User Reviews

While this is a mediocre sci-fi adventure at best, with no attempt to rationalize the science of the movie, and about as much time with the special effects, the movie retains a charm all of it's own. The costumes look as if they were removed straight out of a Dr Suess book, and the sound effects help with that feel.

With Jon Lovitz as the diabolical, yet moronic, Emperor Spango, Teri Garr as the 'Voluptuous' Marge, and Jeffery Jones as the Brave and Wise 'Earth-Dick,' Mom and Dad Save the World will keep anyone with a sense of humor entertained for the 88 minutes of runtime.

Also--special guest appearances by: Dogs playing poker; The Wilhelm Scream; An escape from Blaster-related death by jumping down a garbage disposal chute on the wall; Woodland Hills, CA; and The Planet Saturn.

oh, and Eric Idle

Emperor Tod Spengo (Jon Lovitz), Ming-like rule of the planet Spengo, plans to blow up Earth, but delays his strike where he spots an Earth woman on his screen and decides to make her his bride. Thus, Dick and Marge Nelson (Jeffrey Jones and Teri Garr) are sucked into the far reaches of outer space in their station wagon. Marge is quickly wooed and Dick is promptly imprisoned. Dick decides to fight for his wife and save our world and he's in luck because everyone on Spengo is an idiot.

After watching this, I have to wonder if a section of the water supply in the offices of Warner Bros. Execs was spiked. During 1991-92, the studio had some of the biggest hits of those years including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Batman Returns (1992), and The Bodyguard (1992). In that same period, they also released some of the weirdest studio releases of the era including Nothing But Trouble (1991), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Stay Tuned (1992), and this. Mom and Dad Save the World might be the oddest film I've seen this year. It is one of those films where I admire parts of it and would love to read a 50-page article about how the hell this got made. Sadly, it didn't garner that type of attention and a two-page article in Cinefantastique is all I get. It has all the hallmarks of a production the studio had no idea what to do with - shot in the summer of 1990, rigorously test screened, multiple release dates missed in 1991, and ultimately dumped on 900 screen in July 1992 (it opened in an ominous 13th place). Director Greg Beeman had a hit with License to Drive (1988) and appears to be diplomatic in the article, saying the studio never forced him to make "unnecessary" changes. But it is obvious the studio cut it down with clues like the ten-minute end credits beginning at the 78 minute mark, a script for sale on eBay showing a 119 pages length, and the ominous "additional editing by..." end credit.

So what is admirable about the film? Well, the production design is, pardon the pun, out of this world. This is like if the makers of the adult spoof Flesh Gordon (1974) had a $15 million dollar budget. Like the aforementioned Trouble, you can clearly see every dollar spent on screen as Planet Spengo is fully realized via the production design, set design and costume design teams. The costumes and hair are a bizarre Dr. Seuss meets Terry Gilliam look. Tony Gardner's FX company Alterian Studios also supplies some bizarre creatures including bulldog-boys (the main one played by Tony Cox), fish-girls (the main one played by Debbie Carrington), and vicious mushroom monsters (again, who was on the drugs!?). Everyone worked their asses off on this film. The cast is also fun outside of Lovitz, who has always been in my top 5 of most annoying performers ever. Watching anything with Jones is kinda queasy due to his later arrest, but he and Garr are both good here. Supporting players include Thalmus Rasulala, Eric Idle, Dwier Brown, super-hot Kathy Ireland, and semi-hot Wallace Shawn; the latter two share an onscreen kiss, no doubt why Shawn signed on to the project. The Matheson/Solomon script is funny at points (lots of people calling Jones "Earth Dick") but I think it would have worked better without someone as highly annoying as Lovitz in the villain role. That said, it was made for kids and judging from the nostalgic love for it on IMDb comments, it hit that market eventually. Matheson/Solomon worked on the even more confounding bomb Super Mario Bros. (1993), but recovered with the much loved Men in Black (1997). Mom and Dad Save the World is not a film I would recommend as a classic, but interesting to watch nonetheless.

I loved this movie! From the beginning to the end it is an absolute masterpiece! The title alone makes you wonder 'Mom and Dad Save the World'. If you take this movie seriously, please do yourself a favor and have your head examined. This is a great movie when you need a quick laugh. 5/5.

While he usually ends up in annoying guy roles (not really bad guys), Jeffrey Jones and Teri Garr are enjoyable as a couple that gets hijacked to another planet so that Jon Lovitz can marry Teri. Implausible and a high level of disbelief, this certainly won't be remembered 20 years down the road (or even three more years down the road), but it has its laughs. If you enjoyed Spaceballs, you'll enjoy this.

...but you have to be in the right mindset. If comedies like Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, or yes, even Leonard part 6 are your style of comedy, this movie is for you! This comedy is dumb, but intentionally so. As a test, do you think an Emperor named "Todd" is funny? If so, see this movie! If not, maybe you should move on to a smarter comedy.

You can clearly see some Monty Python influences in this movie. It's a continuous display of absurd comedy, scene after scene you get ridiculous scenarios and stupid dialogues. That Eric Idle features in it isn't a surprise, it's right up his alley, and the producers probably used his notoriety to attract fans of The Monty Python. The surprise for me was that I love The Monty Python but unfortunately I'm not a big fan of Mom And Dad Save The World. For that it's just a very weak copy of what The Monty Python brought us. The dialogues don't have that same effect, it all seems bland. There are some mildly funny moments but not enough to make this movie good. The acting isn't bad, the movie is just not that exceptional. The decors and costumes are I guess made really bad because it adds to the absurd but it just didn't work for me. The reason why all the Monty Python movies had and still have success and that this one hasn't isn't a coincidence, there is just a huge difference of quality and ingenuity.

This isn't "The Princess Bride," it's just silly. But silly in a fun way. John Lovitz and Terri Garr give it some substance, but the best part by far is the scene with the "light grenade." I've known folks who would have fit in that scene, just fine.

When you've got some time to waste, and don't care how, this is the movie for you.

If somehow you could take "Star Wars", and "Idiocracy", and put them in a blender, you would pour out ":Mom and Dad Save the World". Imaginative sets, creative creatures, and Tod Spengo, John Lovitz, are all there on Planet Spengo. Park your brain, and take a trip to the tiniest planet in the universe, ruled by idiots. If "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" could be in outer space, it would be the closest experience to "Mom and Dad Save the World". The outlandish costumes, musical numbers, and general mayhem immerse you in a realm of idiotic fantasy. Some great character actors, including Wallace Shawn contribute to the fun. Oh, and one more thing, never, never, never, never, pick up a light grenade. LOL . - MERK

Teri Garr was the blonde ditz who met Gary Seven in the famous "Assignment: Earth" Episode of Star Trek TOS. She also appeared in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Here she plays Marge (Mom) who is the primary source of (actually amusing) irreverent humor, which stands out in this generally inane and unfunny movie. Jon Lovitz channels his usual pompous SNL persona to play Tod Spengo, the hopelessly megalomaniacal ruler of a distant and incompetent world.

Apparently someone convinced the studio to copy the vibe of the old Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny cartoons that featured Marvin the Martian, but most of the clever humor was lost in the transition to the big screen. FWIW, I didn't like Spaceballs either, but if you did then, well, maybe consider checking this film out.

I fully admit that INTENTIONALLY campy films rarely work for me, so I'm only giving this film 3 stars, plus a half-star bonus for the "Light Grenade" and another half-star bonus for Kathy Ireland. Fans of this film may object, but I think 4 stars is GENEROUS.

Tod Spengo (Jon Lovitz) has overthrown the government of his small, strange planet, renamed it "Spengo", and is now intent on destroying the Earth so that he can lay claim to the most powerful planet in the universe. A monkey is thrown in the works when he looks through the scope of his death ray to aim it and spots a hausfrau-looking Marge Nelson (Terri Garr). He decides that he must have her as his Queen, so postpones the destruction of the Earth for a day, until he Marge can get to Spengo.

I wasn't aware of this film until recently, and that's a shame, because this is right up my alley. The name of the game here is absurdism and surrealism, with a hokey/campy comic bent. Think of a merger between Monty Python, Mel Brooks and Dr. Seuss, and you'll be in the ballpark.

For me, the first sign that this film was definitely on the right track was how Tod absconds Marge--he basically uses a huge magnet, apparently with high-precision aiming capabilities, and pulls Marge along with her husband Dick (Jeffrey Jones) through space in their station wagon. Dick frets that they're running low on gas and he hasn't even checked the oil, while Marge snaps holiday photos.

I loved the set, costume and creature designs. The Spengo sets tended to be very Seussian, and the costumes and creatures aimed for and achieved maximum ridiculousness. The fact that Spengoans are mostly idiots, by their own accounting, made available some hilarious plot devices, and provided believability within the context of the film. Eric Idle even has a cameo as the former King of Spengo. He delivers some very funny dialogue that I'd guess was primarily improvised, as it bore a strong resemblance to typical Python dialogue. The rest of the cast was excellent, too. It probably helps that I'm a fan of all three of the principles--Jones, Garr and Lovitz.

On another level, Mom and Dad Save the World is a very enjoyable sci-fi/fantasy/adventure film--director Greg Beeman and writers Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon almost subtly spoof the conventions of that genre, and there is also a theme about breaking out of shells to live more authentically.

But of course this isn't just an existentialist treatise, it's a wonderfully funny film that anyone with a taste for the bizarre should check out. It's also fine for children to watch. Let's see this released in the U.S. on DVD!

My wife and I went to see this when it first hit theaters. I'm not sure why, but it was probably because I still had a high opinion of Jon Lovitz at the time--I think this was during his heyday on Saturday Night Live when his liar character Tommy Flanagan, the "acting!" guy, and other such skits were at the height of their popularity.

To be honest, I can't really comment much on this film. The reason for that is that both my wife and I fell asleep during it, right in the middle of the theater! That's unheard of for us. It stands out as one of the most miserable theater-going experiences I've ever had. I was shocked to see all the positive reviews of this film here on imdb, so I felt I had to offer an opposing view even though I can't really talk specifics about the film since it put me into a coma.

Man. This film is fun, goofy, and full of great performances. Jeffery Jones is funny as the "bored with life" dad, and who could forget Jon Lovitz and his hilarious proformance as Todd Spango! I have to disagree with Maltin (As I seem to do alot) about this film. Its a wonderful film and it has a good message: Don't mess with Earth Dick!

Despite the fact that I haven't been able to watch a whole movie i months and the fact that I've never tried pot nor mushrooms, I kind of liked it.

Unless you must be intellectually stimulated in order to be entertained, this film will surprise you. Inane and irreverent this film exemplifies the true meaning of film ...... escapism. Escape your everyday life and see life on a planet where DUMB is the rule rather than the exception. While not the best film in history, the plot has some merits and the production values are cheesy, but intentional. I found myself actually laughing out loud more than once.

I can't believe this was made in 1992 ... I just can't !

The effects, set designs, acting, and everything else points to a late 70's early 80's movie. I had given this movie a lot of slack because I thought it was an older movie, but this is ridiculous.

From the start, you can tell this movie is ultra low budget. Horrible green screens, over use of paper meche, and painted styrofoam.

The movie did jump around a bit at first, making it feel like a few scenes were cut, but after a while it smoothed out.

As far as story line, this is a wacky kids kind of movie. Turn your brain off, and enjoy.

I kind of liked it, though the horrible special effects took a lot of fun out of it.

I only vaguely remember seeing the advertisements for this when it came out in the '80s and I'm glad I never went to the theater see it. It will go down as one of the worst movies in the world. I could only tolerate about 25 minutes of this idiocy. The trivia section said John Lovitz left Saturday Night Live to do this film, what a huge mistake that was for him he was great on SNL. The only saving grace for this movie was that the beautiful Kathy Ireland was in it although she can't really act. Whenever I come across something like this I always wonder how many people involved with the production knew that it was a waste of money at the time.

This movie really isn't too bad. It is not to be taken seriously at all. The movie pokes fun at itself and the sci-fi movies of the early to mid 20th century. Much of the humor has a SNL or Monty Python feel to it.

If you are not opened minded to a movie made to be silly and dumb, skip it!

I give this film a B.

This is a marvelous film and one which is guarantee to make you laugh. The storyline is as simple as the people who live on Spengo. The movie is called " Mom and Dad save the World." Mr and Mrs Nelson (Jeffery Jones and Teri Garr) set out on a Summer vacation. never realizing that somewhere on route, they are suddenly snared by a powerful 'Magnato' beam and taken to the planet Spengo where they land. Once there, they are captured by Emperor Tod Spengo (Jon Lovitz) a self-centered, egotistic half-wit Idiot. Naturally, his planet is populated by Idiots too. Indeed, stupidity is not only hilariously rampant, it's inherently heredity as all of Spengo's Inhabitants are idiots as well. The emperor takes Marge Nelson hostage and plans to marry her, while Dick Nelson escapes and joins a group of rebels led by Raff's son, Sirk (Dwier Brown) who seek to overthrow the monarch. To do this they enlist the Earthman's help. Upon learning, the Rebels are incredible stupid, he nevertheless decides to help them with words of encouragement, such as, " OK. So you're Idiots, they're Idiots too. Just because you're stupid, doesn't mean you can't run a planet. Hey! Come to Earth sometime." Along with varied group of Fish and dog people, a general named Afir (Thalmus Rasulala) and a prisoner called King Raff (Eric Idle), Mom and Dad have their work cut out. From beginning to end, this movie is playfully exciting and contiguously funny. So much so, it easily earns the title of comedy Classic. Highly Recommended. ****

Mom and Dad Save the World is delightfully silly and totally ridiculous. Jon Lovitz is the perfect antagonist and this is one of my favorite roles of his. The make up, visuals and props are all incredibly inventive and cute. Tons of hilarious moments and memorable lines. The story can drag along in points and does not have the greatest script but it's wit and originality makes up for any shortcomings. I watched this as a child once and for years to come I still thought of it time and time again, replaying certain scenes in my head, it was completely memorable. Definitely a great movie to watch with the kids with plenty of good parts to amuse even the most disinterested of adults. I can still hear Jon Lovitz crying "Marge.... Marge..." I giggle to myself just thinking about it.

Okay this is a great movie, now let's get a move on, somebody give Jeffrey Jones another starring vehicle, he is the greatest actor of our time. Even sharing the screen with other greats like Teri Garr, Jon Lovitz, Don & Dan Stanton, Wallace Shawn, Eric Idle, and Thalmus Rasulala, didn't keep Jeff Jones from shining the brightest!