Film History’s Top Five Funny, Foolish, Freaky Aliens

by Rebecca Pahle | Published March 16, 2011

John Lithgow as Dr. Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

With Greg Mottola’s Paul coming out in theaters on March 18th, it seems like good time to look back at some of cinema history’s funniest aliens. After all, Paul’s title refers to a hitchhiking alien (voiced by Seth Rogen) who gets picked up by two comic book geeks (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost). One look at the cast list (which includes Kristin Wiig, Jason Bateman and Bill Hader) and an added viewing of the trailer (preferably the red band version) gives an indication of how funny Paul is likely to be.

Compiling a list of the funniest film aliens seems simple enough, but there are actually quite a few issues to consider. For one thing, must the aliens be intentionally funny? Sci-fi B-movies are full of aliens who are supposed to be menacing and evil, but a combination of over-the-top acting, bad special effects and unbelievable costumes and makeup turn them instead into the movie’s comic relief (see: Voldar from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians).

Something else to consider is whether the alien in question must be a funny character, as opposed to a character gifted with one or two really funny moments. For example, Spock can’t really be called a bucket of laughs, but that’s what makes his swim with the whales in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home even funnier.

Should an android count as an alien if it was made by aliens using alien technology? No one can say that Marvin from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy isn’t funny, albeit in a depressing sort of way, even though he’s not an organic life form. What about a human whose mind has been taken over by alien consciousness? Are movies built on the premise that aliens can be a source of comedy (Men in Black, Morons from Outer Space, etc.) disqualified as being too obvious? The aliens from Signs: Hilarious, right?

All these issues and more make the task of identifying the funniest film aliens more complicated than it should be. And so, all the questions on semantics, film theory, the nature of comedy, defining humanity and the meaning of life, the universe and everything will be thrown by the wayside as MovieMaker brings you the list of film’s funniest aliens. Did we miss your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Voldar from Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
Directed by Nicholas Webster
Vincent Beck’s performance as the scheming, manipulative, Christmas-hating Martian Voldar falls firmly into the “unintentionally funny” category. The movie’s ostensible comic relief is the bumbling Martian Dropo, but it’s Voldar, who tries to kill Santa Claus so that Martian children won’t be able to experience the joy of Christmas, that’s the movie’s funniest character. Voldar is finally defeated (after pointing a ray gun that looks like a blow dryer at Santa and telling him “You’re going to relax, permanently!”) when human and Martian children band together and attack him with toys, the great Martian warrior brought down by some wooden soldiers and fake swords while Santa laughs dementedly in the background.

Dr. Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin from The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
Directed by W.D. Richter
The eponymous Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) in this ‘80s cult classic is a lot of things, among them a neurosurgeon, physicist, inventor, race car driver, rock musician and comic book hero. He glides through the movie using his many talents to stop World War III (and get the girl) like it’s something he does every week. He stays cool as a cucumber as he breaks the sound barrier, crosses into the 8th dimension, and calls up the President to let him know aliens are about to attack, only to foil the plan himself with no assistance from the bumbling Secretary of Defense.

But the best part of the movie isn’t Buckaroo Banzai. It’s the mad scientist Dr. Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow), whose failed attempt to cross over to the 8th dimension accidentally releases the murderous Red Lectroids from Planet 10, while their leader Lord John Whorfin takes over Dr. Lizardo’s mind. Lithgow’s performance is completely over the top, from his manner of speech (all lines done at top volume with an Italian/Russian hybrid accent) to his crab walk to his twitchy mannerisms to how he constantly mispronounces the name of one of his henchmen as “John Bigbooty” when it is actually “John Bigbooté”. Watching a character rant and rave and deliver such lines as “Shut up, John Bigbooty, you coward! You’re da weakest individual I ever know!” is funny no matter what, but it’s Lithgow’s energy level and commitment to playing this psychotic alien that makes it unsettling as well.

Barf from Spaceballs (1987)
Directed by Mel Brooks
Every aspect of Spaceballs is some sort of joke about sci-fi classics like Alien and Planet of the Apes. . . but Star Wars is on the receiving end on most of the mocking. Instead of Jabba the Hutt, there’s Pizza the Hut (you’d better pay him, or else “Pizza. . .is gonna send out for you”). There’s the wise alien advisor Yogurt, who teaches the hero all about the mystical power known as the Schwartz. And there’s the line “I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate!” delivered by the evil Dark Helmet to the hero Lone Starr (Lone Starr’s reaction: “What’s that make us?”) So in terms of comedy, there’s a lot for Barf (John Candy) to compete with. But as Lone Starr’s sidekick/co-pilot he brings a lot to the movie, engaging in banter with Lone Starr (as in the whole “jamming the radar” scene), serving as a buffer between the quarreling Lone Starr and Princess Vespa and delivering one of the movie’s best lines: “I’m a Mog. Half-man, half-dog! I’m my own best friend.”

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Comment by Love Games on 3/21/11 at 6:03 am: What about Mork? I know it was TV but he’s got to be the funniest!
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