The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

Plot synopsis:
Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) and his mentor Dr. Hikita (Robert Ito) perfect the "oscillation overthruster", a device that allows one to pass through solid matter. Banzai tests it by driving his Jet Car through a mountain. While passing through it, Banzai discovers himself in another dimension, and on returning to his normal dimension, he finds an alien organism has attached itself to his car.
News of Banzai's success reaches Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow), currently held at the Trenton Home for the Criminally Insane. In 1938, Lizardo and Hikita had build a prototype overthruster, but Lizardo tested it before it was ready, and became stuck between dimensions. Though freed, it caused him to go insane. Aware that Banzai has succeeded, Lizardo breaks out.
Banzai meets a suicidal Penny Priddy (Ellen Barkin), and finds she is a long-lost twin sister of his late wife, distraught over the loss. Banzai attempts to lift her spirits and brings her with the rest of his group, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, as they hold a press conference about the overthruster and the existence of alien life. Strange men disrupt the event and kidnap Hikita and the overthruster; due to an electrical shock from an unknown source, Banzai sees these men as reptilian humanoids. The others give chase, and Penny happens to encounter Hikita who passes her the overthruster before he is recaptured.
While planning what to do next, Banzai and the Cavaliers are met by John Parker (Carl Lumbly), a messenger from John Emdall (Rosalind Cash), the leader of the alien Black Lectroids of Planet 10, currently in Earth's orbit. Emdall explains that they have been at war with the hostile Red Lectroids for years, but had managed to banish them to the eighth dimension. Lizardo's failed test of the overthruster in 1938 allowed the Red Lectroids' leader, John Whorfin, to take over Lizardo's mind and enable several dozen others to escape. Now that Banzai has perfected the overthruster, Emdall fears Whorfin and his allies will try to acquire it to free the other Red Lectroids. Emdall had shocked Banzai previously to allow him to see the Lectroids for who they are, and now tasks him with stopping Whorfin or otherwise the Black Lectroids will fake a nuclear explosion to start World War III that will annihilate the Earth and the Red Lectroids with it. The Cavaliers track down the Red Lectroids to Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems in New Jersey, finding that their arrival in 1938 was told by Orson Welles' broadcast of The War of the Worlds until the Lectroids forced him to admit it was a work of fiction. Yoyodyne has been building a spacecraft to cross over to the eighth dimension under the pretense of a new United States Air Force bomber.
The Red Lectroids invade Banzai's headquarters and kidnap Penny, unaware she has passed the overthruster off to one of Banzai's allies. Banzai and the Cavaliers set off to gather allies and confront Whorfin at Yoyodyne, as well as warning the President of the United States as to avoid a nuclear war. At Yoyodyne, Penny refuses to tell the Lectroids where the overthruster is, and they start to torture her. Banzai arrives and chases off the Lectroids, though Penny is wounded and unconscious. While the Cavaliers tend to her, Banzai and Carter sneak into a pod on the spacecraft. Without Banzai's overthruster, Whorfin insists they use his imperfect model, which fails to make the dimensional transition and instead breaks through the Yoyodyne wall, flying off into the atmosphere. Banzai and Carter separate the pod from the main craft, and use its weapon systems to destroy Whorfin and all the other Red Lectroids. Banzai parachutes back to Earth while Carter returns to his people. With the situation resolved and war averted, Banzai finds Penny remains comatose. When he goes to kiss her, Emdall causes another brief shock to Banzai that revives Penny.
The end credits announce an unproduced sequel Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League.

Tags: cult, alternate reality, psychedelic, flashback

Review:
The stellar supporting cast includes Jeff Goldblum, Clancy Brown, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, and Ellen Barkin, and they're all pretty darn good.I'm not even going to pretend to be rational or unbiased about this movie.
Yes, it looks cheesy and dated, but damn it, you have to take a stand somewhere in life, you have to roll up your sleeves and step up to the plate and put yourself on the line, and have the courage to say, "I don't care what anyone thinks of me, I love this movie."  That's the way I feel about old Buckaroo and his Hong Kong Cavaliers, and I still consider myself a loyal Blue Blaze Irregular fifteen years after seeing this film.As a post-script, I'd like to mention that the novelization of this movie, written by Earl Mac Rauch, is great, and actually contains about 3 times the information and plot that is in the movie.
Also, there's a script for BUCKAROO BANZAI VERSUS THE WORLD CRIME LEAGUE floating around too, which should be made no matter the cost if only to film one priceless scene - the cameo appearance of Jack Burton, Kurt Russell's swaggering truck driver hero from John Carpenter's BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, who appears as a Blue Blaze Irregular and gives Team Banzai a lift!.
I just watched this flick for the first time in ages and remember now why I agree that it is a "cult classic"!Made in 1984 way before most of the actors achieved real star status, this movie has so many "inside" references and jokes, it's a wonder that more isn't made of it!
I only wish that "Buckaroo Banzai versus The World Crime League" had been produced.Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Dan Hedaya, the entire cast must have had a great time making this movie.
It doesn't take itself seriously and neither should the viewer.The plot centres around a pre-Robocop Peter Weller's character (the implausibly named Buckaroo Banzai) who is a scientist/rock musician/surgeon...seems to be talented at just about everything.
True enough and so far so good.In the movie, the 80% of matter that is space turns out to be the 8th dimention, and Banzai unwittingly causes some nasty alien "lectoids" to enter our dimension.
And soon, all that will stand between the Red Lectroids and the destruction of the earth, will be Buckaroo, his band and some help from his loyal followers, the `Blue Blazer Regulars.'	Working from the highly imaginative, clever and detailed screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch, Richter has fashioned and delivered a colorful and exciting adventure filled with subtle humor, the unexpected and an array of outrageous characters, from Whorfin and the Lectroids (all of whom have the first name `John'), to Buckaroo's cohorts like `Perfect Tommy (Lewis Smith)' and New Jersey (Jeff Goldblum), to the alluring, mysterious woman Buckaroo encounters, Penny Priddy (Ellen Barkin).
He throws so much at you, in fact, that it's impossible to catch it all the first time through; but it's a movie that lends itself to repeated viewings, because it's exactly what this kind of film is supposed to be:  Pure entertainment from start to finish.
Weller's Buckaroo is intelligent and self-assured-- watching him you get the feeling there's always something going on in his head, and always a step ahead of the next guy-- and it's his ability to convey the complexities of the character that makes him believable, and his incredible exploits seem credible.
As Lizardo/Whorfin, John Lithgow takes it magnificently over the top with a character that is something of a precursor to his High Commander Dick Solomon on TV's `3rd Rock from the Sun.'  And watching this guy in action is a real kick.
Peter Weller (Robocop), John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun), Robert Ito (Quincy MD), Clancy Brown (Highlander), Ellen Barkin (Wild Bill), and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) all have fun and amusing roles.
But far and away what carries this movie over the top is its humor, some of which is in-your-face and some of which is so subtle you won't catch it all on one viewing.And even if you don't like the story line the casting is over the top.
Hoping to clarify the mystery and purpose of this 1984 docudrama, I have scoured all available data (including movie reviews), scrutinized the musings of the film's director via the DVD's special features, and held extensive conferences with official representatives of the Banzai Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Strategic Information.
The film is (negatively) a rambling, disjointed pastiche of pseudo-hip, sci-fi/comic book inspired shenanigans that (positively) manages to generate inordinate amounts of charm and wonder through its fortuitous collusion of eccentric story line (battling aliens; a deeply depressed damsel-in-distress, (Penny Priddy); the actual Hong Kong Cavaliers honing their rock and roll chops; Buckaroo himself, pushing his new jet car- with the incredible Oscillation Overthruster -through the forbidding regions of the 8th dimension) and the glowing charisma of the actors at play: John Lithgow's Dr. Lizardo is hilarious and ingenious.
Just looking at the list of great actors that starred in this movie should be enough for any serious movie fanatic to become giddy with excitement, and rightly so.First of all, Peter Weller gives a stunning performance as the main character Buckaroo Banzai, an archetypical "Renaissance Man" whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas.
Joining our main character there are the incredible performances of wellknown names such as Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, and Christopher Lloyd to name but a few.This in-your-face line up of top class actors gives the viewer the setup for a incredibly entertaining movie in which the action and comedy never seems to stop, never ceases to be interesting and more importantly: remains plausible.
Peter Weller - brilliant, John Lithgow - hilarious, Jeff Goldblum - never fails (the original straight man!), not to mention people like Clancy Brown who's talents far exceed anyone else in TV or movies today (it's just that people don't give him the big parts!).
No Matter Where You Go, There You Are. Buckaroo Banzai's latest adventure (and, his first revealed in any media) begins with Peter Weller as the Samurai, "renaissance man, neurosurgeon, physicist, race car driver, rock star, AND comic book hero" test driving his Jet Car through a mountain.
Examples include ABC-TV's "The Invaders" and novelist Thomas Pynchon's "The Crying of Lot 49".Presently, defeating the Red Lectroid invaders is up to multi-talented "Buckaroo Banzai" (Weller) and his hard-rocking team of "Hong Kong Cavaliers": Lewis Smith (as Perfect Tommy), Jeff Goldblum (as New Jersey), Clancy Brown (as Rawhide), Pepe Serna (as Reno Nevada), and Billy Vera (as Pinky Carruthers).
Actually, it does have a cohesive narrative, and more surprising because in the first few minutes, even with opening crawl, one is a little lost in exactly what's going on except a) Buckaroo Banzai had an American mother and Japanese father (and is played by Peter Weller who doesn't look like the latter much at all), and b) he goes through dimensions or something looking for martial arts moves.
Here is where, and it's a lot of fun to see every cheesy line spoke ("Damn John Whorfin and the horse he rode in on" or "BigbooTAY!" or even "If you fail, we will be forced to help you destroy yourselves!") with the kind of delivery that just goes to show how much a would-be Buckaroo Banzai ala Southland Tales fails so much by comparison.It's a wonder to behold, with every crazy synthesizer beat, with every other new turn of a wacky performance, and of course that final end credits sequence that will be etched in my mind forever as something really great to keep me in my seat before turning off the TV.
Facing war in the 8th Dimension by an invasion of the world from a species of electroids all named John (Big Boote, Warfin, Parker, Ya-Ya, Small Berries, and so forth) from Planet 10, and who work for YoYoDyne Propulsion at Grovers Mills, NJ, Buckaroo must save the planet by sunset all the while making fun of everything and everyone with the straightest face in film history.
With a cast of newbie actors of notable prestige today, but then just starting their careers, the cast include Peter Weller as Buckaroo, Ellen Barkin as Penny, John Lithgow as Dr. Emilio Lazardo/Lord John Warfin, Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey, Robert Ito and Clancey Brown.A film that must be viewed on numerous occasions if only to catch the banter in background comments by actors off camera, or to assure oneself that what you heard was right, it is filled with hilarious pun on punning, and created such an audience following that include several highly paid scientist-types at the nation's most prestigious museum complex in the world who would monthly hold Saturday night viewings of the film to discuss.
It is sort of a "Red Dwarf" mixed with "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" type of movie but twisted with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid camaraderie and Bob Marleyishness "what can any of this Rasta stuff mean?" John Lithgow gives the performance that lets you know how he ended up Third Rock from the Sun. Peter Weller is great, as is the whole cast.
'Buckaroo Banzai' is a classic 'B Grade' sci-fi movie with the added bonus of clever dialog, an interesting premise and a cast that includes actors who went on to become famous.
The payoff is not only getting a grip on the ultimate battle between the black lectroids (good guys) and the red lectroids (bad guys), but you are also treated to picking up on new gags and jokes (actually more like bits of humor - to wit: Who in their right mind would build a jet car out of an Econoline Van???) and subtle plot devices which were previously overlooked.
Come to think of it, I have never seen a good movie yet in which John Lithgow is the star, which may explain part of the reason just is so bad.
Too bad, because the rest of the cast features some interesting names: Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Peter Weller, but this was hardly a film these actors want in their resumes.A vastly overrated "cult" movie..
I can't understand how people can find this movie even watchable.The presence of a few good actors (John Lithgow, Jeff Goldblum), is not enough to make this mess even a little bit interesting.I understand the idea of appreciating a movie without taking it seriously, but there is nothing here to appreciate!
It was directed by the same guy that did Big Trouble in Little China, which was great, and I also like Peter Weller and John Lithgow, so I decided to give this one a shot.
There are so many things going on that it can easily be confusing to a casual viewer, but in today's world where everyone has a DVD you can easily watch this film in your home numerous times with friends until you "get it" (like we did in the 80's, but when had to go to countless midnight movies).Now for those who get their kicks by rudely attacking this film.
Pay particular attention to John Lithgow as "Lord John Whorfin." Fans of films like "The Fifth Element" and "Big Trouble in Little China" will definitely enjoy Banzai.
No matter how cheesy the sci-fi plot sounds, some great actors & acting make this a cult winner...Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow, and Christopher Lloyd - who else could successfully mix neurosurgery, 80's clothes (the only cliché characteristic of the movie) and a Rock Band into a Sci-Fi plot?
"Remember, no matter where you go, there you are." That's what Buckaroo Banzai, rock in roll scientist, doctor and larger than life cult figure adventurer and even the object of an in the film only comic book series (Peter Weller, the hero of "Robocop") tells his audience when they laugh at the down on her luck Penny Pretty (Ellen Barkin).
Jeff Goldblum might have been a better Buckaroo, but he and Peter Weller are both fine in their roles.There, that should be enough to understand the film.
The adventures of Buckaroo and the Hong Kong Cavaliers is an amazing thrill ride that promises never to let you down when it comes to action, comedy, sci-fi nonsense, and some of the best (or worst) 80's music ever put in a movie.
My old recorded VHS copy has worn out after years of repeated viewings, so I am thrilled that it is now out on DVD.The outlandishness of the main character and the far out plot seem on paper to be too much, but director WD Richter and the excellent cast pull off one of the greatest feats (in my opinion) in cinema history: Making a movie that really does defy pigeonholing into any genre or category.
John Lithgow's over the top performance as Doctor Lizardo and Peter Weller's superb job as Buckaroo along with the comic relief of Jeff Goldblum and scene stealing steamy innocence of Ellen Barkin help make this a true classic and one of my favorite movies of all time.
The closest movie I can compare it to is another one of my favorites, Big Trouble in Little China.For those who have not seen the movie, Buckaroo Banzai is a world famous Neurosurgeon, rock star, comic book character, rocket car driver and scientist.
you've got aliens, you've got gooey stuff, you've got cars that travel through mountains, and you've got Jeff Goldblum in cowboy chaps.You've got Buckaroo Bonzai (played by Peter Weller), a rock star/martial arts expert/comic book hero/supergenius doctor.It won't win any Oscars.
Whether you're a die-hard fan, or have never had the pleasure of enjoying this wonderful film, the newly released special edition DVD is the absolute best way to watch it and learn about the amazing world of Buckaroo Banzai.Not only is the film quality fantastic, but the special features alone are worth every penny.
Christopher Lloyd does a very good job, and I always enjoy seeing Vincent Schiavelli in a movie.One thing I've always liked about John Lithgow is that he seems never to play the same role twice.
I loved Buckaroo Banzai, I was very young when it came out and it's one of the first films I can remember watching.
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!
Buckaroo Banzai is on par with Manos in virtually every department, except that its cast contains normally excellent actors like Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Lloyd.If you die and go to hell, this film will be showing at the cinema.
It started off with a funny Star Wars-like prologue and then goes on with the main character Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) riding in some weird vehicle that somehow traveled between space and time.
John Lithgow plays a mildly enthralling mad scientist, whom we never see enough of, and a young Jeff Goldblum plays a new recruit for the Hong Kong Cavaliers.The premise of Buckaroo Banzai is well-thought out, but it seems the script could have done with a rewrite or two - interestingly enough, the credited screenwriter's other films aren't that well received at all.
It is a real shame, as the idea of a rock and roll pretty boy who lives a life of adventure AND saves the world is a really cool idea--like a comic book and an old movie serial combined into one!
Among the newest members of Buckaroo's team are the troubled Penny Priddy (an appealing Ellen Barkin) and jovial "New Jersey" (Jeff Goldblum); the nemesis is Lord John Whorfin, who's taken over the body of a scientist named Emilio Lizardo (both roles are played by John Lithgow, who's in peak hammy form).You know you're in for some good times when you peruse the cast list: Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey (the Nazi torturer from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" playing the President of the United States here!), Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Billy Vera, Jonathan Banks, John Ashton, and none other than Yakov Smirnoff playing the National Security Adviser!
A good solid Hollywood production.If you want to see something different, are feeling a little superior about movies to everyone else, have a hankerin for an adventure film about a super cool hero who's too cool to be real and has managed to coral the oddest bunch of characters under his tutelage and leadership, then give "Buckaroo" a chance.Otherwise, watch at your own risk..
If you do not like Sci-fi movies, cult films, or movies with ensemble casts, you should stay away from Buckaroo.
special effects are of the perfect b-film rate but this is not why you watch the movie, though that's fun too!
Ellen Barkin and Peter Weller give great performances and the genius of both John Lithgow and Jeff Goldblum, not to mention all the other great appearances, make it a pleasure to watch.
Black lectroids, white lectroids, rockstars, brain surgeons, defense contractors, rocket cars, oscillation overthrusters, 8 dimensions, Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Christopher Lloyd, what else can a trash sci-fi fan ask for??????
No Matter Where You Go...There You Are. THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI (1984) *** Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Clancy Brown.
Or is it that there's a certain weirdness that I haven't seen duplicated in any other film.Yes, yes, and yes.Rent this if you like any of the cast member, science fiction, aliens, comic books, Heros, Orson Wells, New Jersey, or just want to put your brain on hold for a while and have a fun time."Remember, no matter where you go, there you are" - Buckaroo Banzai.