Spaceballs is one of Mel Brook's better parodies, but that isn't saying much. I used to love this movie and laugh at it all the time, but when I sat down again to watch it some time ago, it wasn't half as good as I remembered it being. About half of the time the movie was funny while the rest of it was tedious. I think as the years go by I've distanced myself from screwball comedies/parodies simply because they are one-trick ponies that rely on references, gags, and silly names rather than characters or situations. Of course, I don't laugh too much at old Bob Hope movies either (my dad thinks they're the greatest thing in the world). The Marx Brothers make me laugh, but they are wise enough not to overburden themselves with unfunny filler material. In general, the movies I find funniest contain satire and absurdity, but they also have at their center well-rounded characters with believable motivations.
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"And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And beauty stayed his hand. And from that day on, he was as one dead."