NAKED GUN, THE 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR
(director/writer: David Zucker; screenwriter: Pat Proft, based on characters from the Police Squad television series; cinematographer: Robert M. Stevens; editors: James Symons, Chris Greenbury; music: Ira Newborn; cast: Lesley Nielsen (Lt. Frank Drebin), Priscilla Presley (Jane Spencer), George Kennedy (Ed Hocken), Robert Goulet (Quentin Hapsburgh), O. J. Simpson (Nordberg), Richard Griffiths (Dr. Meinheimer/Earl Hacker), John Roarke (President George Bush), Margery Ross (Mrs. Bush), Lloyd Bochner (Baggett), Tim O’Connor (Fenzwick), Anthony James (Hector Savage), Peter Mark Richman (Dunwell), Jacqueline Brookes (Commisssioner Brumford); Runtime: 85; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producer: Robert K. Weiss; Paramount; 1991)
“A delirious social comedy and action pic, not for all tastes.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A delirious social comedy and action pic, not for all tastes, energetically directed and written by David Zucker (“Airplane”/”An American Carol”), and co-written by Pat Proft.
The sequel follows the same shtick as the 1988 “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad.” It’s filled with bad jokes, deadpan humor, slapstick, vulgarities, sight gags, pratfalls, over-the-top situational comedy and silly satire. Lt. Frank Drebin (Lesley Nielsen) is the protagonist, a sophisticated looking bumbling hero LA “Police Squad” cop. Frank is assigned in D.C. to the President’s Special Scum Round-Up.
Frank and his police squad colleagues Ed (George Kennedy) and Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) are at a George Bush WH formal dinner honoring him for killing 1,000 drug dealers. There he meets his former lover Jane (Priscilla Presley), an environmentalist who works in Washington for the renowned world energy expert, the wheel-chair bound Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths).
Frank uncovers a diabolical scheme by energy lobbyists in regard to solar energy that’s concocted by the greedy and smarmy millionaire oil executive Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet), Jane’s current boyfriend. He’s trying to influence government policy to favor the oilmen by kidnapping Meinheimer and replacing him with a double he controls. The idea is to convince the president to get rid of all regulations against environmental polluters by giving him bogus advice.
There’s a cameo from Zsa Zsa Gabor.
It’s worth catching the opening and closing credits for surprises.
REVIEWED ON 8/7/2025 GRADE: C+
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