Year of Release: 1988
Director: David Zucker
Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Nancy Marchand, Raye Birk, Joe Grifasi, Ed Williams, Tony Brafa
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:
The ZAZ creative team (David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker), continued their winning 80s streak, by dusting off the remnants of their hilarious and precociously cancelled 1982 show, "Police Squad", updating it to feature format, while maintaining its concept and even some of its cast (the lead Leslie Nielsen of course, and Ted, played by Ed Williams). The film follows the story of Detective Frank Drebin, a well meaning but clueless cop, who gets tangled in a sinister plot to kill the Queen of England, who will be visiting LA on her American tour. His investigations lead him to the offices of the charismatic and suave Vincent Ludwig, who has at his employment, the capable and beautiful Jane Spencer. As sparks fly between Frank and Jane, so does the stakes of the plot that is unfolding, something that Frank isn't entirely capable of stopping. It will take all of his efforts and the help of his cohort, Captain Ed Hocken, to stop the gears of the assassination about to take place.
Something that the ZAZ creative group, alongside Pat Proft, have always been able to do, is mine the seriousness of diverse film genres, and expose some of the ridicule, the clichés that always fuel these films. And that's what has always been so hilarious with "The Naked Gun" series: the creators simply amp up the volume of the silliness that walks hand in hand with the tropes of the noir/detective genre, allowing for double entendres, and some not so subdued jokes to come loudly across. Frank Drebin, the central hero to this series, who is already on his way to retirement, but still looks incredibly buff, his love for Jane, which is always filled with the ups and downs of a romantic comedy, and the constant presence of his sidekick, Ed Hocken, who even though can clearly see Frank's attempts and stumbles, can't help him succeed any further. This is the type of film that has been mimicked so many times, but never with the quality or vision that these creators have always put in to these films (or "Airplane!" for that matter). Their goal has never been to replicate the films that they satire, but more understand the tropes of the genres, and satirically expose them. Leslie Nielsen is always the perfect accomplice for this group, but he is nicely supported by George Kennedy, Ricardo Montalban, Priscilla Presley and Nancy Marchand. A good comedy always worth revisiting.
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