The Naked Gun - From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  THE NAKED GUN starts off as a real schlock. For a while, it seems like a generic slapstick cop farce, and only after about fifteen minutes does it become a work of ingenuity. There are so many scenes to love from this movie: Weird Al Yankovic's cameo; the student driver scene;… More
  THE NAKED GUN starts off as a real schlock. For a while, it seems like a generic slapstick cop farce, and only after about fifteen minutes does it become a work of ingenuity. There are so many scenes to love from this movie: Weird Al Yankovic's cameo; the student driver scene; the baseball scene when EVERYBODY is expectorating; the scene when the obese woman falls off the baseball stadium. Though none of the humor is predictable or forgettable, the baseball scenes that occupy the last thirty minutes may be by far the most classic. Not to mention the comically dark placement of "Louie, Louie".

• Directors C

  
  The Naked Gun is the daddy of parody movies. Along with Leslie's previous film "Airplane!". Its usually the amount of slapstick that breaks comedy films. This film however is the rare film that is made by it.

• Jens S

  
  While the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker team had already showed what their humor is capable of in "Airplane!" and "Top Secret" they finally got the recognition they deserved with this mother of all cop comedies. Of course Leslie Nielsen turned out to be the perfect… More
  While the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker team had already showed what their humor is capable of in "Airplane!" and "Top Secret" they finally got the recognition they deserved with this mother of all cop comedies. Of course Leslie Nielsen turned out to be the perfect leading man with his stoic impressions even in the midst of chaos. Very few films had a big a gag density as this film, still highly quotable in every line of dialog. Disrespectful, wrong, hilarious in each and every second. A classic.

• Brad W

  
  The Naked Gun is a spoof film everyone can love. The story is non stop laughter, and the characters are classic. Leslie Nielson to this day is still one of my favorite comedians ever. The comedy is stupid, but thats what made it so incredibly funny. The Naked Gun is not a great as… More
  The Naked Gun is a spoof film everyone can love. The story is non stop laughter, and the characters are classic. Leslie Nielson to this day is still one of my favorite comedians ever. The comedy is stupid, but thats what made it so incredibly funny. The Naked Gun is not a great as Airplane, but its humorus and great fun to watch, I recommend this.

• KJ P

  
  This loveable comedy is both sweet and smart. Leslie Nielsen is a comedic genius who makes every on-screen appearance funny. If only this film were longer and had more story to tell; However, this film has hilarious dialogue, a fantastic cast, a story that is great as far as comedic… More
  This loveable comedy is both sweet and smart. Leslie Nielsen is a comedic genius who makes every on-screen appearance funny. If only this film were longer and had more story to tell; However, this film has hilarious dialogue, a fantastic cast, a story that is great as far as comedic stories can reach, and original slapstick humour that will have anyone rolling on the floor laughing. Director David Zucker puts together a well crafted Police comedy that surprisingly has real emotions lurking throughout and some pretty cool action as well. The Naked Gun celebrated the stupid comedy that everyone has always loved. This film is awesome!

• Mark H

  
  Police Squad! was a TV series that aired back in 1982 on ABC. Created by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker of Airplane! fame, it starred Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, few remember the TV show today. (It only broadcast 6 episodes before it was cancelled)… More
  Police Squad! was a TV series that aired back in 1982 on ABC. Created by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker of Airplane! fame, it starred Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, few remember the TV show today. (It only broadcast 6 episodes before it was cancelled) Flash forward six years to 1988 when the producers fondly used it as the inspiration for their very successful Naked Gun trilogy. The story, such as it is, concerns Lieutenant Frank Drebin's attempts to uncover an assassination plot against Queen Elizabeth II. The events involve Vincent Ludwig, a rich businessman, sensory induced hypnosis, and a baseball game. The details are never fully explained, but none of that really matters. Everything is simply excuse to direct rapid fire jokes one after another at the audience and see what works. The surprising thing is, most of them do. Some of the success rests with the writing, but considerable credit should go to actor Leslie Nielson and his impeccable deadpan delivery. He possesses that steady demeanor of a commanding thespian that makes even the most ridiculous lines seem like serious Shakespeare. He's also consistently charming even when he's behaving like a complete moron. His talents go a long way in making this film a classic in slapstick comedy. The Naked Gun was the first and remains the best of the series.

• Tim S

  
  Laugh-out-loud funny. So much like the series. A really fun time at the movies.

• Richard C

  
  a really funny movie. leslie nielsen is hilarious. stupid but hysterical. B+

• moon r

  
  guilty ... you so guilty! ... pleasure

• Wahida K

  
  What can I say? I lol

• Cassandra M

  
  Fresh from tackling terrorism in Beruit, with his own unique hands on style, Lt Frank Drebin is immediately called onto the job to investigate the near fatal shooting of a fellow officer. Det Nordberg was gunned down investigating a case in the docks and Drebin's investigation… More
  Fresh from tackling terrorism in Beruit, with his own unique hands on style, Lt Frank Drebin is immediately called onto the job to investigate the near fatal shooting of a fellow officer. Det Nordberg was gunned down investigating a case in the docks and Drebin's investigation begins with the company that Nordberg was undercover with ? that of pillar of the community Vincent Ludwig. As Frank falls for Ludwig's PA, the beautiful Jane Spencer, he uncovers proof of a dastardly plot by Ludwig ? but who will believe him? If there is a man, woman or child on this earth who can say, hand on heart, that they just don't find Airplane, Naked Gun, Police Squad and the like funny then I would very much like to meet the sad sack just to discover what it takes to elicit a smile from them. Needless to say, this sort of film is very much my type of thing but not to the point where I cannot spot a good one from a bad one. In fact one of the big downsides of this film is that it did create many copies that just couldn't do it as well ? so we have had spoofs of all sorts of genres recently, but too many have more hits than misses. It is to this films credit that it has a very high hit/miss ratio and I enjoy it so much because the laughs keep coming. The material is very silly but it is the constant straight face that it delivers it with that is perfect and makes it work. Other films of the ilk have been overly silly without keeping this straight face. However, our characters here seem oblivious ? apart from the odd one who gives the other a funny look etc, and this makes the goings on even funnier. The plot is silly but that doesn't matter as you will be laughing too much to really care. Having seen it so often I have stopped roaring the way I did the first time but I still chuckled all the way. The writing and direction is spot on ? delivering sharp lines that make me laugh due to their sheer unexpectedness or the way they are so very out of place as well as sight gags that are imaginative and clever. However lets not forget a delivery by a very talented cast who make the material work. Praise goes to Nielsen in the lead; he may have worn his role thin over the years with typecasting and, shall we say 'less than perfect' material but give him the tools and he'll do you a job. He can be straight, he can dither or he can just be a clown and he does them all here ? his delivery is great whether it's action or reaction shots. Likewise I felt the rest of the cast did well even if most of them are given reaction shots to Drebin. Presley is straight and funny for it while Kennedy seems to fit into the material with ease. OJ doesn't have as much chance to be funny and seems a little stiff in the scenes he is in, but he is still good ? just pales a little when next to the others. I love Montalban and he uses his ooze really well in this film ? and his reaction shots are very good. The support is all good but it is Nielsen doing his (now) time-honoured turn as spoof-master than steals the show. Overall I love this genre and consider this film (indeed the series) to be up there with Police Squad and Airplane. It is not as hilarious as Airplane but it has way more hits than misses and is relentlessly funny. As a film it isn't perfect but anyone watching this who complains about plot holes, lack of character development or lack of narrative really have missed the point.

• Dan S

  
  A great 80's comedy that makes you wish more movies like this came out. Good (mostly) clean fun, just a really hilarious movie. The Zuckers know how to keep the audience laughing throughout through strings of random, funny jokes that are extremely clever. Leslie Nielsen is a… More
  A great 80's comedy that makes you wish more movies like this came out. Good (mostly) clean fun, just a really hilarious movie. The Zuckers know how to keep the audience laughing throughout through strings of random, funny jokes that are extremely clever. Leslie Nielsen is a very, very underrated comedic actor, his timing as far as his ridiculous dialogue is perfect.

• Anthony L

  
  Not as funny as Police Squad but it has its moments. I still love the scene with O.J Simpson falling down the stairs in a wheelchair. That probably says a lot about my childish sense of humour eh!

• Phil H

  
  The best of the trilogy by far, Neilsen is so good at what he does best here.Ssimpson is also very good as Nordberg as is George Kennedy as the chief. The original series is also brilliant but this captures all the best gags and makes them look and feel better with alittle more… More
  The best of the trilogy by far, Neilsen is so good at what he does best here.Ssimpson is also very good as Nordberg as is George Kennedy as the chief. The original series is also brilliant but this captures all the best gags and makes them look and feel better with alittle more budget. Much better than Airplane.

• Cassie H

  
  Absolutely Hillarious!!!

• Taylor B

  
  Umpire scene was the funniest.. lmao

• Lenny M

  
  I love the lines and absurdity.

• David L

  
  If "Airplane!" was the movie that proved how funny "Forbidden Planet" star Leslie Nielsen can be (and he can be a riot with the right material), "Naked Gun" was the movie that cemented his reputation in this regard, for better or worse. Nielsen plays… More
  If "Airplane!" was the movie that proved how funny "Forbidden Planet" star Leslie Nielsen can be (and he can be a riot with the right material), "Naked Gun" was the movie that cemented his reputation in this regard, for better or worse. Nielsen plays Lt. Frank Drebbin, a seemingly incompetent cop who manages to nonetheless to get the job done. In the beginning of the movie, he busts a meeting filled with "evil" world leaders including Idi Amin, the Ayatollah Khomeini, and Gorbachev ("I knew it!" Drebbin yells as he rubs off the mark on Gorbachev's forehead). But when he suspects that a shady character named Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban from "Fantasy Island") is plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth, nobody except his captain, Ed Hocken (played by another serious actor who shows a great ability with comedy, George Kennedy) is willing to take him seriously. His retractors include the mayor (played by Nancy Marchand, later of "The Sopranos"), who after a series of pratfalls that make Drebbin look like an idiot (it's not hard) takes his badge. But Drebbin is determined to prove his case, even if it means posing as opera star Enrico Pullazo and an umpire to do it, and prevent the assassination of the queen. There's a love story between Drebbin and Jane Spencer, played by Priscilla Presley, who is also not ready to accept that her boss Ludwig is a murderer, and O.J. Simpson provides support (and some of the funniest scenes in the movie) as the hapless Det. Nordberg, who can't seem to avoid getting hurt time and time again. Admit it, it's a hoot watching these scenes now and imagining that the real O.J. is the one nearly being killed. The movie was made by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, the team also responsible for "Airplane!", and is based on the cult classic TV show (cancelled before its time because, of course, it was too much for the dumb TV audiences to be able to follow) "Police Squad!" I think it can be easily argued that it's because of the material provided by these geniuses that Nielsen is so funny; God knows he can't be in anything not created by them. But let's give Leslie Nielsen some credit; NOBODY does deadpan like him. And he gets strong support from the rest of the cast. There are some hilarious one-liners and sight gags here; one of my favorites is the final scene with Nordberg ("Oh Frank! Everybody should have a friend like you!"). Also notable are the cameos throughout, including "Weird Al" Yankovic, Reggie Jackson, Dick Vitale, Dick Enberg, Dr. Joyce Brothers (as a baseball announcer!), and best of all John Houseman in his final screen appearance, playing a driving instructor in a car Drebbin has to take control of for a chase; the poor teenage girl is still driving, and Houseman is calmly directing her on how to do it, as they speed down the highway. This is classic stuff, and even though its not a serious role, I'm glad he had something so memorable for his last movie. "Naked Gun" is as consistently funny as "Airplane!" and is still one of the funniest movies ever, and gave further proof that the Zuckers are one of the greatest spoofmakers of all time. Jane - I wanted you to know, now, I've loved you since the first day I met you, and I'll never stop. I'm a very lucky woman. Frank - So am I

• Dean !

  
  Probably my favourite spoof film, always makes me laugh.

• Tim S

  
  Leslie Neilson and OJ the murderer are hilarious together.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings