Airheads

Directed by Michael Lehmann, Airheads follows aspiring musicians Chazz (Brendan Fraser), Rex (Steve Buscemi), and Pip (Adam Sandler) as they hold a radio station hostage to get one of their songs some airplay. There’s little doubt, ultimately, that Airheads benefits substantially from its myriad of appealing, entertaining performances, as filmmaker Michael Lehmann augments his stars’ solid work with the uniformly-compelling efforts of a supporting cast that includes, among others, Joe Mantegna, Michael Richards, Chris Farley, and Michael McKean. The movie, written by Rich Wilkes, generally unfolds exactly as one might’ve anticipated based on the setup, with the watchable (if entirely forgettable) atmosphere heightened and perpetuated by a smattering of appreciatively engaging set-pieces and sequenes. (The ongoing emphasis on Richards’ character’s wacky, Die Hard-esque exploits within the radio station’s air vents remains a highlight, for sure.) And although there’s never really a point at which the whole thing achieves complete liftoff, Airheads nevertheless (and for the most part) comes off as a consistently agreeable comedy that effectively exploits the charms of its thoroughly talented actors.

**1/2 out of ****