Release OrderRecommended
0 / 2 watchedBoth films in release order. The original first, the moon sequel second.
Directed by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker
- 1 Airplane! Ted Striker lands a plane with a poisoned flight crew. The essential one.
Directed by Ken Finkleman
- 2 Airplane II: The Sequel Ted saves a moon shuttle; most of the cast returned without ZAZ.
Chronological Order
0 / 2 watchedStory order, identical to release order. Ted and Elaine's jet flight comes before the moon shuttle.
Directed by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker
- 1 Airplane! Ted Striker lands a plane with a poisoned flight crew. The essential one.
Directed by Ken Finkleman
- 2 Airplane II: The Sequel Ted saves a moon shuttle; most of the cast returned without ZAZ.
About Airplane
Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker built Airplane! (1980) almost joke for joke on the plot of the 1957 disaster drama Zero Hour!, casting serious actors to play it straight.
The trio sat out the 1982 sequel to make Police Squad! instead, leaving Ken Finkleman to move Ted and Elaine to a moon shuttle.
Good to know
ZAZ publicly distanced themselves from the sequel during its marketing, which is why the two films feel different. The end credits gag promising Airplane III never led to a third film.
