The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
85%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: 1 nomination
The Naked Gun is loaded chock full of gags that are goofy, unapologetically crass, and ultimately hilarious
The Naked Gun is a movie that will have you laughing so hard, you’ll forget about all your problems. The jokes are so silly and ridiculous, but that’s what makes them so great. It’s like the writers just threw everything at the wall and saw what stuck. And boy, did a lot of it stick. Leslie Nielsen is a comedic genius and his deadpan delivery is perfect for this type of movie. If you’re looking for a good time and a lot of laughs, The Naked Gun is the movie for you. Just make sure you have some popcorn and a drink handy, because you won’t want to leave your seat.
Production Company(ies)
Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Dodger Stadium – 1000 Vin Scully Avenue, Chavez Ravine, Elysian Park, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
Year of Release
1988
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 25m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 2, 1988 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2000
Genre(s)
Comedy/Action
Keyword(s)
starring Leslie Nielsen, George Kennedy, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban, O.J Simpson, Nancy Marchand, directed by David Zucker, written by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Pat Proft, comedy, action, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Gene Siskel, Michael Wilmington, Desmond Ryan, Peter Travers, Dave Kehr, Richard Corliss, Rene Jordan, Mike Massie, Leigh Paatsch, David Nusair, Joe Baltake, Jeff Simon, Leslie Nielsen as Lt Frank Drebin, George Kennedy as Captain Ed Hocken, Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer, Ricardo Montalban as Vincent Ludwig, O.J Simpson as Det Nordberg, Nancy Marchand as Mayor Barkley, produced by Robert K Weiss, Naked Gun
Worldwide gross: $78,756,177
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $201,650,569
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 688
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 21,990,247
US/Canada gross: $78,756,177
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $201,650,569
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 343
US/Canada opening weekend: $9,331,746
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $23,893,388
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 563
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $12,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $30,725,296
Production budget ranking: 1,143
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $16,545,572
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $154,379,701
ROI to date (est.): 327%
ROI ranking: 426
George Kennedy – Captain Ed Hocken
Priscilla Presley – Jane Spencer
Ricardo Montalban – Vincent Ludwig
O.J. Simpson – Det. Nordberg
Nancy Marchand – Mayor Barkley
Director(s)
David Zucker
Writer(s)
Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Pat Proft
Producer(s)
Robert K. Weiss
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (57) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (49) | Rotten (8)
It gave me about 10 big laughs and 20 small laughs and as many smiles. That`s value for time and money spent.
May 6, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
In the years since he first played Drebin, Nielsen has deepened the role, made it more subtle, more universal, more paramount.
May 6, 2014
Michael Wilmington
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
The two Zuckers and Abrahams have, surprisingly, forgotten a principle of parody that they taught everyone else. Namely, that the jokes have to fit, and that they have to refer to the target — in this instance police movies.
May 6, 2014 | Rating: 2/4
Desmond Ryan
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
The proud regard in which this farce holds bad taste makes it endearing.
May 6, 2014
Peter Travers
People Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Naked Gun is hugely funny, but it`s also liberating-precisely because it centers its aim on that cold, closed system and blows it apart. The straight lines are shattered; the empty spaces in the images are packed full until they burst.
May 6, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Like the ZAZ lads’ other films, this is a movie made for a VCR Saturday night. They supply the jokes; you bring the microwave popcorn and modest expectations.
May 6, 2014
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The film stumbles like a chicken with its head cut off. [Full review in Spanish]
June 16, 2022
Rene Jordan
El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
The dialogue is practically perfect in its silliness, made more impressive considering the rapid-fire and convoluted abundance of one-liners and facetious remarks.
September 6, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
As scripted by the writing team that gave the world Flying High and Top Secret, the deliciously dumb jokes just don’t let up…
July 21, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
A strong candidate for the funniest movie ever made…
December 15, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! a gift from the crew that gave us the original Airplane! is a charmingly unstable comedy whose “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” approach to shtick is downright surreal.
February 22, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Joe Baltake
McClatchy News Service
Run, don’t walk, to The Naked Gun. Even if you have to elbow your sweet old mother-in-law or moony grandson out of the way to get to it, by all means do. You won’t be sorry. It’s that funny.
April 30, 2018
Jeff Simon
Buffalo News…
Plot
A rerun of many of the gags from the television series Police Squad! (1982). An Airplane! (1980)-type spoof, this time with the an incompetent Lieutenant Frank Drebin, who always “gets his man”. Visual gags come thick and fast, and it’s impossible to catch them all with one viewing. The plot: Queen Elizabeth II of England is coming to town, and Vincent Ludwig has plans to assassinate her using a brainwashed baseball player.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features O.J. Simpson in a supporting role as Detective Nordberg.
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