"Well it's the same old story, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy dies in tragic blimp accident over the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day." This is one of the lines in one of the classic comedies in the modern area and my favorite comedy of all time. The Naked Gun is a movie directed by David Zucker and brought to life by an actor who was all but forgotten until his role in Airplane, Leslie Nielson, and the humor does not lie in the dick and fart jokes but in the writing that uses the audiences own perception to tell the joke.

Lt. Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Neilson (Dracula: Dead and Loving It,) is in charge of Los Angels special department of the police force known as Police Squad. He is investigating the shooting of a policeman, Detective Nordberg, played by O.J. Simpson (yes, that O.J.) in Los Angeles harbor when he discovers that the same people who are responsible for the shooting are going to assassinate the Queen of England.

This movie really made Neilson's career. Until this time he was mostly a B movie actor starring in 100's of movies of no real value. His most respectable role until 1980 was as the captain in the movie The Poseidon Adventure. Then in 1980 he played the part of the doctor in David Zucker's film Airplane, and a genius was born. Shortly after that, Zucker got together with his brother Jerry, and friend Jim Abrams and they came up with a TV show built on the same humor that was in the movie. The TV show was Police Squad, and it lasted only six episodes, but it did leave a lasting impression because it led to this movie. Leslie's gift to the character of Frank Drebin is his ability to play the role completely straight and serious when the situation or the lines he is given is completely absurd. He plays an innocent bungler who is the luckiest man in the world when it comes to being a detective. I would call his character a more believable Austin Powers if that is possible. He isn't the greatest actor in the world, but Neilson does this satire better than ANYONE.

However, the writing and directing is the real key in theses kind of movies. Most of the audience considers these movies stupid humor but they rarely see the genius hidden underneath it. Zucker uses the audience own perception to make the joke. In the first act, one of the very first scenes Drebin is talking to his captain and they are talking about how his wife left him and Drebin says, "…I don't know, everywhere I look I am reminded of her…" and Zucker goes to a scene showing two domes with knobs on top. That is great directing and writing, using people's perceptions to make something obscene. The best scene is when Jane Spencer walks up a ladder wearing a dress and Drebin follows her and says, "Nice beaver." Spencer says, "Thanks I just had it stuffed" And she brings down a stuffed beaver. Classic.

There are many, many more things that are great about this movie. I suggest that everybody watch it and ignore the obvious 'bad' jokes and look for the hidden gems. I think you will like it much better. This is my favorite comedy and is in my collection, I think it should be in yours too.

Brian - the Naked Gun