AllMovie

It's not difficult to understand why The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension never caught on with a mass audience. The story is told in an overtly complex way that makes the viewer work hard to follow it, it downplays blockbuster-style action in favor of idea-driven science fiction, and the proceedings are driven by a stylized sort of humor that isn't for every viewer. However, none of this means that it's a bad film; it's merely an acquired taste. Earl MacRauch's script suffers from periodic slow spots where it seems to be overwhelmed by its self-conscious complexity, but it makes up for this with a consistently high level of imagination and plenty of intriguingly quirky characterizations. These characters are brought to life by a gifted cast that wisely plays the material straight. Peter Weller is appropriately stoic as the renaissance man hero and Ellen Barkin makes an endearing (if underused) romantic foil as Penny, but it is John Lithgow who takes top honors as Dr. Lizardo. His inspired dementia lives up to the story's sci-fi pulp roots and gives the film a fresh shot of energy whenever he pops up. Behind the camera, first-time director W.D. Richter shows a good eye for comic book-styled visuals and brings a humorous but gentle touch to the film that provides a subtle balance to its wacked-out humor. All in all, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension is probably too eccentric and challenging for a general audience, but is full of delights for anyone willing to tune into its unique wavelength.