The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension by W.d. Richter (Review)

In my humble opinion, the fact that this movie is named The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is reason enough to see it. Still not convinced, huh? Well, how about this for the movie’s premise? Buckaroo Banzai, the world-renowned adventurer, brain surgeon, and nuclear physicist, has made the greatest breakthrough in human history. Using the Oscillation Overthruster, he has managed to cross over into the 8th Dimension.

Unfortunately, the 8th dimension turns out to be prison for a race of aliens named the Red Lectroids. Their leader, Lord John Whorfin, hears of Banzai’s feat and breaks free from the local mental institute. He plans to steal the Overthruster and free his minions from the 8th dimension. With his army back, he can overthrow the Black Lectroids on Planet 10. The Black Lectroids can’t let this stand, and tell Banzai that if he doesn’t stop Whorfin, they’ll start a chain of events leading to World War III. Banzai and his trusted cohorts/backup band, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, are all that stands between Earth and total annihilation.

There are so many reasons this movie rises above, and earns it’s cult classic status. There are the classic characters, starting with Banzai himself, as well as the rest of the Cavaliers (and their wardrobe); Perfect Tommy, Rawhide, and New Jersey (Jeff Goldblum’s finest performance, and in cowboy duds no less), to name a few. There’s Whorfin (played with maniacal glee with John Lithgow) and his army of Johns. And if that’s not enough, you’ve got Yakov Smirnoff as the President’s National Security Advisor.

Finally, there’s that awesome title, which does more to describe the movie’s zany feel than any press junket or review.

Oh don’t get me wrong, this really is a bad movie. If your idea of “cult classic” is Star Wars, you might want to pass on this one. But if your idea is Big Trouble In Little China, then it’s a bad movie in all of the right ways. It’s the kind that makes you appreciate the miracle it took for this to even surface as a script; the fact that it was filmed is evidence alone of Divine Intervention.

Something this offbeat and absurd, from the whole notion of Buckaroo Banzai and his Cavaliers, to the Blue Blazer Irregulars, to Whorfin and his army of Johns… well, it should really be cherished.