9. Spaceballs (1987)
Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
It may not often be mentioned as one of the best spoof movies ever made – or even as Mel Brooks’ greatest spoof – but Spaceballs has an undeniable charm. Its decidedly ’80s cast features Rick Moranis, John Candy, Bill Pullman, and the voice of Joan Rivers, but that’s only a part of what makes it great. It’s a pretty shameless riff on Star Wars, but it’s not the concept that makes it so good, either.
Spaceballs follows mercenary Lone Starr (Pullman) and his sidekick Barf (Candy) as they rescue Princess Vespa from the evil Dark Helmet (Moranis). Its story is about as transparent as spoofs come, but it still manages to deliver a great deal of comedy. Its greatness is subtle, but it’s undeniable.
For a start, Spaceballs has all of Mel Brooks’ characteristic wackiness. It also perfectly understands the appeal of the sci-fi genre, delivering a sound space opera story while also poking fun at its own conventions. In essence, Spaceballs was Mel Brooks once more flexing his creative muscles and proving himself the true king of the spoof.