Directed by W.D. Richter
Written by Earl Mac Rauch
Cast: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, William Traylor, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Mariclare Costello, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera, Laura Harrington, Jonathan Banks, John Ashton, Yakov Smirnoff
Soundtrack: Michael Boddicker
Speaking of not getting things, I’m not convinced there’s anyone, alive or dead, including its creators, who truly “gets” Buckaroo Banzai.
Does it matter? Hardly. I love it all the same.
Now, I have to be careful here, because this is one of those cult classics, meaning there’s been a small but loyal fanbase for a long time, and I have to admit that I’m not one of them. No, I came to this movie the way I’m sure many have in recent years: the fact that it was Spine #1 for Shout Factory’s “Shout Select” line (which also includes Shakedown and Trespass, by the way).
What can I say? They sold me on it, and I bought it (it also doesn’t hurt that it’s largely “set” in New Jersey).
But, yeah, this movie’s wild, and it throws a lot at you (I might give it a higher rating if it wasn’t so much), but thankfully it has a great ensemble cast to pull it off. This is is one of those films that if it was made a year later, there’s no way you’re getting the same caliber of cast together (e.g. Under Siege). And the quality is not just in the major players like Peter Weller and John Lithgow (though they are great in this movie), but all the way down the line to people you may not know at all, like Lewis Smith as Perfect Tommy, and people you might know now, like Jonathan Banks as the Hospital Guard.
And thanks to the cast selling the often insane-sounding dialogue, Buckaroo Banzai is the second-most quotable movie of 1984. I mean, I’m very tempted to just start quoting lines right here, right now, but I’ll refrain; just take my word for it.
Really though, what makes Buckaroo Banzai so special is that it feels so wholly original. It has its influences, to be sure, but I personally have a hard time making straight line connections where I can say, “This thing comes from that thing.” The sad part is that there was some really petty interference from the executive producer that ended up holding the movie back just enough, perhaps none greater than firing the original cinematographer, Jordan Cronenweth (he shot a little movie you may have heard of called BLADE RUNNER).
Still, for me, Buckaroo Banzai is one of those movies that’s a great litmus test for people. As I said, nobody “gets” it, but if somebody else really likes it, there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to get along. It’s fun, it’s bonkers, it’s just a touch romantic, there’s some really unique sci-fi elements, and it’s only 103 minutes.
What a shame it never got a sequel.
Rating: ★★★★☆