The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Directed by: David Zucker

Written by: Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Pat Proft

Once upon a time, there was a little TV show called "Police Squad!" It came and went rather quickly, but built up quite a cult following. So, what is a studio to do? Make a movie!

"The Naked Gun" tells the story of Lt. Frank Drebin of LA's (fictitious) Police Squad, as he tries to uncover a plot to murder the queen of England. Drebin, with some help from his friends Ed and Nordberg (George Kennedy and O.J. Simpson, respectively), bumbles his way into the plan of millionaire Vincent Ludwig (the always amazing Ricardo Montalban) who intends to use a mind-control device to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II for reasons left unexplained. Along the way Drebin falls in love with Ludwig's secretary, who Ludwig uses to keep tabs on him. All of this leads to the hilarious climax at a baseball game.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie, nor can I enumerate how many of the jokes have made their way into my common conversation. As soon as I heard that it was going to be screened as part of the local Classic Film Wednesday series, I knew I couldn't miss it. Just thinking about the film would make me laugh with anticipation at some of my favorite lines - "Hey! It's Enrico Pallazzo!"

One of the great things about "The Naked Gun" is how even and consistent the jokes are, throughout the movie. Most of the humor is slapstick, with Nielsen playing the perpetual unknowing straight-man to most of the jokes. In terms of slapstick silliness, the film jumps right in during the opening sequence and doesn't miss a beat for the rest of the movie. Most comedies start off strong, but the jokes fade as action is needed to move the plot forward. "The Naked Gun," though, is more consistently paced, and the climax of the film is just as funny (if not more funny) than the rising action.

Although the humor is timeless, the movie is starting to show its age, as some of the cultural references are fading from our collective memory. For example, the first scene makes a joke about Mikhail Gorbachev's birthmark, though you'll be hard pressed to find anyone under twenty-five who can explain the gag. Even O.J. Simpson - whose part took on an ironic twist with his legal troubles - is not as prominent as a cultural icon as he once was. Some of the clothing and hair styles are definitely jarring to the modern eye - just see Priscilla Presley's hair for most of the movie as evidence. Even some of the color palates used simply place the movie outside of the contemporary realm.

It's sad to think that, with Leslie Nielsen's recent passing, these types of purely slapstick parodies may fading from the film industry. I hope that everyone gets an opportunity to see this movie and can appreciate it with an open mind.