David Zucker, Jim Abrachams and Jerry Zucker (trio of writer/directors also known as ZAZ) had the perfect timing when launching their immensely successful disaster film parody Airplane!. Two years later their sense of timing failed them when they tried to apply their comedic formula for television in Police Squad!, television show parodying police procedurals. Most people today would agree that the show was years, if not decades before its time – combination of slapstick, irreverence and surrealism was simply not understood by the audience and, more importantly, by ABC network executives who had it unceremoniously cancelled after only four episodes. Thankfully, Police Squad! was released on home video and gained huge cult following, thus inspiring ZAZ to try again, this time on big screen. The sequel of the series was 1988 film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, directed by Abrachams and co-written by him, Zucker brothers and Pat Proft.
Film retained some of the show’s cast, including Leslie Nielsen, who plays the protagonist, LAPD detective Lt. Frank Drebin, member of the elite Police Squad. Detective Nordberg (played by O. J. Simpson), one of his colleagues, was gravely wounded at the Los Angeles docks during unsuccessful raid on a ship smuggling heroin. One of the dock owners is Vincent Ludwig (played by Ricardo Montalban), rich and influential businessman whom the Los Angeles mayor Lilian Barkley (played by Nancy Marchand) invited into welcoming committee before the state visit by British Queen Elizabeth II (played by Jeanette Charles). Drebin begins to investigate and trail leads to Ludwig who asks his attractive assistant Jane Spencer (played by Priscilla Presley) to help him with business records. Drebin falls in love and start romantic relationship with Jane. In the meantime, Ludwig, who actually ran crime empire under the guise of legitimate business, gets hired by sinister individual called Pahpmshir (played by Raye Birk) to assassinate Queen. Ludwig has developed method of creating perfect assassin who is unaware of being assassin and who is triggered into action via post-hypnotic suggestion. When Drebin hears that the Queen will be attacked during the baseball game, he must use all of his ingenuity to prevent assassination.
Just like previous ZAZ films, The Naked Gun is very short and very quick film, which nevertheless displays great directing skill. Abrachams manages the limited time in a way that allows another example of saturation comedy – with new joke or gag being introduced every twenty or forty seconds. Some of them don’t work, but majority, thankfully, does, and as a result, The Naked Gun is one of the funnier and more entertaining comedies to come from Hollywood at the time. Abrachams also puts great trust in his cast, at that is wise decision, especially in the case of Leslie Nielsen, veteran Canadian actor who found deadpan comedy to be his forte thanks to supporting role in Airplane!. Here, just like in Police Squad, he excels as comedic star with perfect timing and delivery. Ricardo Montalban, an actor known for playing the greatest villain in history of Star Trek, is very effective in the role of another scheming genius of evil. Sadly, Priscilla Presley, for whom The Naked Gun represented zenith of her relatively brief acting career, isn’t that good, especially due to comparisons with much better colleagues. Those include George Kennedy as Drebin’s boss Captain Hocken and veteran John Houseman in one of his last appearances in the small role of driving instructor.
While very good, The Naked Gun has certain issues. The last segment, that takes place during the baseball game, is slightly overlong and many of the jokes would be lost to the non-US audience which is likely unfamiliar with the sport. Another segment that could be problematic, especially for younger audience, is the prologue that takes place in Beirut and features Drebin heroically disrupting meeting of various iconic personalities considered villains among the more bellicose segments of Reagan’s America – Idi Amin (who was actually out of power for a decade), Khomeini (who would die few months after the premiere), Muamar Gaddafi, Yasser Arafat, Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev (played by David Lloyd Austin in probably the only portrayal of Soviet leader, widely popular in late 1980s, as a villain). The scene, while mildly entertaining and giving insight into some of the authors’ ideology, makes The Naked Gun looking dated and many younger viewers would ask why Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden (who were actually US allies during the production) aren’t featured. In many ways, it could be seen as unnecessary distraction to what should otherwise be a comedy classic. Even with such flaws, The Naked Gun deserves recommendation as great display of comedic talent which seems to be in short supply these days. Film proved to be box office success and led to two more sequels - The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear and The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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Movie URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37136-the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad Critic: AA
