THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2: THE SMELL OF FEAR

US, 1991, 85 minutes, Colour.
Leslie Neilsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O.J.Simpson, Fred Ward, Kathleen Freeman.
Directed by Peter Segal.

The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear is an entertaining sequel to the 1988 The Naked Gun. This, in turn, was based on the television program Police Squad. It comes from the team of David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, who were responsible for Flying High, Top Secret. The film also uses the cast from the original, especially Leslie Neilson, expertly deadpan as Lieutenant Frank Drebbin, as well as George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson and Priscilla Presley. This time Robert Goulet is the villain, Richard Griffiths has a chance to be both hero and villain. There are some excellent impersonations of George and Barbara Bush by John Roarke and Margery Ross.

The film is full of visual jokes, deadpan literal humour and slapstick cartoon effects. The Bush administration is satirised and themes of the environment are to the fore. However, there is plenty of parody of police thrillers, of law and order issues. There is also a very entertaining parody (apparently intended as part of the trailer for the film but so successful that it was incorporated) where David Zucker mocks his brother Jerry's film, Ghost. An enjoyably humorous film.

1. Entertaining spoof? The spoofing of the media and television programs, police stories? The presentation of stereotypes and mocking them? Politics and social and environmental issues of the '90s?

2. The Washington background, the city, society, politics? The range of stunts and special effects? The musical score, the range of songs from Tangerine and Ebb Tide to songs from The Wizard of Oz?

3. The combination of visual humour, slapstick and pratfalls, acknowledgment of other movies and parodies, especially Ghost? Verbal humour, simpleminded literalness, innuendo?

4. Politics and President Bush, John Sinunu? Economy, the environment, industrial espionage? Big business and politics?

5. The background of Police Squad, audience expectations of police dramas? The stars and their expectations in a sequel?

6. Leslie Neilson's deadpan skills as Frank Drebbin? The interchange with Bush, the pratfalls for Barbara Bush? The thousand deaths of drug runners? His literal-minded humour? The exasperation of the commissioner? The encounter with Jane, the past romance, renewing it? The love, the restaurant - and her three hands? The sexual innuendo - especially with Ed Hocken? The dangers, Professor Meinheimer and the explosion? The antagonism towards Quinton Hapsberg? Doing his job, Savage and the pursuit? The siege, the shooting, the tank, the zoo and the animals? Going home with Jane - and her disappearing into the fridge? The shower sequence and Savage singing The Way We Were? Confrontations with Hapsberg? Going to the warehouse, the professor - and the unintended torture? Disguised as Mexican players? The wrong Professor Meinheimer and the confrontation? The speech, the honour, his declaration of love for Jane? The range of humorous sequences and the spoof of stereotype?

7. Jane, her past, the romance, her work with Professor Meinheimer, the attraction to Hapsberg? At home, at the restaurant, helping Frank? The romance, the parody of Ghost? Singing The Way We Were? The final plan, her helping with the expose of Hacker? Thinking that Frank would want promotion, the happy ending?

8. Hocken and Nordberg, George Kennedy and O.J. Simpson and their style? Jokes, Nordberg and his awkwardness, under the car, under the bus, banging into walls? Hocken's marital status? Disguised as Mexicans? The final confrontation?

9. Hapsberg and the conspirators, political interests, business interests? Their meetings, the confrontation with Frank? The expose? Hiring Hacker, the double for Professor Meinheimer?

10. The professor, the explosion? His being taken hostage? The fake professor, his reactions - and the encounter with Frank and the parody on ET? The torture sequence, the speech, Frank confronting the wrong professor - and the birthmark? His boring people to death? The reading of the sexy novel and waking them all up? The emergency?

11. Hapsberg and the bomb, the suspense, the countdown, declarations of love - and finally turning off the switch? The police, the commissioner?

12. The entertaining spoof, Americans laughing at themselves?