The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1998) is directed by David Zucker, who wrote the film alongside Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, Susan Beaubain, Nancy Marchand, Raye Birk, Jeannette Charles, and Ed Williams. Based on the short-lived television series, Police Squad! (1982), The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Follows Sergeant Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Nielsen), a quirky yet remarkably efficient law enforcement officer. After his antics land him in hot water with his superiors, Frank is suspended from the force, but soon catches wind of a conspiracy to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. While investigating his number one suspect, powerful tech CEO Vincent Ludwig (Montalban), Frank becomes romantically involved with the man’s girlfriend, the endlessly alluring Jane Spencer (Presley). Despite all of his goofy behavior, Frank continuously comes one step closer to cracking the case, but will it be enough to save the Queen in time?

One of the reasons the comedy works so well throughout is that everyone delivers their many idiotic and over-the-top lines with a straight face. It provides the juxtaposition that such absurd humor requires in order to survive. The jokes and the way they’re delivered are opposite from each other in terms of tone. This works to catch the viewer off guard, even though they know a punchline is coming. It’s a classic comedy in the sense that it’s all about the jokes, first and foremost, so the fact that they’re still surprising is commendable. 

The straight-laced delivery is most apparent in Leslie Nielsen’s performance as Frank Drebin. He’s perfectly cast for the role, finding innovative ways to elevate the humor without breaking the illusion that the character is dead serious. For example, whenever a character even implies that Frank is either stupid or crazy, he simply smirks at his partner in a way that suggests, “Get a load of this idiot.” 

The humor here is often unbelievably random, but it fits the goofy tone and adds to the film’s impressively maintained surprise factor. It makes sense that Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, is one of the minds behind the film’s modern reboot. For example, there are constant, meaningless asides designed to inject the movie with more jokes. These work if you don’t put much emphasis on story, but will tend to be annoying for anyone who craves something more focused. 

Because its priority is to make the audience laugh, it’s able to provide a proper setup for each joke, which elevates the eventual punchline. Not every joke lands in a way that justifies its given focus, but it’s clear that the writers have a complex understanding of how to manipulate the viewer. In between all the bigger jokes, the film also features an almost overwhelming number of subtle sight gags. It doesn’t seem like a film that would require you to be locked in, but a handful of its biggest laughs are easy to miss if you’re not paying close attention. Even when the jokes land squarely in the “low-hanging fruit” category, they often work to build the film’s overarching humorous energy. Some jokes are a bit dated, such as one referencing the stereotype that Chinese people have slanted eyes, but surprisingly, this is the only one. Humor was a lot less touchy back in the day, for better or worse, so it’s commendable that most of the film’s jokes are somewhat timeless in their subject matter. 

The humor often relies on random goofiness and silly double entendres, while also adding a Looney Tunes-esque flavor to its action sequences. Like every other aspect of the film, the action is only present to support a punchline. Even the violent deaths of certain characters are treated with a sense of humor. It’s a ridiculous film, but never to the extent that the story becomes meaningless. It’s as basic as stories get, but it’s serviceable when considering that a complex story would only result in less time for jokes. Story quite clearly isn’t the point here, so if that’s an issue for you, this probably just isn’t your kind of comedy. 

Overall, this is an enjoyable and silly experience that establishes the spoof template used by countless similar films, such as Scary Movie (2000), Not Another Teen Movie (2001), and Superhero Movie (2008), among others. Nielsen and the rest of the cast deliver the material with committed, strait-laced swagger, and the constant jokes keep things moving even in its weakest moments. It’s dated in the sense that it sometimes relies on physical, sexist, and even racial humor, but a lot more holds up than doesn’t. If you’re looking for a classic comedy that’s all about the jokes, check this out; Leslie Nielsen gives a legendary comedic performance, and does so while attempting to portray the opposite. If you have such a low tolerance for silly humor that this doesn’t appeal to you, I have one piece of advice: Grow up. You’re not more mature than everybody else; you just lack imagination. B