Since I had an advance copy, and since I watched Top Secret! yesterday, I figured I’d go ahead and complete the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker trilogy (memorably named, as a collection, “Laugh, or I’ll Shoot!“).

The Naked Gun looks the best of the three (in terms of craft and presentation), but I personally like it least. Leslie Nielsen’s doughy portrayal of the police lieutenant is right for the role, but I find it less hilarious than the wacky hijinks of Airplane! That’s just my sense of humor, I guess. I liked the original TV series, Police Squad!, just fine, because it moved faster. Which makes sense, with only 20-some minutes to fill instead of the hour-and-a-half here.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of funny bits — a favorite is the white chalk outline floating in the ocean — and anyone who likes one of these three movies should definitely watch the other two. But this one is unfortunately damaged for me by the presence of O.J. Simpson, minimal as it is, though no one could have predicted that at the time, as well as the increased number of jokes pushing the envelope when it comes to grossness.

This disc has two extras, the theatrical trailer and a commentary by David Zucker and producer Robert Weiss.

Similar Posts: Top Secret! I Love the 80s § Gorgeous Men Disappoint § Totally Obvious § Play It Again, Sam § Star Sapphire, More Naked Than Ever

5 Responses

 

Chris G. writes:

February 2, 2009 at 11:53 am  

 

Whenever Law & Order does an OJ Simpson-inspired episode, I wonder if Sam Waterston gets started with Capricorn One stories.

 

Kelson writes:

February 2, 2009 at 1:05 pm  

 

I always find it odd when I’m reading a comic from the early 1980s, and there’s this full-page ad with OJ Simpson and his Dingo Boots.

I wonder why the one-page comic-strip format has fallen out of favor for advertising in comics. Though there was that one disturbing one that Sergio Aragones did last(?) year for the hot dogs with the Third Arm of Hunger.

 

Dave Rose writes:

February 2, 2009 at 2:21 pm  

 

I liked the movies. However, I thought they could have been a bit more creative as several gags were lifted from the TV show.

 

Tim O'Shea writes:

February 3, 2009 at 8:45 am  

 

Maybe they reused the gags from the show because the show had such poor ratings (I say this as a proud owner of the show DVD) they figured not many people would catch that.

For my money: “Al you’ve got some banana on your face.” (fans know this show scene) could have been used in every film. :)

Man, the opening shot of Abe Lincoln returning fire… (sorry show moments, not this film)

 

Dave Rose writes:

February 3, 2009 at 9:01 am  

 

I liked the line, “Is this a bust?” “Yes, it’s very nice.”

This was used in the show (I’m a big fan as well) and the film. I know it’s lame and sexist, but I thought it was funny.

 

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