The ONE Way ‘Spaceballs 2’ Can Crush Expectations
Mel Brooks' 1987 'Star Wars' satire gets a very, very belated sequel
“May the Schwartz be with you.”
That phrase caught on in the ’80s as Mel Brooks’ “Spaceballs” skewered the “Star Wars” franchise.
It didn’t hit as hard as “Young Frankenstein,” and the satire couldn’t measure up to “Blazing Saddles” or “The Producers.” Still, Brooks scored again with his silly spoof, at least enough to snag a sequel … 40 years later.
Thankfully, a 98-year-old Brooks is alive, well and eager to bring the wise Yogurt back to movie screens in 2027. He’ll join returning stars Bill Pullman and Daphne Zuniga.
It’s hardly the first delayed sequel, although its predecessors offer severely mixed results.
The Good:
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“Blade Runner 2049”
“Psycho 2“
The Bad:
“Zoolander 2”
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
“Basic Instinct 2”
“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights”
“The History of the World Part 2”
The latter, a Brooks “sequel” (actually a limited Hulu series) should make “Spaceballs” fans pump the brakes on their enthusiasm. The wan update proved woke and forgettable. No one is quoting lines from it, like the original’s, “It’s good to be the king!” or “Don’t get saucy with me, Bearnaise!.”
Still, there’s a simple path to success for “Spaceballs 2.” Mock “Star Wars.”
No, not the original franchise or the prequels. Skewer the Disney-era “Star Wars” product.
- A whimpering Kylo Ren
- Rey, the ultimate Mary Sue
- Diversity above storytelling tropes
- And, best of all, “The Acoylte”
Just follow the “South Park” template:
In his prime, Brooks might have done just that. For now, it appears he’ll have limited say over the sequel beyond reprising his Yogurt role. The heavy lifting will be done by Josh Gad, the progressive actor/comic who is spearheading the project. He wrote the screenplay, will co-headline alongside Keke Palmer and Lewis Pullman (son of Bill) and produce.
Movie satires like the “Scary Movie” franchise tackled newer, more relevant movies as they progressed. They didn’t keep revisiting “The Omen,” “The Exorcist” or other classic shockers.
“Spaceballs 2” should do the same.
But will it?
Hollywood, along with entertainment media, covered for the failing, flailing “Star Wars” franchise. They ignored gimlet-eyed pundits like The Critical Drinker who skewered sub-par “Star Wars” content in recent years.
Reporters dubbed anyone criticizing the Force Is Female updates as racist, sexist … fill-in-the-blank-ist. But they were right. And, when fans rallied behind diverse efforts like “Andor” and “Rogue One,” those same scribes looked the other way.
Telling.
So let’s hope Team Spaceballs actually does the work that needs to be done. Mock the new “Star Wars” era for all its worth. The material in play is endless.
If they do, this is one sequel that could easily lap the original.