The streaming landscape is constantly changing, sometimes making it difficult to watch some of the best movies and TV shows of decades past. Sci-fi fans scouring the various platforms for their next watch will thankfully have no trouble finding a cult classic ‘80s sci-fi parody after it arrived on not one, but two streaming services in January – including a free platform.
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It has been nearly 40 years since Mel Brooks’ iconic space opera parody film Spaceballs first arrived in theaters, and fans hoping to revisit the classic can now do so on HBO Max or Tubi. The hilarious movie dropped on both platforms on January 1st. The movie stars Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis, and Daphne Zuniga in a parody of popular sci-fi franchises and centers around a renegade space pilot named Lone Starr and his half-man, half-dog partner, Barf, as they embark on a mission to stop the evil Dark Helmet from stealing a planet’s air supply.
Spaceballs Is a Top-Tier Sci-Fi Comedy Despite Its Critical Consensus
Spaceballs didn’t receive much love from critics during its theatrical run, and the movie only holds a 52% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, but if the 83% audience consensus is any indication, Spaceballs is a lot better than critics say. You definitely won’t find the film on any serious “top 10 sci-fi” lists, but the movie excels as a top-tier sci-fi parody crafted by Brooks as a hilarious but heartfelt homage to the galaxy far, far away. Although Star Wars is the primary target of the parody, other sci-fi epics aren’t spared, as Spaceballs hilariously skewers other films like Alien, Star Trek, and Planet of the Apes with jokes, one-liners, and visual gags that poke fun at the tropes, characters, and commercialism of the genre with humor that stems from a place of genuine fandom rather than being a simple mean-spirited mockery.
In the decades since its release, Spaceballs has deservedly gained a significant following and enduring popularity. Its absurd humor, memorable characters, and hilarious spoofing of sci-fi staples have helped it become a multigenerational cultural phenomenon and a massive but delayed success that Hollywood is getting ready to double down on. A sequel, Spaceballs 2, has officially been ordered and is set to crash into theaters in 2027. Josh Greenbaum is directing the upcoming sequel, with Moranis, Pullman, and Zuniga reprising their roles from the original alongside new cast additions including Josh Gad, Keke Palmer, Lewis Pullman, Anthony Carrigan, and George Wyner.
What’s New on HBO Max and Tubi?
January has a lot to offer when it comes to the ongoing streaming wars, and HBO Max started the month swinging with additions like A24’s A Most Violent Year, Blazing Saddles, several John Wick movies, and all five Twilight movies.
Movie fans looking to save a few bucks have no shortage of options in Tubi’s free streaming library. Dozens of films dropped on the platform on January 1st, including Arrival, Beverly Hills Cop and Beverly Hills Cop II, Godzilla (1998), Jumanji, and Pulp Fiction.
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