Released in 1987, Spaceballs assembled some of the biggest names in comedy including John Candy, Mel Brooks, Rick Moranis, and Joan Rivers, and blasted them into a galaxy far, far away as they embarked on a farcical parody of the original Star Wars trilogy. Full of slapstick sight-gags and intergalactic puns, no one was safe from the parodying of director and co-writer Mel Brooks who took aim at Star Trek, Alien, The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, Transformers, and more.
The movie was a huge hit with critics and became an instant cult classic, with many considering it the pinnacle of the sci-ficomedy genre. Mel Brooks is a master at blending sharp satire, slapstick humor, and applying a playful twist to popular genres, but he’s not the only one.
Here we’ve looked outside his body of work and have handpicked 10 great movies that fall within the sci-fi genre and share a similar tone to Spaceballs. These outrageous comedies and clever parodies are perfect for those who appreciate Spaceballs' offbeat humor and irreverent charm.
10 Multiplicity (1996)
Released in 1996, Multiplicity follows Michael Keaton as a man who discovers a way to duplicate himself, allowing him to be in multiple places at once. What, at first, seems like a great solution to his overly busy lifestyle soon becomes a problem as the duplicated versions of himself begin to develop their own personalities.
Multiplicity Possesses a Certain Charm and Appeal That Makes up for Its Shortcomings
Michael Keaton is undeniably a talented actor, his movie output, however, has been somewhat of a mixed bag. From critically acclaimed classics like Beetlejuice, Batman, and Birdman to absolute stinkers like White Noise and Jack Frost; consistency isn’t Keaton’s strong point.
For all intents and purposes, Multiplicity should find itself positioned firmly among the stinkers; it bombed at the box office and was ravaged by critics. Underneath it all, though, there’s a certain charm that makes it near impossible not to crack a smile as you bear witness to the multiple Michael Keaton’s and their ridiculous shenanigans unfold.
9 Innerspace (1987)
Starring Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, and Martin Short, and directed by Joe Dante with Steven Spielberg serving as an executive producer, Innerspace is a hilarious sci-fi romp that proves that the genre needn’t be overly intelligent or cerebral to be entertaining and engaging. It tells the story of a marine who, during an experiment gone wrong, unexpectedly finds himself miniaturized and stuck inside the body of a hapless store clerk. Together, the unlikely duo must learn to work together to rectify the situation.
Innerspace Is Now a Hidden Gem
One would think that with the talent associated, Innerspace would be considered an all-time classic, remembered and revered by many. The movie won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, was a hit with critics, and had a decent run at the box office. For some reason or another, though, it seems to have been lost in time. That’s not to say, though, it’s not a delightful little comedy that hasn’t lost any of its charm since its release over 30 years ago.
8 Thor: Ragnarok
While Marvel was certainly no stranger to comedy by this point; having dipped its toes in the genre with films like Ant-Man and Guardians of The Galaxy, never before had it embraced this level of absurdity and outright silliness as it did in Thor: Ragnarok, and it paid off. While the first two Thor movies were pretty serious in tone, that all changed when director Taika Waititi stepped in.
Best known for his work on the mockumentary What We Do in The Shadows and the comedy-drama Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Waititi brought his unique, comedic chops to the table and masterfully reimagined the character and franchise as a laugh-out-loud, almost farcical, sci-fi action-comedy, making for the most successful entry in the series to date.
Critics and Audiences Loved Taika Waititi’s Take
After being repositioned as a comedy, the movie proved to be a huge hit, outperforming the previous two Thor entries at the box office and scoring a near-perfect critic’s score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The acting from Chris Hemsworth as Thor was particularly praised along with the supporting performances from Jeff Goldblum and Cate Blanchet as the film’s antagonists. Audiences and critics also enjoyed the humor and witty dialogue as well as the CGI effects and action sequences.
7 Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1984)
Fans of Spaceball’s absurdist, parody-style humor might find something enjoyable in Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, as long as they expect a heavy emphasis on the ‘absurd’ part. The movie does what it does on the tin and does so with its tongue firmly placed in its cheek. Made on a budget of less than $100,000, it is a schlocky, sci-fi horror, B-movie that in itself is a spoof of other sci-fi horror b-movies. On top of this, there are some amusing nods and references to other, bigger movies, including The Birds, Jaws, and Superman.
Attack of The Killer Tomatoes Was Not Critically Acclaimed but is Considered a Cult Classic
Unsurprisingly, a movie about oversized killer tomatoes didn’t go down a storm with critics with many predictably failing to find the humor in the movie’s ridiculous premise. The movie did find an audience, though, and managed to make a healthy profit. The movie’s success spawned a further three sequels, all co-written by the same three writers and directed by John DeBello. The original is now considered a cult classic with a solid fanbase who appreciate its silliness.
6 Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)
Arguably the Citizen Kane of the ‘science-fiction- musical-romantic-comedy’ subgenre, Earth Girls Are Easy sees actors Geena Davis and Charles Rocket encountering a trio of aliens played by Jeff Goldblum, Damon Wayans, and Jim Carrey. It just so happens these aliens scrub up pretty well and after a crash course in the planet’s culture, they’re ready to hit the dating scene.
Earth Girls Are Easy Is Good, Silly Fun That’s Bolstered by Its Impressive Cast
Charming, good-hearted, and goofy, Earth Girls Are Easy doesn’t pretend to be anything particularly deep but has enough amusing sight gags, witty dialogue, and catchy musical numbers to provide a solid 100 minutes of good, fun entertainment. Its strong cast of established actors and shining newcomers helps elevate the movie further and cement its place as a cult classic.
5 Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Rude, crude, and utterly ridiculous, Hot Tub Time Machine, follows a ragtag group of hard-drinking buddies who find themselves stuck in the past due to a time-traveling hot tub. While not an instant hit, the fun premise and likable cast led to strong word-of-mouth feedback eventually resulting in enough popularity to justify a sequel.
Hot Tub Time Machine Adopts a Similar Irreverent Style of Comedy to Spaceballs
Hot Tub Time Machine playfully takes aim at '80s nostalgia and time-travel clichés with the same brand of absurdity that Spaceballs adopts. Both movies embrace ridiculous scenarios and self-aware characters, delivering the kind of over-the-top comedy that appeals to fans of slapstick, satire, sci-fi, and spoofs.
4 Men in Black (1997)
Men in Black sees Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones teaming up in this buddy cop movie with a sci-fi twist. The galaxy defenders are tasked with protecting the Earth from the scum of the universe. From wisecracking pug dogs to ferocious giant bugs, the duo encounter all manner of weird and wonderful alien creatures, many of whom operate in disguise on planet Earth.
Men in Black Perfectly Utilizes Its Immense Budget
Unlike other movies that dip their toes into the realms of parody and sci-fi absurdism and deliberately lean into cheap, campy special effects for comedic effect, Men In Black goes all out, utilizing some of the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Released in 1997, with a colossal budget of around $90 million, the studio was able to create an utterly jaw-dropping spectacle that is just as visually impressive as it is hilarious.
3 Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
With an all-star cast that includes Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Nighy, John Malkovich and the voices of Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren and Stephen Fry, 2005’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is the first and only big screen adaptation in the Hitchhiker’s franchise.
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Started Life as a BBC Radio Broadcast
Created by Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a sharp, sardonic, and very British sci-fi comedy that, since being aired as a radio comedy broadcast in 1978, has been adapted into novels, stage shows, video games, a TV series, comic books and, in 2005, a feature-length movie.
It follows a man named Arthur Dent who is swept off Earth just before its destruction and embarks on a chaotic journey through space, encountering strange alien species and cosmic absurdities, all while searching for the ultimate ‘meaning of life, the universe, and everything.’
2 Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Part of the Abbott and Costello film series, here, the duo play bumbling detectives who must help clear an invisible man wrongly accused of murder, leading to a series of chaotic and hilarious misadventures. Released in 1951, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man playful blends classic horror and sci-fi with comedic elements.
Abbot And Costello Meet the Invisible Man Flips Genre Conventions On Their Heads
Similar to Spaceballs, Abbot and Costello Meet the Invisible Man is a joyous slapstick, absurdist lark nested within a familiar genre framework. It takes the serious Invisible Man character from the ‘Universal monster’ pantheon and throws him into a narrative filled with farcical, comedic gags in a manner similar to how Spaceballs parodies the serious tone of Star Wars and other sci-fi epics.
1 Real Genius (1985)
Real Geniuses is a ridiculously fun comedy from 1985 that pays homage to both the teen comedy genre and the sci-fi genre whilst simultaneously parodying them. It stars Val Kilmer as a super-intelligent student who, along with his science partner, creates an advanced laser weapon. Chaos ensues as the pair try to prevent the weapon from falling into the wrong hands and being used for nefarious purposes.
Real Genius Was a Hit with Critics but Didn’t Make Much of an Impact on the Box Office
The movies scored a respectable approval rating of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Val Kilmer’s onscreen charisma and the movie’s playful tone and fun sight gags. Unfortunately, this critical success didn’t translate into box office performance and, while not a flop, it only grossed around $13 million at the box office.
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