Grade: B+
Synopsis: A series of skits surround an extended spoof of Bruce Lee’s 1973 film, Enter the Dragon.
The Kentucky Fried Movie is amateurish, corny, and tasteless. It’s also very, very funny. Writers Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, along with director John Landis, gleefully offer up the kind of adolescent humor that stays with you long after you’ve outgrown the acne.
An extended spoof of Bruce Lee’s famous film, Enter the Dragon (1973), takes up the majority of the film. It’s a decent bit, with several good gags, some of which may be lost on those who’ve never seen the original.
The rest of the film is broken up into little skits and one-liners that range from outrageous, such as the “Danger Seekers” bit, to flat, such as the “Household Odors” one. Fortunately, these hit far more often than they miss, and while some of the gags and skits are stronger than the others, the overall product is solid. Further, at only 83 minutes, the whole thing’s over before it wears out its welcome.
For fans of the Zucker brothers’ later films, such as Airplane! (1980) or the Naked Gun series, The Kentucky Fried Movie is a must see. But if the humor in those films turned you off, or you’re easily offended, this is definitely one to avoid.
