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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

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The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

August. 15,1984
|
6.2
|
PG
| Adventure Comedy Science Fiction Romance
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Adventurer/surgeon/rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his band of men, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, take on evil alien invaders from the 8th dimension.

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Cubussoli
1984/08/15

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

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Cleveronix
1984/08/16

A different way of telling a story

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Chirphymium
1984/08/17

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

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Francene Odetta
1984/08/18

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

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shayannjarm
1984/08/19

Surreal, confusing, non-sensical, great actors, plot holes.. Sci-fi? Parody? Pastiche? Comedy? Action? Drama? Romance? It's all and none of these; it's a cluster of the most indescribable nonsense which only occasionally attempts to make any sense, with a group of actors so talented that character development is meaningless, and who are so dedicated to the film's own lunacy that I can't help but revel in every moment of it's loosely structured plot and ambiguous storytelling. I don't know what I just watched, and I hate myself for loving such a complete waste of time! I'm currently unable to either confirm or deny whether this movie is worth watching. Honestly.. It defies explanation. That is all.

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NateWatchesCoolMovies
1984/08/20

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The 8th Dimension. There's a title, eh? The film lives up to it too, and is simply one of the most unique, bizarre and original sci fi flicks out there. It's the very definition of cult to its abstract bones, filled to the brim with eccentricities and idiosyncrasies. For me it represents a certain genre niche that's nestled squarely in goofball mode, splayed out across the borders of science fiction, comedy and farce, without a care in the world and not an iota of self consciousness or any fvcks given. Call it Buck Rogers meets The Avengers meets Bonanza doesn't even scratch the surface. Peter Weller, that eternally cool bastard, plays Buckaroo Banzai, who is somewhat of a renaissance man. He's a neurosurgeon, a rock star, a scientist and above all a lover of adventure, always sporting Weller's unmistakable deadpan charm. Buckaroo and his band are also a crime fighting team called The Hong Kong Cavaliers, and include roughneck but lovable cowboy Rawhide (Clancy Brown) and slick New Jersey (Jeff Goldblum). Buck has perfected a device called the oscillation overthruster, which allows him to travel through solid matter and on into the eighth dimension. Only problem is, the red lectroids, an alien race from planet 10, want to steal the device for their own. They are led by an unbelievably funny John Lithgow who gets the spirit of the film and then some. Buck also finds romance with the adorable Penny Priddy (Ellen Barkin), whisking her off into super sonic adventure with him and the Cavaliers. It's beyond silly, super arbitrary and random, and I love every glorious unfiltered minute of it. This type of wantonly bizarre stuff is my cinematic bread and butter, especially when it's done with such pep in its step, as well ass love and commitment to being an oddball venture. The cast is huge and all in that loopy sleep deprived state where everything is funny and strange organic creation comes from the abstract. Watch for Dan Hedaya, Lewis Smith, Pepe Serna, Vincent Schiavelli, Jonathan Banks, John Ashton and Christopher Lloyd too. A wacky gem with a style all its own, constantly tapped into a well of creation, humour and fun.

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Shawn Watson
1984/08/21

I'm not sure I am able to review this film, I don't know what it is. I don't think half of the cast even know what it is. But I do know that I like it, a lot. It has a wonderfully infectious edge and does not care to conform to the expectations of any particular genre.Peter Weller is Buckaroo Banzai a Japanese/American rock star/brain surgeon/secret agent/rocket scientist who travels through the 8th dimension in his rocket car with the help of his latest invention - the Oscillation Overthruster. The success of this inter-dimensional travel brings forth the Rastafarian Black Lectoids, an alien race at war with the the Red Lectoids, led by a manic John Lithgow as Dr. Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin, who are already here on Earth and sabotaging Buckaroo and his very large easy-going entourage the Hong Kong Cavaliers.Honestly, there is so much going on here that it's very hard to get a handle on it. This also makes Buckaroo Banzai infinitely re- watchable. Imagine the insanity of Big Trouble in Little China and dial it all the way up past the threshold. It's incredible that I have only just discovered this film. Perhaps attempting to review it this soon after my mind has attempted to absorb it is a mistake. One could literally debate and discuss this crazy movie until the end of time and still not cover all of its idiosyncrasies. There is enough material in here for ten movies, yet it never once feels overly crowded, nor did it ever deliver the urgently-needed sequel the end credits promise. The film is PACKED with recognizable stars who debuted or were at there peak in the 80s. Christopher Lloyd and Dan Hedeya as the evil Red Lectoids, Jeff Goldblum as Buckaroo's new recruit, Ellen Barkin as the twin sister of his long-lost true love, Clancy Brown as his right- hand man, and a young Jonathan Banks (with hair).There are so many movies from the 80s that thrive on iconic imagery and eccentric creations. The Oscillation Overthruster really should be as well-known as the Flux Capacitor or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the rocket car should be as recognizable as the DeLeorean, Buckaroo's style should be as popular as Marty's orange body-warmer or Indy's fedora. What really should have caught on with audiences the most is Buckaroo's caring, kind personality. It adds yet another unique layer to an already multi-layered and highly unique film.It's a shame that Buckaroo Banzai failed to find an audience when it was originally released but perhaps having it gradually find its way into popular culture and naturally pull curious viewers into its culture is better than being rudely shoved in our faces.

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Maziun
1984/08/22

This has to be one of the most original , bizarre and unpredictable movies I have seen. A spoof of all those 1950's B-class science-fiction films and comic books (the scene with the Buckaroo Banzai comic book should tell you that). The closest movie I can compare it to is "Big trouble in Little China" or Monthy Python making fun of science fiction. It never takes itself to seriously. It's sort a joke on itself.What we have here is a pseudo science fiction comedy . All the "science" here is just one black joke – it's a parody of gibberish science you can find in many old movies. It's one of those "love it or hate it" movies. I don't think it's a masterpiece , but it's definitely not a piece of s*** that many IMDb reviewers call it."TAOBBATED" is a movie you have to watch at least 2 times just to understand what the heck is going on. On repeated viewings you will be able to notice many small jokes you might have failed to notice . For example I didn't understood why Doctor Lizardo (the main villain) destroyed the arcade game until I've noticed on third watch it was BUCKAROO BANZAI arcade game . "TAOBBATED" has a weird sense of humor –you either get it or don't get it. Some jokes don't really have a punch line (the watermelon) . Some are intelligent – instead of Green Berets we have Blue Blazers . I love : the billboard "The future begins tomorrow" , the John something aliases , "No matter where you go, there you are." , the coolest ending credits ever made.The cast is impressive with some future stars in it. Peter Weller ("Robocop") gives a good performance as Buckaroo Banzai – modern Renaissance Man who is a rock musician/scientist/ neurosurgeon/action hero . He plays his character with dead-pan seriousness , which gives good comedic effect , considering all the crazy things going on. He breaks it few times (his subsequent detection of the sinister Red Lectroid agents , every scene with Penny). Ellen Barkin ("Sea of love") is hot in every outfit she appears and she has great chemistry with Weller. Jeff Goldblum ("The fly") is good as the mild mannered sheriff. Christopher Lloyd ("Back to the future") is fun as the arrogant John Bigboote. The true star however is John Lithgow ("Cliffhanger") as Doctor Lizardo, twisted fascist alien. I love his voice , his Italian accent , his facial expressions. He's a scene stealer with his over-the-top performance.The plot is quite innovative. Inter dimensional alien invasion theme in contrast to aliens from outer space which has since been overused many times feels very fresh. Screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch is full of dry humor and action. Director WD Richter obviously directed "Buckaroo" to be a cult movie. Music by Michael Boddicker is really good. Atmospheric and upbeat works well for this comic-book like adventure. I love the "Buckaroo Banzai theme".The bad things ? The Hong Kong Cavaliers . With the exception of Jeff Goldblum they are rather bland characters . Not really interesting for the viewer , because the filmmakers never explored their personalities. This is a very low-budget movie. The Red Lectroid bivouac was actually an abandoned Firestone tire factory. It does look a bit dated with it's costumes and set designs. The dialogue sometimes can be incredibly heavy on the techno babble attempting to explain the science of the film. The love story isn't given all that much time to develop.A sequel was planned called "Buckaroo Banzai against The World Crime League" . A script written, but the funding did not appear after "TAOBBATED" bombed at the box office. The studio bankrupted . Too bad. I would love to see Evil Hanoi Xan (Buckaroo's arch-nemesis) and the cameo appearance of Jack Burton (Kurt Russell's hero from "Big trouble in Little China") ! I gotta look for the DVD - "Pinky Caruthers Unknown Facts" is a commentary that explores the universe of the movie and explains few things (the watermelon).This is a fine example of 80's film-making. It's a good movie to watch if you like strange , unconventional movies. I give it 4/10.

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