Spaceballs (1987)

At one point the villains pop in a tape of Spaceballs to find out where the heroes went, and that single gag is smarter than the movie’s entire plot. The story is a Star Wars spoof that showed up a decade late, Bill Pullman’s Lone Starr is a handsome nothing, and for every joke that lands, two puns crash into the scenery. Then Rick Moranis tucks himself into that enormous helmet and saves everything. His Dark Helmet is a tiny tyrant who plays with action figures when he thinks nobody’s watching. John Candy’s Barf, half man and half dog, is pure warmth. Mel Brooks pulls double duty as a dim president and Yogurt, a tiny wise guru who mostly cares about merchandising. The bit where troopers literally comb the desert is still perfect. It made $38.1 million at the domestic box office on a reported $22.7M. A 6.9 because the best bits are classics and the rest is filler. $275.73 says you check the combination on your luggage tonight and feel personally attacked.

What works: Rick Moranis and John Candy are hilarious, and the meta gags, from the instant video to the merchandising pitch, still feel ahead of their time.

What doesn’t: Lone Starr and Vespa are bland leads, and plenty of the puns and spoof bits land with a thud that no amount of ludicrous speed can fix.

Who it’s for: Star Wars fans who can take a joke and want a spoof they’ll be quoting with friends for years.