Film

Airborne

Name: Airborne
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Released: 1993
Cast: Shane McDermott, Seth Green, Brittney Powell, Chris Conrad, Edie McClurg

Comedy
Light-hearted

A 1993 teen comedy about a California surfer dropped into landlocked Cincinnati, who decides rollerblading is basically the same as surfing and that attitude alone can conquer Midwestern bullies. It's earnest, goofy, and committed to the bit in a way that feels either deeply charming or deeply misguided depending on your tolerance for '90s sincerity. For anyone who loves that specific era's optimism and doesn't mind a protagonist solving social problems through sheer vibes.

TMDb rating

3.1

If you liked this

Teen Wolf1985

Michael J. Fox navigates high school weirdness by literally becoming a werewolf, then learning the real monster was social anxiety all along. Peak '80s teen comedy logic, executed with genuine heart and a killer soundtrack.

But The special effects are dated and the film leans hard on dated gender politics. If you need your comedies to pass a modern smell test, this will frustrate you.

Three O'Clock High1987

A teenager must fight the school's most feared bully before the final bell rings. It's a heightened, absurdist take on teen social hierarchy that finds real emotion in the silliness without ever winking at the camera.

But The eighties aesthetic is overwhelming and the plot is essentially a single day's worth of escalation. If you want character depth, look elsewhere.

The Breakfast Club1985

Five stereotypes spend a Saturday in detention and discover they're all more complicated than they seem. It defined how movies talk about teenage social stratification and still holds up because it treats kids with genuine respect.

But It's become the template every teen movie copies now, so the emotional beats might feel familiar. The 80s are unavoidable here too.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Airborne

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Buster1988

Both films believe that charm, style, and determined physicality can overcome social obstacles—one through rollerblading, one through the history of silent film. Both are essentially optimistic essays on attitude as action.

A Buster Keaton biography film that actually captures the physical comedy genius through its own movement and refusal to explain its jokes. You'll understand Airborne's commitment to physical solutions to social problems by seeing where it comes from.

But It's more art-film than traditional narrative and moves at its own pace. If you need dialogue to carry your film, you'll find stretches of pure physical storytelling alienating.

Rad1986

A BMX-riding teen with a mullet must win a championship race to prove himself in his small town. It's pure '80s wish-fulfillment with a protagonist who solves problems through determination and gnarly tricks, exactly like Airborne but on a bike.

But The acting is stiff, the plot is paint-by-numbers, and the hair is a choice. It's the kind of film that works if you lean into its earnestness, not against it.

Gleaming the Cube1989

A skateboarding teen becomes an accidental spy-thriller protagonist investigating his brother's death. Somehow manages to blend action, mystery, and skateboard culture into something that shouldn't work but does, mostly through commitment.

But The tone is genuinely confused about whether it's an action film, a mystery or a sports movie. It lurches between registers in ways that can feel jarring.

License to Drive1988

Corey Haim fails his driving test but steals his grandfather's Cadillac anyway to impress a girl. It's chaotic, dumb, and utterly committed to its central premise in a way that feels almost Kafkaesque.

But It's essentially a two-hour string of setups and pratfalls with no real emotional core. If you need a story underneath the comedy, this collapses when you look for one.

Summer School1987

A lazy teacher must help failing students pass summer school while discovering they're all better than they seem. Mark Harmon actually brings warmth to what could have been a cynical premise.

But The setup is generic and the resolutions are completely predictable. You can watch it without thinking and that's either a feature or a bug.

Just One of the Guys1985

A girl disguises herself as a boy to infiltrate the male-dominated journalism program at her school. It's got more genuine things to say about gender and identity than most comedies, even while being extremely silly.

But The cross-dressing plot has aged awkwardly and some of the humor lands wrong now. There's also a uncomfortable sexual-deception angle in the third act.

Can't Buy Me Love1987

A nerd pays a popular girl to be his girlfriend and accidentally becomes cool, then learns popularity is hollow. It's the template movie for this exact story, directed with real energy and genuine affection for its characters.

But The lead character is selfish and the plot resolves in ways that feel convenient rather than earned. It also can't quite decide if it's mocking status or reinforcing it.

Better Off Dead...1985

Both films feature out-of-place protagonists solving high school problems through an improbable physical skill and sheer force of optimism. Both live in a world where determination and attitude actually work.

A lovesick teen tries to ski down an impossible mountain, befriends a Japanese exchange student, and encounters one of the strangest comedies ever made. It's anarchic, surreal, and commits to its weird logic harder than any mainstream film should.

But The humor is bizarre and scattered. If you need coherent pacing or conventional jokes, this will feel like it's broken in ways you can't quite name.

The Concrete Jungle1982

Both are specifically about a protagonist from one world (coastal, casual, optimistic) thrust into an alien environment (Cincinnati brutalism, New York danger) and how they handle the mismatch. One is comic, one is noir; same skeleton, different blood.

An Australian in New York (before this plot became standard) must navigate crime, romance, and culture shock. It's a completely different film than Airborne but asks the same question: what do you do when everything about your life is suddenly wrong?

But It's darker, grittier, and treats displacement as real danger rather than a coming-of-age opportunity. The tone is survival, not comedy. Finding this film is difficult and it's not beginner-friendly.