character doing and saying perhaps the most absurd things ever, and everyone around him is falling over themselves admiring him.
What adds to the confusion is the technology gap. When Buckaroo pulls out a clunky homing device with a large blinking arrow on it, it is hard to know if I was supposed to laugh or be impressed. The characters, the plot, the whole film is so over the top that it seems obvious that the entire film was a joke.
But with fairly serious stakes, fairly straight acting, and some genuinly tense scenes, well, my poor brain just didn't know how to process it. It occurs to me that I may be finally experiencing what most people feel when they first see Buffy. It's a kind of ongoing struggle of "Wait, am I allowed to laugh?"
As Kate mentions, the cast itself is fairly impressive, chock full of character actors and career actors that deliver a solid performance. So much so, that if the film were remade, I would probably choose many of the same people to play the roles... they're that perfectly cast.
The movie ends up being perfect for this list, which is, really, a list of cult classics that only a few of us remember. I had seen this film before, but it had been years... so many years in fact that I didn't remember most of it. The odd thing is that the name Buckaroo Bonzia was a solid, recurrent meme in my life. My mom would often call one of us kids Buckaroo when we were being weird... or adventurous.
In fact, it seems that most people are aware of the name, yet clueless to the movie. The most impressive thing about this is that while Buckaroo is presented as an established character with a rich history, this film is the only thing he's ever really appeared in.
The film seems to be an attempt to create a unique Iconic American hero with a memorable supporting cast, much like James Bond or Doctor Who. While the movie series didn't take off, the character seems to have made an impact.
Buckaroo endures as a cult icon, regardless of the original intentions. It is disappointing that he didn't continue. Though, Buckaroo does personify the 80's hero: Good at everything--music, science, fighting, and he gets woman. That he gets off the occasional one-liner is just a bonus. Watching him strut with his gang and a bow tie almost makes me wonder just how much of Matt Smith's Doctor may have been inspired by Buckaroo.... we'll see if that's a good thing.
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