Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

The law of diminishing returns really starts to kick in with The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult. It's definitely got the lowest gag ratio of the three films but there's still enough here to warrant the return. The shorter run time really helps with the lower gag ratio and the jokes that do land still have that same gleeful stupidity.

Leslie Nielsen's gifts are needed more than ever before. Even if the film around him is faltering he never is as he really carries this. Frank briefly becoming the stay at home wife then going undercover gives him plenty of new material to work with and the reaction shots of Nielsen looking baffled will never get old.

Peter Segal's direction doesn't falter straight away as it opens with the funniest opening of the three and the strongest credits sequence. For better and worse, this one's humour feels broader compared to the others as it adds a lot of references to other films in between the slapstick and visual gags. There's still a lot of memorable stuff here, it just luls occasionally.

This is a pretty funny spoof with a unstopped string of gags which holds up almost to the final. Again Frank Drebin(Nielsen) return from retirement to help Police Squad(George Kennedy, O. J. Simpson). Drevin is back this time to save the Oscar Academy from a plot hatched by a nasty villain. The dumber law officer from Inspector Clouseau goes undercover a penitentiary where is a top terrorist named Rocco(Fred Ward). He along with his mother(Kathleen Freeman) and girlfriend(Anna Nicole Smith) are planning bomb the Academy Award ceremony . Meanwhile, his wife Jane(Priscilla Presley) is desperate for pregnant and leaves him.

This amusing picture is plenty of slapdash and slapstick, displaying lots of laughs and silly gags. This third part with the deadpan, botcher Drebin, has been planned by ZAZ, : Jim Abrahams, Jerry and David Zucker. They're known satirists with successful work and longtime collaborators and made their own comedy troupe, the Kentucky Fried theater. The parody is hilarious, continuous and absurd , though sometimes is gross-out, but some moments here and there also is intelligent and bold. However lacks the freshness of its predecessors, two prequels titled ¨From the filed of Police Squad¨ and ¨The smell of fear¨. As always, the usual cinematographic references , being an entertaining to find them out, as the parody includes: ¨The untouchables(Brian De Palma)¨ and ¨The great escape(John Sturges)¨and prison films. Habitual cameos and long invited actors, such as, James Earl Jones, R.Lee Ermey, Rachel Welch,Morgan Fairchild, Mariel Hemingway, Pia Zadora, Elliot Gould, among them. The film is professionally directed by Peter Segal. The motion picture will like to Leslie Nielsen enthusiastic and lunatic humor buffs.

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.

Now former Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) has a tough time that he is not working with the Police Squad anymore and his wife Jane (Priscilla Presley) is now an lawyer. Although she wants a baby, he has a tough time getting her pregnant. His former partners (Oscar-Winner:George Kennedy and O.J. Simpson) wants Frank to spy on Tanya Peters (The late Anna Nicole Smith), since Tanya is involved with a hired bomb expert Rocco Dillon (Fred Ward). Which Dillon is in prison, at first Frank was supposed to get her address but he lost it. When Jane leaves him, thinking that Frank was fooling around with another woman. Frank decides to go undercover as a prisoner to get closer on Dillon. Frank knows that Dillon is planning to destroy and kill many of innocent people for a price but where ?

Directed by Peter Segal (The Nutty Professor 2:The Klumps, Anger Management, Tommy Boy) made an entertaining spoof comedy, based on the short-lived TV series back in the early 1980's. Nielsen is always an hoot in the lead. The cast seems to be having an great time. Although the reviews were mixed and at the box office was less promising than the first two but still, this was an major success on video. There's some lively cameos throughout the feature. If you are fan of these type of silly comedies or "The Naked Gun" movies, you will certainly enjoy it. Written by Pat Proft (The Naked Gun:From the Files of Police Squad!, Hot Shots! Part Deux, Scary Movie 3 & 4), David Zucker (An American Carol, High School High, Top Secret!) and Robert LoCash (CB4). (****/*****).

It's rare for a cop movie to combine elements from "The Untouchables", "Thelma & Louise" and "The Brady Bunch".

Unless, of course, the lead character has a tendency to run his car into parking meters.

"The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" brings the lofty trilogy to a close with the same old cast (Kennedy, Simpson, Presley) and slapstick antics involving a prison breakout, terrorist plot and the Oscars. And there in the center is Lt. Frank Drebin (Nielsen) on the verge of retirement and fighting with bad guys, shopping carts and Weird Al Yankovic while trying convince lovely wife Jane (Presley) that the spark in their relationship is still there.

How can you talk down a movie like this; it's as useless as putting up a tent in a windstorm, so they say. You have to enjoy stupidity, one-liners, gags and visual puns, as created by the ZAZ boys (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker) and delivered by a cast of pros (including Fred Ward and Pia Zadora!!), all with the tone of adolescence and insanity you've come to know and love.

And if you don't, why are you reading this?

Kudos go to Anna Nicole Smith, who makes her debut in movies here in a big way (sorry) and shows she is at her best when laughing at herself. Good job, Anna.

Favorite scene? I lost count after the first 10 minutes; it's an exercise in futility, every scene will make you chuckle, laugh, guffaw, roar and/or howl with delight. Besides, why spoil the fun?

And as for Nielsen...as always, he is THE MAN! Even when throwing up in a tuba.

Ten stars for a great "Final" trip down into Dumbville. And one star more for the very last scene - classic!

Thanks, Frank.