20 Fantastic Blimps, Balloons, And Dirigibles In Movies

Ah, to break free of the chains of gravity and set off into the wild blue yonder! Hollywood has always understood humanity’s desire to fly above it all, free of the restrictions of Earth-bound travel, and there are many films that have taken to the skies.

Sometimes, though, viewers don’t want the hurtling speed and focus on destination that comes with a jet plane; they like to free themselves from the ground and let the wind decide their destiny. For viewers like that, perhaps a blimp, balloon, or dirigible is more their speed.

Though they don’t receive as much love from film-makers as their cousin the plane, blimps, balloons, and dirigibles do deserve love for their appearances in movies...

Essentially a remake of 1963’s It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World from Airplane director Jerry Zucker, at Race followed in its progenitor’s footsteps by assembling a huge cast of recognizable actors, from Seth Green and John Cleese to Whoopi Goldberg and Rowan Atkinson.

The action revolves around six teams who leave Las Vegas on a scavenger hunt for a bag full of $2 million. In one inspired comedy sequence, Seth Green begins chasing a hot air balloon with his car. He grabs a hanging rope, ends up being buffeted against a series of cows in a field, somehow gets chased by his own car, and is eventually left dangling on the rope along with the owner of the balloon and a very confused cow.