TITLE:   The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
DATE: 1984
GENRE: 80's Sci-Fi comedy
RUNNING TIME: 102 minutes
RATING: PG
FORMAT: DVD
SCRIPT: Earl Mac Rauch
DIRECTOR: W.D.Richter
STARRING: Peter Weller, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Robert Ito, James Keane, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd

If you reading this because you have a great concern about why the watermelon was in this movie, and you never got a full grasp of why it was there keep reading- the mystery will unfold by the end of this article.

Buckaroo Banzai is quite unlike any hero I've ever seen in all my years of enjoying films. Part Neurosurgeon,part Rock Star, part Superhero, part Physicist and Samurai with his own fanbase and entourage (in movie world ) complete with widely circulated comic book (in movie world as well) ; Buckaroo far exceeds the profile of a modern renaissance man better than any sci-movie from the 80's could possibly portray.  

Buckaroo and kindred scientists have perfected the oscillation over thruster, which we find is able to allow a human to pass through solid matter. Once in this solid matter the traveler floats around in a fluid like 8th Dimension inhabited by microbes of Godzilla-like proportions. Evil doers from planet 10 plan to steal this device and use it for their own evil purposes - the way that one from planet 10 presumably might. I can't help but to love the mix of  pallets in this movie that span the gap from insane conspiracy theories, to hyper-cheesy 80's music  bands ( Bukaroo's ), from A-team like action pursuing inter dimensional beings to well placed tongue in cheek one liners. Buckaroo during brain surgery says to an entranced Jeff Goldblum "no no don't tug on that you never know what it might be attached to" . and classic line  "no matter where you go; there you are"  that I use periodically to this day. Also included in this valuable artifact from the era of cool films is the lesson that Jamaicans apparently inhabit planet ten. That concept alone lets the imagination run wild with all kinds of questions. The character archetypes are strangely familiar in this film mainly I think because they pop up from time to time in movies for the next 26 years or so. I've found subtle nods to this movie in everything from Futurama to some goliath summer over budgeted blockbusters. This movie is also one of my favorites because it seems to be one of the last of the what you see is what you get varieties from that era - It makes no big promises - its just a movie that if you like sci-fi and can let yourself go and let someone else do the driving for a little while - you can't help but to enjoy yourself.

Buckaroo has a special place in my heart because Buckaroo is sort of a new wave renaissance man , jack of all trades, and master of all instead of the latter. This alone makes him one of my favorite movie heroes. I mean, next time when somebody tells you that you lack focus tell them "I'm more of a Buckaroo Banzai type of guy" and enjoy the perplexed looks that follow. Long live John Big Bootay!

If you get trapped in the eighth dimension give me a yell, otherwise enjoy the film.

TJParsons