Airplane! (1980) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?

Bontent's parent guide suggests Airplane! is best for ages 12+. It's rated PG. A traumatised former pilot must land a stricken airliner when the crew is incapacitated. The original disaster movie parody. The PG rating covers adult humour acceptable in 1980 — some gags have aged poorly.

Airplane! is officially rated PG. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 12+.

A traumatised former pilot must land a stricken airliner when the crew is incapacitated. The original disaster movie parody. The PG rating covers adult humour acceptable in 1980 — some gags have aged poorly.

Crude sexual jokes including a briefly nude woman. Some gags have not aged well.

The film features frequent slapstick violence played for comedic effect, such as characters being punched or knocked unconscious in exaggerated ways. While there are depictions of a plane in distress and various chaotic accidents, there is no graphic gore or…

Dialogue contains moderate profanity that was common in 1980s PG-rated features, including uses of 'hell,' 'damn,' and 'ass.' There is also some crude terminology and suggestive wordplay used for comedic shock value. The language remains consistent with a…

A recurring visual gag involves a character having a literal 'drinking problem,' where he splashes water or liquor onto his face instead of into his mouth. The film also includes scenes of social drinking and characters smoking cigarettes, which reflects the…

The film operates at approximately four jokes per minute — the density is its defining quality. The disaster movie parody at its purest. 'Don't call me Shirley.'

Airplane! runs 88 minutes, directed by Jim Abrahams & David Zucker, released in 1980.

Create a free Bontent account to unlock the full scene-by-scene notes, filter by your kids' ages, and save titles to your personal watchlist.