Retro Review | How “The Naked Gun” Became A Quintessential Spoof Comedy
Plot Synopsis
The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad! was directed by David Zucker and stars Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, and O.J. Simpson. This spoof of cop movies and TV shows follows the daft and bumbling Lt. Frank Drebin as he attempts to uncover a terrorist plot after his best friend and partner, Det. Nordberg gets attacked. As he finds more and more points of interest surrounding this plot, he begins to fall in love with the film’s fem fatale, Jane Spencer.
The Review
“…strike?”
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is the gift that keeps on giving. While I don’t find it quite as well-constructed or as funny as Airplane!, it still makes for an impressive and hilarious spoof nonetheless. Director David Zucker and writers Jim Abrahams, David and Jerry Zucker (who are all known as ZAZ amongst the spoof movie community), and Pat Proft are able to inject what worked with Airplane!’s sense of humor into Naked Gun in a way that is still funny while setting this film apart from ZAZ’s prior work.
I cannot stress enough how integral to this film’s success Leslie Nielsen is.
