The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

This is a fun film. 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. In his lab he perfects a device for travelling through solid matter on the pretext that 'solid matter' is in fact 80% empty space. 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. With the help of good lectoids he and his rock band have to save the day.

John Lithgow really steals the show with some excellent madcap lines. The big name actors clearly knew this was not to be taken seriously and though the plot is OK it is the one-liners in the script that make the movie so enjoyable. Special FX are early 80's par for the course, this is not the highest budget film ever! The only question is why didn't the advertised sequal ever make it to the screen?

Saw the title and couldn't NOT watch it. This is an absurdly 80s, absurdly absurd movie about... I don't even know but it was crazy and I want more of this type of thing. Movies that are just bonkers and yet still try to ground in some sort of reality. It's a balance I think we've lost but the 80s nailed. It's a weird watch, but if you're looking for crazy, you found it.

Yep - it has corny writing, over the top acting, weird special effects, and you'll either love it or think it sucks! It's one of those tongue-in-cheek movies that never takes itself too seriously, has an incredible cast, and is a cult classic!

He is an adventurer, a brain surgeon, a rock star, and the leader of the crime fighting team The Hong Kong Cavaliers, he is Buckaroo Banzai! The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is about as ridiculous as the title sounds, but it is 1 hour and 43 minutes of pure fun and entertainment. Released in 1984 and directed by W. D. Richter, this movie sports a brilliant cast lead by Peter Weller and featuring John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, and Ellen Barkin. In this sci-fi adventure comedy, we meet Buckaroo and his team who, after making a scientific breakthrough, must stop alien invaders who come from the 8th dimension.

When this movie was released in 1984, it did so poorly that the production company that backed it actually went bankrupt. There were plans for a sequel that went by the wayside and the movie went into obscurity until it was released on home video and became a cult classic. There is really not a lot to dislike about this movie. It is funny, it is well acted, and the story is so wildly absurd that you are on the edge of your seat the entire time just wondering what the heck is going to happen next. If you go into this movie thinking that you are going to see something of high quality that is very well written, then you will be disappointed. The best way to approach this movie is by going in with an open mind and expecting to have a ton of fun.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is currently streaming on Tubi and Pluto tv and I highly recommend checking this one out, especially if you are in the mood to have fun! While I believe that it is important when a movie tells a story and teaches a lesson, sometimes it is nice to just sit back, relax, and be entertained and that is what you will get form this movie.

Aliens hiding on Earth, all with the first name of "John". A deranged mad scientist named Dr. Emilio Lizardo. A band of sidekicks named the Hong Kong Cavaliers. And in the center of it, Buckaroo Bonzai -- the part-time particle physicist, part-time brain surgeon, part-time rock'n'roller. How could this not be fun?

You're not watching this for the deep inner meaning. You're watching this because it's ridiculous and the actors know it is. John Lithgow is absolutely over the top as Lizardo. And Jeff Goldblum does a great comic turn as New Jersey.