Overview of Airborne LIVE! w/ Scott Aukerman, Kumail Nanjiani, & Danielle Schneider (Classic)
This live How Did This Get Made? episode breaks down Airborne (1993), a chaotic 90s sports movie that somehow combines rollerblading, surfing, hockey, teen drama, and Cincinnati into one very confused 83-minute film. With guest co-hosts Danielle Schneider, Scott Aukerman, and Kumail Nanjiani, the panel riffs on the movie’s bizarre tone, uneven logic, early appearances by Seth Green and Jack Black, and the fact that the title “Airborne” barely applies until the final stretch.
Main Takeaways
The movie has too many plots and no clear identity
The hosts keep coming back to the same issue: Airborne feels like four different movies smashed together.
- It starts like a California surf movie
- Then becomes a fish-out-of-water Cincinnati teen movie
- Then pivots into hockey
- Then finishes as a rollerblading race movie
Their biggest complaint is that the film never commits to one premise, making it hard to tell:
- who the hero is really supposed to be,
- who the villains are,
- or what Mitchell Goosen is meant to learn.
Mitchell Goosen is deeply unlikable
The panel repeatedly mocks the lead character for being:
- smug
- strangely preachy
- always smiling
- somehow already “fully formed” with no meaningful arc
They especially roast:
- his name, Mitchell Goosen
- his surfer jargon and “make waves, not war” attitude
- the fact that he seems to bring nothing to Cincinnati except a lot of confidence
The movie is bizarrely well made for how ridiculous it is
Despite mocking the script, the hosts praise the film’s technical execution:
- well-directed
- surprisingly polished
- expensive-looking for its budget
- strong stunt work
- memorable 90s soundtrack energy
They note that director Rob Bowman is capable, and the movie looks much bigger than its reported $2.6 million budget.
Early Jack Black and Seth Green are standouts
Even while trashing the movie, the panel agrees that:
- Jack Black is already very Jack Black
- Seth Green is excellent and fully committed
They seem to be the only actors who feel alive in the movie, and their weird energy helps explain why both went on to become more famous.
Funniest Recurring Bits
“Airborne” barely happens
A running joke throughout the episode is that the movie’s title is almost false advertising.
- The hosts point out that the airborne moment is basically one jump
- Most of the movie is actually grounded or on wheels
- They joke that the real title should have been something like:
- Surf and Turf
- Earthbound
- Pantsed
- Life Is a Wave
The movie is full of strange 90s choices
They highlight a lot of odd details that make the film feel especially dated:
- exaggerated teen slang
- over-the-top laughing extras
- bizarre wardrobe montage
- random music cues
- weirdly sexual or creepy moments in a school setting
- a general sense that everyone in the movie is acting like it’s normal
The “pantsing” scene becomes a major topic
The hosts are shocked by how big a deal the movie makes out of a character being pantsed.
- Jack Black’s reaction is especially exaggerated
- They joke that this may be the one thing Mitchell Goosen actually contributes to the town: pantsing
Audience Q&A and Live Show Highlights
The live audience contributes alternate titles and observations, including:
- “Cincinnati Snowboarding Doesn’t Exist”
- “Life Is a Wave”
- “Not Airborne”
A few audience questions spark extra discussion about:
- why the parents sent rollerblades so awkwardly
- where the adults are
- why nobody calls an ambulance after major injuries
- why the town seems to already have a hidden rollerblading culture
The panel also jokes that the film’s ending and logic make more sense if Mitchell dies early and the rest is a dream.
Second Opinions: Amazon Reviews
The show closes with “Second Opinions,” reading absurd Amazon reviews that range from nostalgic to unhinged.
Notable review themes:
- former extras giving the movie five stars
- people defending it as a nostalgic 90s relic
- one review bizarrely comparing it to Harry Potter
- a very passionate fan claiming the movie represents a better, simpler era
The crew riffs on how some reviews read like they were written by people who were deeply attached to their childhood memories of rollerblading and 90s teen culture.
Final Verdict
The panel’s overall conclusion is:
- Yes, the movie is ridiculous
- Yes, it makes little sense
- Yes, it is worth watching if you enjoy 90s oddities
Why watch it?
- to see early Jack Black and Seth Green
- for the surprisingly competent direction
- for the pure 90s nonsense
- if you like movies that feel like they were assembled from leftover ideas
Why skip it?
- the plot is incoherent
- the lead is annoying
- the “airborne” payoff is minimal
- it’s mostly valuable as a curiosity or nostalgia trip
In short: a weirdly polished disaster of a movie, and exactly the kind of thing How Did This Get Made? was built to celebrate.