Any discussion of guilty pleasure films would eventually include something starring Leslie Nielsen, so we might as well start there. Of the three Naked Gun films, this is the only one that is tolerable to watch. Combining elements from the television show Police Squad and the comedy classic Airplane, this film chronicles the work of Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Nielsen) as the Los Angeles Police Department prepares for a visit from Queen Elizabeth II. Protection plans for the queen is complicated by the attempted murder of Drebin's partner (O.J. Simpson), the shady dealings of businessman Vincent Ludwig (Richardo Montalban), and Drebin's own incompetence. The result is a series of hyperbolic scenes with slapstick comedy and over-the-top acting performances (particularly from Taco Bell spokesman, Montalban). If you have seen a Leslie Nielsen film in the past twenty years, you are familiar with this type of humor.
While there are many cheap laughs to be had, there are also some classic scenes in this Comedy Central staple. The most enduring laughs from the film come from the extended sequence during a California Angels game near the end of the movie. Chief among them is the sequence of absurdist baseball bloopers shown on the stadium Jumbotron. Leslie Nielsen's umpire antics remain amusing to me despite countless viewings as does Reggie Jackson's robotic movements in an attempt to assassinate the queen. When watching the movie, I always feel cognitive dissonance about my comedic tastes. Each hilarious bit is usually followed by a cringe-worthy joke. Still, I can't help watching this film whenever it is on television.
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