Mom and Dad Save The World
Encyclopedia
Mom and Dad Save the World is a 1992 sci-fi
adventure
, family
, romantic comedy film
which stars Jon Lovitz
, Teri Garr
, Jeffrey Jones
, Eric Idle
, Thalmus Rasulala
and other actors. Jon Lovitz plays Emperor Tod Spengo who is the cruel, silly and over-dramatic emperor of the planet named Spengo. Teri Garr plays Marge Nelson and Jeffrey Jones plays Dick Nelson, her husband. The original music score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith
. Rasulala died shortly after completing his scenes, and the film is accordingly dedicated to his memory.
), with General Afir (Thalmus Rasulala
) at his side, takes over a small planet at the edge of the galaxy populated entirely by idiots, and renames it after himself. He orders that all the resources of the planet should be engaged to create his "Super Death Ray Laser"; the laser's purpose is to destroy Earth, thus making Spengo the greatest planet in the Universe. When Spengo looks at exactly where his laser would strike, he sees Marge Nelson (Teri Garr
) exercising — and falls in love. Using his Magnobeam (a giant magnet), he kidnaps Marge and her husband, Dick (Jeffrey Jones
), as they are on their way to a 20th-anniversary weekend, hoping to make Marge his before he blows up the Earth. Dick and Marge get separated on Spengo: Marge is sent to the lap of luxury, waited on by small people with fish or dog heads, while Dick is thrown into a dungeon. In the dungeon, however, Dick meets the rightful king of Spengo, Raff (Eric Idle
), who has plans hidden in his pants for his son, called the White Bird, out in the desert.
Spengo quickly finds that his advances towards Marge are failing, so he tries to read Dick's mind in order to discover the secret to her heart. Following Dick's mind-probing, one of the Destroyers, Sibor (Wallace Shawn
), has a change of heart when asked to execute the Earthman. Encouraging Dick to not lose his woman and their love, the diminutive Destroyer frees Dick and helps him break out of the chamber. Despite the stupidity of his captors, Dick is soon discovered and forced down a garbage chute to the sewers. While in the dark, inundated tunnel, he is approached by a cute-looking mushroom-like creature, a lub-lub. Dick attempts to pet the lub-lub, but it immediately reveals its true carnivorous nature, forcing him to run for his life.
Dick manages to escape the sewers and steal an escape pod, and winds up crashing miles away in the desert, where he meets the rightful king's son and daughter, Semage (Kathy Ireland
), as well as their followers. All of them are dressed as 6-foot-tall birds, although such creatures are not naturally found on Spengo, and the only weapons they have to fight the Emperor and the Destroyers are rocks, their "intelligence" and a number of stolen weapons, including Light Grenades, which completely disintegrate anyone who picks one up. At first, the rebels don't trust Dick and begin to torture him. When Dick reveals that he shared a cell with Raff and that he is on their side, their attitude quickly changes, and Dick rises to the rank of war leader. Using what little resources he can scrounge up, he devises a plan to sneak back into Spengo's palace and save Marge. He even inspires Raff's followers with a rousing speech, during which he says, "Just because you're stupid that doesn't mean you can't rule a planet. Hey! Come to Earth sometime."
In the meantime, General Afir, who appears to be the only intelligent person among Spengo's forces, believes that Dick and Marge are the key to ending Spengo's rule, so he hatches a plan to stop the megalomaniac. He switches the love serum meant for Marge with water and informs her of his intentions to search for Dick, but Spengo overhears Afir's plan and has him placed in the barrel of the laser, to die when Earth is destroyed.
During the wedding ceremony, a detachment of Spengo's soldiers go into the desert to finish the rebels, but find their camp deserted, and one by one they fall victim to one of the Light Grenades which has been left on Dick's pallet. In the meantime, Dick approaches Spengo's fortress with a large wooden bust
of Spengo, reading "In Tod We Trust
". At first Spengo says it is an obvious trick, but in the end he tells the guards to bring it in. In the midst of the wedding ceremony, Dick and the others emerge from the Trojan bust and the final battle begins.
As fighting rages in the castle, Tod retreats to his lab with Marge and prepares to fire the laser at Earth. Dick and Tod clash with swords, but neither gains the upper hand, as both are clumsy fighters. Marge manages to use Dick's sword to cut her bonds and helps Dick defeat Tod and knock him into the garbage chute. As the two of them kiss and exchange "I love you"'s, the bound and gagged Afir gives them a muffled reminder about the Death Ray, and they manage to shut it off as the countdown makes it half-way to zero. Meanwhile, Tod crash lands in the sewers where he is soon confronted by the killer mushrooms.
After the rightful king is reinstated, he reverses the polarity on the Magnobeam to send Dick and Marge back home to Northern California
. They arrive home with some slight damage to the station wagon
(which stuns their kids), and then proceed to show their son, daughter, and her boyfriend slides (including an image of Dick in front of Saturn
) from what they claim is "Santa Barbara
". Their daughter, Stephanie (Suzanne Ventulett) and her boyfriend, Carl (Michael Stoyanov
), find the images weird, but their son, Alan (Danny Cooksey
) enjoys it. To end their anniversary, Dick and Marge share drinks on the roof, watching the stars.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
adventure
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
, family
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
, romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
which stars Jon Lovitz
Jon Lovitz
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
, Teri Garr
Teri Garr
-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
, Jeffrey Jones
Jeffrey Jones
Jeffrey Duncan Jones is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television series, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, and Dean of Students Edward R...
, Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
, Thalmus Rasulala
Thalmus Rasulala
Thalmus Rasulala was an African American actor who was an original cast member of ABC's soap opera One Life to Live from its inception in 1968 until he left the show in 1970....
and other actors. Jon Lovitz plays Emperor Tod Spengo who is the cruel, silly and over-dramatic emperor of the planet named Spengo. Teri Garr plays Marge Nelson and Jeffrey Jones plays Dick Nelson, her husband. The original music score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
. Rasulala died shortly after completing his scenes, and the film is accordingly dedicated to his memory.
Plot
Emperor Tod Spengo (Jon LovitzJon Lovitz
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
), with General Afir (Thalmus Rasulala
Thalmus Rasulala
Thalmus Rasulala was an African American actor who was an original cast member of ABC's soap opera One Life to Live from its inception in 1968 until he left the show in 1970....
) at his side, takes over a small planet at the edge of the galaxy populated entirely by idiots, and renames it after himself. He orders that all the resources of the planet should be engaged to create his "Super Death Ray Laser"; the laser's purpose is to destroy Earth, thus making Spengo the greatest planet in the Universe. When Spengo looks at exactly where his laser would strike, he sees Marge Nelson (Teri Garr
Teri Garr
-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
) exercising — and falls in love. Using his Magnobeam (a giant magnet), he kidnaps Marge and her husband, Dick (Jeffrey Jones
Jeffrey Jones
Jeffrey Duncan Jones is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television series, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, and Dean of Students Edward R...
), as they are on their way to a 20th-anniversary weekend, hoping to make Marge his before he blows up the Earth. Dick and Marge get separated on Spengo: Marge is sent to the lap of luxury, waited on by small people with fish or dog heads, while Dick is thrown into a dungeon. In the dungeon, however, Dick meets the rightful king of Spengo, Raff (Eric Idle
Eric Idle
Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
), who has plans hidden in his pants for his son, called the White Bird, out in the desert.
Spengo quickly finds that his advances towards Marge are failing, so he tries to read Dick's mind in order to discover the secret to her heart. Following Dick's mind-probing, one of the Destroyers, Sibor (Wallace Shawn
Wallace Shawn
Wallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr...
), has a change of heart when asked to execute the Earthman. Encouraging Dick to not lose his woman and their love, the diminutive Destroyer frees Dick and helps him break out of the chamber. Despite the stupidity of his captors, Dick is soon discovered and forced down a garbage chute to the sewers. While in the dark, inundated tunnel, he is approached by a cute-looking mushroom-like creature, a lub-lub. Dick attempts to pet the lub-lub, but it immediately reveals its true carnivorous nature, forcing him to run for his life.
Dick manages to escape the sewers and steal an escape pod, and winds up crashing miles away in the desert, where he meets the rightful king's son and daughter, Semage (Kathy Ireland
Kathy Ireland
Kathleen Marie "Kathy" Ireland is an American former model, actress, and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and designer of her eponymous brand product marketing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide.-Life and career:...
), as well as their followers. All of them are dressed as 6-foot-tall birds, although such creatures are not naturally found on Spengo, and the only weapons they have to fight the Emperor and the Destroyers are rocks, their "intelligence" and a number of stolen weapons, including Light Grenades, which completely disintegrate anyone who picks one up. At first, the rebels don't trust Dick and begin to torture him. When Dick reveals that he shared a cell with Raff and that he is on their side, their attitude quickly changes, and Dick rises to the rank of war leader. Using what little resources he can scrounge up, he devises a plan to sneak back into Spengo's palace and save Marge. He even inspires Raff's followers with a rousing speech, during which he says, "Just because you're stupid that doesn't mean you can't rule a planet. Hey! Come to Earth sometime."
In the meantime, General Afir, who appears to be the only intelligent person among Spengo's forces, believes that Dick and Marge are the key to ending Spengo's rule, so he hatches a plan to stop the megalomaniac. He switches the love serum meant for Marge with water and informs her of his intentions to search for Dick, but Spengo overhears Afir's plan and has him placed in the barrel of the laser, to die when Earth is destroyed.
During the wedding ceremony, a detachment of Spengo's soldiers go into the desert to finish the rebels, but find their camp deserted, and one by one they fall victim to one of the Light Grenades which has been left on Dick's pallet. In the meantime, Dick approaches Spengo's fortress with a large wooden bust
Trojan Horse
The Trojan Horse is a tale from the Trojan War about the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside...
of Spengo, reading "In Tod We Trust
In God We Trust
"In God We Trust" was adopted as the official motto of the United States in 1956. It is also the motto of the U.S. state of Florida. The Legality of this motto has been questioned because of the United States Constitution forbidding the government to make any law respecting the establishment of a...
". At first Spengo says it is an obvious trick, but in the end he tells the guards to bring it in. In the midst of the wedding ceremony, Dick and the others emerge from the Trojan bust and the final battle begins.
As fighting rages in the castle, Tod retreats to his lab with Marge and prepares to fire the laser at Earth. Dick and Tod clash with swords, but neither gains the upper hand, as both are clumsy fighters. Marge manages to use Dick's sword to cut her bonds and helps Dick defeat Tod and knock him into the garbage chute. As the two of them kiss and exchange "I love you"'s, the bound and gagged Afir gives them a muffled reminder about the Death Ray, and they manage to shut it off as the countdown makes it half-way to zero. Meanwhile, Tod crash lands in the sewers where he is soon confronted by the killer mushrooms.
After the rightful king is reinstated, he reverses the polarity on the Magnobeam to send Dick and Marge back home to Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. They arrive home with some slight damage to the station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
(which stuns their kids), and then proceed to show their son, daughter, and her boyfriend slides (including an image of Dick in front of Saturn
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
) from what they claim is "Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
". Their daughter, Stephanie (Suzanne Ventulett) and her boyfriend, Carl (Michael Stoyanov
Michael Stoyanov
Michael Stoyanov is an American actor and television writer.Stoyanov was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is probably best known for his role in the situation comedy Blossom as oldest brother Anthony Russo. He left the show after several years to write for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, a move he...
), find the images weird, but their son, Alan (Danny Cooksey
Danny Cooksey
Danny Cooksey is an American singer, actor and voice actor. He has been in show business since he was very young and is best remembered for playing the roles of Sam McKinney on the last years of the TV show Diff'rent Strokes and Robert "Bobby" Budnick on the Nickelodeon program, Salute Your...
) enjoys it. To end their anniversary, Dick and Marge share drinks on the roof, watching the stars.
Cast
- Teri GarrTeri Garr-Early life:Garr was born in Lakewood, Ohio in 1947. Her father, Eddie Garr , was a vaudeville performer, comedian and actor whose career peaked when he briefly took over the lead role in the Broadway drama Tobacco Road...
as Marge Nelson - Jeffrey JonesJeffrey JonesJeffrey Duncan Jones is an American actor. He has appeared in many films and television series, but may be best known for his roles as Emperor Joseph II in Miloš Forman’s Amadeus, Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice, and Dean of Students Edward R...
as Dick Nelson - Jon LovitzJon LovitzJonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
as Emperor Tod Spengo - Thalmus RasulalaThalmus RasulalaThalmus Rasulala was an African American actor who was an original cast member of ABC's soap opera One Life to Live from its inception in 1968 until he left the show in 1970....
as General Afir - Wallace ShawnWallace ShawnWallace Michael Shawn , sometimes credited as Wally Shawn, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, author, voice artist, and intellectual. His best-known film roles include Wally Shawn in My Dinner with Andre , Vizzini in The Princess Bride , and debate teacher Mr...
as Sibor - Eric IdleEric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
as King Raff - Danny CookseyDanny CookseyDanny Cooksey is an American singer, actor and voice actor. He has been in show business since he was very young and is best remembered for playing the roles of Sam McKinney on the last years of the TV show Diff'rent Strokes and Robert "Bobby" Budnick on the Nickelodeon program, Salute Your...
as Alan Nelson - Suzanne Ventulett as Stephanie Nelson
- Michael StoyanovMichael StoyanovMichael Stoyanov is an American actor and television writer.Stoyanov was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is probably best known for his role in the situation comedy Blossom as oldest brother Anthony Russo. He left the show after several years to write for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, a move he...
as Carl - Kathy IrelandKathy IrelandKathleen Marie "Kathy" Ireland is an American former model, actress, and entrepreneur. She is the CEO and designer of her eponymous brand product marketing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide.-Life and career:...
as Semage - Tony Cox as Blaaatt
- Jeff DoucetteJeff DoucetteJeff Doucette is an American television and film actor. Doucette has appeared in over 92 films and television series which include Bedazzled, That '70s Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Murphy Brown, Invasion, "Gilmore Girls", Desperate Housewives, Newhart, Little House on the Prairie, Highway To...
as Captain Destroyer - Jonathan StarkJonathan Stark (actor)Gordon Johnston “Jonathan” Stark is an American television producer, screenwriter, and actor. He created - along with his writing partner, Tracy Newman - the sitcom According to Jim and won an Emmy for his co-writing on "The Puppy Episode" in which Ellen DeGeneres's character Ellen Morgan came out...
as Lieutenant Destroyer - Dan Stanton as Twin Destroyer #1
- Don Stanton as Twin Destroyer #2