"The Naked Gun" by David Zucker: a review

Based on the short-lived cop series “Police Squad”, The Naked Gun proved to be a longer running franchise than the TV show it was inspired by. Starring Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin, the series of comedic films spawned 3 sequels thus far, the last of which is due to come out in 2010.

In 1988, the first installment, “The Naked Gun: Files from the Police Squad!” had Drebin working on a case that involved the planned assassination of Queen Elizabeth II. The succeeding films, “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear” (1991) and “Naked Gun 33?: The Final Insult” (1994), remained true to form and spirit with Priscilla Presley staying on as Drebin’s leading lady, Jane Spencer.

While the first movie fared well with critics, the succeeding films had a more lukewarm reception. Fans of spoof comedies naturally love them all. People who do not enjoy slapstick will, on the other hand, probably find them annoying. Despite the non-high brow level of humor, mostly consisting of parodies and puns, there is wit and cunning in the film and the main purpose which is to elicit laughs is accomplished.

Nielsen does his portrayal excellently. He can go from straight and poker-faced to an outright clown. Presley is also funny, as is the rest of the cast. There is, of course, the film’s association with OJ Simpson, but his real life crimes ought not to have anything to do with the film. For a belly-busting couple of hours of continuous laughter, The Naked Gun is always up for the job. Nielesen is definitely not a cop good at compliance.

The zany movie “The Naked Gun” was released in 1988. It was directed by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker. This movie is a slapstick comedy along the same lines as the Airplane movies. It will have you laughing until you cry.

The movie follows the antics of Detective Frank Drebin who is played perfectly by Leslie Nielsen as he tries to foil a plot to assassinate the Queen of England. The Queen is visiting the United States and an evil assassin played by Ricardo Montalban has plans to kill her.

Priscilla Presley stars as the evil villain’s assistant. She ends up sleeping with Detective Drebin and then ends up helping him stop the assassination plot. The film also co-stars O.J. Simpson, pre-trial days, as Officer Nordberg. He always seems to get himself in unusual situations. George Kennedy is also in the movie. He plays Captain Ed Hocken who is Frank’s boss.

There are pranks, slips, falls, and stunts that will have you laughing though out the entire movie. There are a lot of adult innuendos and situations in this movie. It’s zaniness is what made it a popular movie. There were several movie sequels made after this.