The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Lieutenant Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) discovers that his ex-girlfriend's new beau is involved in a plot to kidnap a scientist who advocates solar energy.It's not very often a sequel is better than the original. This may be one of those rare occasions, though. The first was good, but never seemed to fully reach its full potential. Here, we have a complete film, maybe the strongest of the trilogy. A good villain, some nice cameos, and a terrible George Bush impersonation. (Barbara Bush is much more realistic.) The humor is grand, and you have to respect the casting of Robert Goulet. I mean, gee, he is suave, smooth, and really could be a great hero or likable villain. Sadly, he is no longer with us.

The three "Naked Gun" movies from 1988, 1991 and 1994 are all extremely goofy comedies starring Lesley Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy and OJ Simpson. They're consistently amusing and, pretty much, interchangeable. The first two were hugely successful at the box office; the third one didn't do bad, but nowhere near as good as the first two. Whether or not you prefer one to another depends on the story and guest stars.As far as the two sequels go, I slightly prefer part 3, but all three come in handy when you want to turn off your brain and enjoy something silly. Priscilla was one of the most beautiful women to walk the planet in her prime and looks great these films.The film runs 85 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area and Washington DC.GRADE: B

My personal favorite of the series, The Naked Gun 2 1/2 starts off with a hilarious sequence of mostly slapstick violence toward Barbara Bush and the inspired stunt casting of a villainous Robert Goulet is nothing short of brilliant. It's hard to imagine a more worthy foe to the ever clueless Frank Drebin. Despite the usual Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker team producing, David Zucker wrote this with Pat Proft and the man was firing on all ridiculous cylinders and this could arguably be his best work. Reviewing a film like this is damn near impossible, because the plot is intentionally absurd and simplistic and it's the visual gags that are relentlessly thrown at the viewer where you'll either get a belly ache from laughing or roll your eyes. This is the best of its kind, nonsensical comedy played with a straight face.

A better sequel than most, as it makes fun of several old movies. Great impressions of George Bush Sr., Mandela and Winnie, etc. The opening "White House Reception" is hilarious, as Drebin knocks out Barbara Bush, and his lobster's claw "attacks" the police commissioner at the dinner table. Bob Goulet makes a great villain as the evil head of "Kaboom"! Prof. Meinheimer almost puts everyone to sleep as he explains his anti-nuclear energy policy to a "distinguished" audience. The best of all is the send-up of Zucker's own production of "Ghost", as Drebin and his girlfriend Jane (Priscilla Presley) spoof the pottery wheel love-making scene, complete with the obligatory Righteous Bros. songs and Drebin's huge, fake barrel chest! Every sexual cliché in the book is used here: trains going thru tunnels, rockets going off, gushing fire hydrants, "pointed obelisk" monuments raising up (a 1953 "Ten Commandments" clip!). Drebin wrecks The city zoo with the police assault tank, and all the animals escape. Several mentions of bodily functions, a few "t&a" shots (mostly rear ends), most of which are cut out of the "broadcast" version. Other goodies: Zsa Zsa Gabor's famous police-cussing scene. Nordburg gets thrown under a bus (on it's way to Detroit!) The shower scene (not exactly as Hitchcock did it.) The "It's a Cookbook" reference to the old Twilight Zone "To Serve Man" episode. The "Goldfinger time-bomb" gimmick. A relatively weak ending, as Drebin pushes Mrs. Bush off the balcony and she "moons" everybody. Far better than the third movie, however.