Saturday Night Live's Only Sci-Fi Movie Was Also A Major Comedic Failure

"Saturday Night Live" has a famously mixed history when it comes to films based on sketches. Though "Wayne's World" and "The Blues Brothers" are cult classics, movies like "MacGruber" and "Stuart Saves His Family" were critical and commercial failures. 1994's "It's Pat" was deemed so unfunny and offensive that it has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is impressive in its own way. One film that falls into the latter category is "Coneheads," which was released in 1993 and remains SNL's only sci-fi movie so far.

"Coneheads" started out as an sketch that debuted during Season 2, starring original cast members Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman. The three played a family of extraterrestrials from the planet Remulak trying to blend into a typical American suburb despite their strange voices, cultural differences, and (of course) oddly-shaped heads. The sci-fi bit went on to appear 11 times between 1977 and 1979, coincidentally debuting just months before the first "Star Wars" movie, which George Lucas expected audiences would hate.

Following a 1983 animated TV special, "Coneheads" was turned into a live-action feature. Aykroyd and Curtin reprised their roles as Beldar and Prymaat, while Michelle Burke took over Newman's role as their daughter Connie. But despite a talented cast and a popular "SNL" sketch as inspiration, "Coneheads" fell far short of expectations.

1993's "Coneheads" movie generally follows the same plot as the animated special, which was originally created as a pilot for a full series. It follows the alien family as they try to blend into an American suburb while being pursued by the U.S. government. At the same time, Beldar struggles with the fact that Connie, who was born after her parents' crash landing, is dating a human mechanic (played by Chris Farley) and doesn't want to return to Remulak. Other popular "SNL" cast members from the time also appear, including Adam Sandler, Tim Meadows, and David Spade. Newman also plays a small role as another alien from Remulak.

Upon its release, reviews for "Coneheads" were mixed to negative. Janet Maslin of The New York Times called the script "meandering" and speculated that it was written primarily to include as much of the "SNL" cast as possible, while Roger Ebert called it "dismal, dreary and fairly desperate." The film has a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is called "Listless, crude, and overall uninspired" in its Critics Consensus. It ultimately grossed around $21 million, falling short of its $30 million budget.

That said, many have fond memories of "Coneheads." A Reddit thread dedicated to the film calls it an "underrated gem," prompting others to share favorite moments, jokes, and memories associated with the now-nostalgic comedy.

While "Coneheads" consists primarily of silly and crude jokes, the underlying story hits at themes of xenophobia and the undocumented immigrant experience in America that sadly have gotten worse since the '90s. The family being pursued by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), now Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is painfully relevant now, even if their story also involves spaceships and an ungodly amount of teeth.

The film also explores a cultural clash within the Conehead family that's incredibly common among immigrant parents and their American-born children. While Connie wants to fit in with her American peers, Beldar wants her to take greater pride and interest in Remulak culture. Ultimately, it's the Coneheads' love for one another that wins out over their differences, making it resonate strongly with immigrant families.

Despite becoming more relevant in the decades since it was released, "Coneheads" is still a very silly movie. It takes a bit created for eight-minute sketches — one that Aykroyd said he came up with while under the influence of marijuana and called "the quintessential pothead sketch" — and stretches it into an 87-minute feature film. While "Coneheads" might take on some serious themes, it's also about as deep as you want it to be, proving that, sometimes, a smart satire and dumb comedy can be one and the same.