Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

So, here we are then, with the third part of the very silly 'Naked Gun' series. For some reason, David Zucker isn't in the director's chair this time; and his replacement is the man who would go on to direct the 2004 disappointment '50 First Dates' a decade later; Peter Segal. This doesn't matter, though, because Zucker still shares a writing credit, and the series always belonged to Leslie Nielson anyway. Still, this third part isn't as good as the first two, by quite a margin. The story is less expansive this round, and the film is also a lot shorter (probably a comment on the fact that the writers were running out of ideas...), but it still has it's moments that are really funny. As usual, quite a few of the jokes don't work, but there's usually one that does just around the corner after a failed one. One sequence in particular involving Frank Drebin in a dance number is one such moment.

The thin plot is mostly a parody on the crime classic 'White Heat', and it involves Frank Drebin going undercover in jail and eventually having to try and thwart an act of terrorism. Naturally, this is just a springboard for lots and lots of gags, but that's no bad thing. Leslie Nielson approaches the role with the usual gusto, and does well with it again. Leslie Nielson's comedy works because he looks so ridiculous, and he can just stand around doing nothing and make you laugh. The Naked Gun series is a good waste of time if all you want is a laugh and this second sequel delivers on that front too, although not in quite as good a way as the first two did. Still, there's a lot worse comedies around.