The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

 

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

 

6/10

Starring          

Leslie Nielsen

Directed by David Zucker

 

The first Naked Gun, I have seen numerous times, so a lot of the things that happened are things I knew and expected to happen. The second Naked Gun, this one, is not as fresh in my mind as the first, so in the opening scene where Frank almost knocks out the wife of the president, I almost fell down laughing, because for one thing, I did not see that coming.

Now that was the only aspect of this movie I did not see coming. To be honest, this particular movie is very predictable, and the laughs were few and far between. Coming off the first film to see this one makes you aware of the antics that can happen, and you are somewhat prepared.

One thing is certain, when it comes to performances, Nielsen was still magnificent in his role, and I think his performance in the movie made up for where this lacks in comparison to the first, and pushes it to be just as good. Like in the first movie, some of the stunts are clearly someone else, but when it is him, his natural charisma that comes with the character Frank Drebin shines through. His oblivious way of going about his day causing havoc is just amazing to behold.

At the White House, Frank is being recognized for his killing of 1,000 people (remember, this is a slapstick, over-the-top comedy), and also, President George H. W. Bush announces that he will base the country's energy policy on the recommendations of Dr. Meinheimer. This upsets a lot of people, as Dr. Meinheimer plans to advocate for renewable energy. Now, his girl from part 1, Jane Spencer, is dating Hexagon Oil executive Quentin Hapsburg, and Frank becomes exceedingly jealous.

This is one aspect of the movie that runs alongside the other aspect, where the bad guy sets off a bomb where Meinheimer works. While Frank is investigating this and being distracted by his jealousy, before we know it, Meinheimer is kidnapped and Frank and the Police Squad must find a way to save him.

The movie has the return of some of the previous cast members like O.J. Simpson and Priscilla Presley. Simpson seems to have upped his acting game, while Presley is still far from the mark.

As much as this movie does not hit the mark as hard as the first, it still made me laugh and smile as I watched Frank get himself in and out of trouble and somehow, by one miracle, saves the day.

Is the second movie worth seeing? Yes, it is. It is not half bad, to me it is just as good as the first, same kind of rating.