Product Details

• Actors: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd
• Directors: W.D. Richter
• Writers: Earl Mac Rauch
• Producers: W.D. Richter, Dennis E. Jones, Neil Canton, Sidney Beckerman
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Lions Gate
• VHS Release Date: July 6, 1988
• Run Time: 103 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (237 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301959965
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,608 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension is one of the most agreeably insane movies ever made. Peter Weller stars as Buckaroo, an acclaimed neurosurgeon, particle physicist, and, of course, rock star. He travels with the Hong Kong Cavaliers, a band of hard-rocking scientists who are also really good dressers. Buckaroo's interdimensional experiments with his Operation Overthruster throw him (and the Earth) straight into the middle of an alien war, and before you know it, he's got just a few hours to save the world. Confused? Hang on, we're only 10 minutes into the movie. Buckaroo Banzai hurls you right into the middle of its comic-book universe and keeps going at a breakneck pace. It's chock-full of overlapping jokes (even as we're trying to make sense of Dr. Lizardo's hospital room, a voice calmly announces that "lithium is no longer available on credit" over the PA system), hilarious throwaway dialogue ("You're like Jerry Lewis: you give me hope to carry on."), and weirdness just for the sheer joy of it ("Why is there a watermelon there?" "I'll tell you later."). You'll want to watch it at least twice--there's just no way to catch everything the first time around. Ellen Barkin has a terrific time doing a dead-on film noir moll parody as Penny Priddy, and John Lithgow turns in a brilliant manic performance as Dr. Lizardo/John Whorfin. There is no reason not to own this movie unless you are cold and dead inside. Laugh while you can, Monkey Boys. --Ali Davis

Amazon.com

Peter Weller plays that Renaissance Man, Buckaroo Banzai, a neurosurgeon, car racer, rock singer, and alien chaser in this overdone sci-fi adventure from 1984. After crashing his nuclear-fueled race car and causing a disturbance in the eighth dimension, Banzai releases some extremely unappealing aliens into our atmosphere. First-time director W.D. Richter (Late for Dinner) pulls out all the stops, resulting in a manic dash that is often incoherent. The intent may have been to re-create old-time serials with a pulp-fiction bent, but the screenplay, full of macho dialogue and cool poses, tries too hard. We could have done with a less complicated story and more character development. Still, consider this flawed fun, because it may be silly, but it is also clever. Originally released as The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension. -- Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Laugh-a while you can, monkey boy! Buckaroo's BACK!, November 3, 2000

By 

Benjamin J Burgraff (Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai [VHS] (VHS Tape)

'The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai' nearly defies definition! A cult classic, this send-up of alien invasion stories, pulp fiction heroes, and adventure movies is a love/hate proposition; while I found it to be brilliant fun, many of my friends thought it was incomprehensible! One thing for sure...There is NO other film quite like it!

Buckaroo (played with laid-back coolness by Peter Weller) is a Japanese/American race car driver/neurosurgeon/rock star/comic book hero who, with his rock 'n roll commandos, The Hong Kong Cavaliers, balances his time between saving lives, pushing the boundaries of science, troubleshooting for the President, and playing gigs in nightclubs (lost, yet?). The film opens with his performing surgery, recruiting a new Cavalier member (a pre-stardom Jeff Goldblum), then hopping into a prototype race car, supposedly to break the land speed record, but actually to test a device that would allow man to travel through solid objects by adjusting their molecular density! (NOW are you lost?)

The experiment works, but thrusts Bonzai temporarily into the Eighth Dimension, a kind of Phantom Zone for criminals from Planet Ten. The breech allows an alien invasion to begin, as Planet 10 stormtroops (frog-faced creatures who all take the names of various celebrities named 'John') get their marching orders, and invade New Jersey!

This is not the first time the Eighth Dimension has been breeched; in 1938, Dr. Lizardo (John Lithgow, in his funniest performance ever) attempted a similar experiment, but his head became stuck, temporarily, in the hole! An alien presence entered his mind, and Lizardo was shipped off to a mental hospital, where he plotted the destruction of the human race ("Laugh-a while you can, monkey boy! You all are-a gonna die!") Freed by the invasion force, Lithgow begins to carry out his threat!

Meanwhile, Bonzai meets Penny Priddy (Ellen Barkin, in an early performance), the twin sister of his lost love, while the Hong Kong Cavaliers are performing at a gig, and begins wooing her with his philosophy of life ("No matter where you go...there you are.") A frantic call from the President and a murder attempt breaks up the romantic interlude, and the adventure REALLY begins! (If you aren't lost by now, you may just be a Buckaroo fan!)

The film careens from one climax to another, scarcely allowing the viewer time to think (which, in a film like this, may be a GOOD thing!). Director W.D. Richter deftly keeps the tone light, although there is a heartbreaking death scene tossed in. As the situation grows more desperate, alien Black Lectoids, and the Buckaroo Bonzai Fan Club (Team Banzai) arrive to lend a hand! Will Good triumph? Will Buckaroo find happiness with Penny Priddy? Will the sequel, with Buckaroo taking on a world crime syndicate, ever be made? (Sadly, as the film bombed in it's initial release, THAT appears unlikely!)

Loaded with more imagination than any three films you can name, and a oddball sense of humor, to boot, 'The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai' is a wonderful, wacky triumph, that challenges you to toss aside preconceptions, and 'enjoy the ride'!

I HIGHLY recommend it!

123 of 132 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DVD is stuffed fuller than Santa's Sack! Deleted scenes here, January 13, 2002

By 

Kendal B. Hunter (Provo, UT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (DVD)

THE FILM

BB is second to "Rocky Horror" as the greatest cult film ever.

A lot of the recent appeal is the "Before they were Stars" factor--Peter Weller, Robocop; JOHN Lithgow, 3rd Rock; Jeff Goldblum, Ten Speed and Brownshoe, Jurassic Park; Christopher Lloyd, Back to the Future, Taxi; Vincent Schiavelli, Subway Guy in Ghost; Yakov Smirnov, plays the Secretary of Defense.

They characters look like the people they are supposed to play. Weller is gaunt and tan enough so that he does indeed look half-Japanese. Vincent Schiavelli looks alien enough, and Lithgow does one mean Mussolini. Ellen Barkin is perfect as a lost girl in a big city.

This is sci-comedy, along the lines of Ghostbusters, Hitchhikers Guide, where it simultaneously contributes to the Genera while satirizing it. Look at all of the BB references on Star Trek! In the commentary, Ruach and Richter explain they were imitating the odd humor found in "DR. STANGELOVE," so see that film first before you judge! PS--the watermelon in the Steel press is explained in the audio commentary.

There are emotions surrounding a film, and meaning found in repeating lines, as in Rocky Horror, or Princess Bride. It almost becomes a type of liturgy, where the filmed padre speaks his parts, and we respond-a communion of comedy! A morality play! Ruach and Richter want us to believe that BB is actually a docudrama of a real but enigmatic person. And at a certain level, we want to believe them!

The choice for synthesized music was correct, and also a slice of the times, as in Ladyhawke, or Tron. The music itself is catchy, killer, and DEMANDS TO HAVE A CD ISSUE!

For those who don't like this film, try these things. First, you need to see this film. Secondly, read some of the BB fan-pages on the Internet. Thirdly, see the film again. Fourthly, read the book, which is the indispensable companion to the film. Fifthly, see the film again. Repeat the process until you get it. I think it takes about 6 viewings (or is it 88?) viewings of this film to understand it.

On the down side, this film has been described as being "Part 6" of a series. We enter "in the middle of things," but it is more like "in the muddle of things." There is the Elvis-esq Banzai, surrounded by a cloud of secondary characters that we see for a second, and then they pass. "In the middle of things" may not have been the best place to introduce the world to Dr. Banzai. Why not do the origin story and work foreword? True that Lucas began with Episode IV, not with Episode I, but the cadre of characters was smaller and easier to follow. "Doc Savage: Man of Bronze," Unbreakable," or "Batman I" are great origin films, and we are not complicated by secondary characters such as Patricia Savage, or Robin and Batgirl. Slowly they worked up to the secondary characters

For example of this middle-muddle, the gatekeeper "Pinky Carruthers" has an extensive background. He is a Blue Blaze Irregular, is Knight Commander, and knows 47,000 unknown facts. But this in not germane to the story and is wisely never mentioned in the film, just in the book. But this background may have a bearing on any future episodes of this movie. There was a lot of work for something that never surfaced. The Simpsons slowly worked up to all the secondary characters, with the core of the Five Favorite Family members being the lynchpin of all Springfield. There was too much ambition--you always leave room for growth.

Editing destroyed The Abyss, and hurt this film. I agree that the parts of Hanoi Xan were wisely taken out of the film, since this would only add another layer of complexity that was not germane to the film, but other scenes were taken out for no reason, which hurt the continuity of the film, such as the extended beginning which showed Dr. Banzai's early life, and death of his parents.

This picture has a lot of action, but it doesn't accentuate the action. Dr. Banzai parachutes out of the spaceship, but they could have made his exit more dramatic. And he is a martial artist, but the extent of his physical action is to kick an alien in the crotch. Marital artist huh?

!!!THIS DVD IS STUFFED FULLER THAN SANTA'S SACK!!!

They are finally making DVDs that utilize the technology to the utmost!

The copy is superb, light-years ahead of the grainy copy on the VHS re-release, plus it is in wide screen format, so you actually see the movies in its panoramic glory. It is indeed like seeing another movie! The only problem is that the work prints are of a lower quality than the rest of the film, but we can deal with it.

Included are all of the deleted scenes from the editors work print, the bootleg that has been floating around for a decade and a half. Paramount of these scenes is the original opening with Jamie Lee Curtis as Buckaroo's mother. Frankly, this is the beginning that should have been the theatrical release, and the film not only makes more sense, but you emotionally connect with Dr. Banzai and the trauma he has experienced. In a movie they should show you what happened, you shouldn't have to read about it!

Other extras are a bio on Dr. Banzai, and a sample of his philosophy, plus some of Pinky Carruther's 47,000 unknown facts are presented as an optional subtitle.

This DVD will keep you busy for hours!!!

Marketing note: The original film poster, the current VHS and the DVD cover all stink, but what would be a good one? I don't know. The VHS reissue is the least offensive, but the original and reissue book covers would be an improvement, with emphasis on the reissue book-cover. Packaging this film would keep any Madison Avenue up at night

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Camp classic send up of Doc Savage like hero ahead of time, January 3, 2002

By 

WTDK "If at first the idea is not absurd, the... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (DVD)

Surreal, off the wall and down right gut splitting funny, BB was a full decade of its time. The cast is clearly having fun with the material. You'd think that the folks from Planet 10 would learn something from Superman's experience with the Phantom Zone--limbo can't keep nasty, evil and weird aliens out of your hair forever.

This deluxe DVD has a beautiful wide screen transfer of the film, 14 outtakes taken from the workprint (and integrated into the sequences they were cut from so they actually make sense)and the alternate opening with Jaime Lee Curtis as Buckaroo's mom (that explains this film!). THe cast is a who's who of cult films and odd ball performances; Peter Weller plays the brain surgeon/rock star/agent for good (ala Doc Savage)with wit and a sparkle in his eye; Ellen Barkin sparkles in one of her first major screen roles as Penny Pretty the despondent, sexy secret twin sister of Buckaoo's late lover; Jeff Goldblum helped define quirky with his straight faced performance as "New Jersey"; John Lithgow shines as the possessed scientist Dr. Lizzardo playing Lizzardo as an over the top melodrama villian (with a bizarre Italian accent no less!). The cast also includes Christopher Lloyd, Clancey Brown and a watermelon...

The inclusion of the trailer for the never made television series from 1998 is a gem although it doesn't quite convey the quirkiness of the film. I kept wondering, who else besides Peter Weller (who's much too old to play BB nearly 20 years later) could pull the role off?

My only complaint is that since I don't have a nuon enhanced DVD I can't enjoy this weird feature. Still, with the running commentary from Richter and pop up factoids of Pinkie, this deluxe edition of a great cult classic finally gets its due. It gives me hope that MGM went to as much effort as they have at putting this fine DVD together.

My only complaint (the movie is 5 stars; the DVD 4 1/2) is the lack of new cast and crew interviews about the project.