The Movie:

From the people who brought you Airplane! and Police Squad comes the first of the three Naked Gun films in which Leslie Nielsen stars as the perpetually clumsy and often times rather dim Lieutenant Frank Drebin. This intrepid Los Angeles cop always gets his man and when Frank, recently home from his vacation in lovely Beirut, returns to work it isn't long before his poor partner, Detective Nordberg (O. J. Simpson), is shot during an undercover sting gone wrong.

None of this sits well with Captain Ed Hocken (George Kennedy) but soon enough Frank sets about investigating Nordberg's case and before long all signs point to a local business man named Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban) as the man behind the crime. The more Frank uncovers about Ludwig, the worse things start to look and he soon finds himself in a race against time to stop Ludwig from coercing a brainwashed baseball player into killing the Queen of England, all the while trying to find time to romance the lovely Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley in a role originally written for Bo Derek), the owner of a very 'nice beaver.'

As dopey an corny as the film may be, The Naked Gun is just as funny now as it was when it hit theaters over twenty years ago - there's just something about watching Leslie Nielson squirt ketchup onto Priscilla Presley's cleavage or seeing him mount the Queen that never gets old. Once you factor in the O.J. factor and some enjoyably deadpan performances from not only Nielson (a master at this type of comedy) but Presley, Montalban and Kennedy as well you wind up with a recipe for comedy gold. While those familiar with the Police Squad episodes will instantly know where it's all going (some of the jokes are a bit too familiar), there are so many details and little bits and pieces scattered throughout the film that it really does hold up well to repeat viewings.

By throwing in references to Dirty Harry, Game Of Death, and even Telefon Zucker (who has a fun, albeit brief, cameo in the film's opening) and company have given action movie fans a few appreciated knowing nods while the slapstick and parody elements are wide reaching enough that anyone with even the slightest sense of humor should be able to appreciate them. You'd have to be dead not to at least crack a smile during the car chase scene in which a student driver is stuck behind the wheel.

From the opening credits through to the finale, Naked Gun takes absolutely nothing seriously and it's all the better for it. The fact that it's all done with a completely straight face, with deliriously deadpan noir style narration in some spots that contrasts beautifully with some mild sexual innuendos, groan-worthy puns ("Surely you must be joking?"), perfectly executed slapstick and Nielson's pitch-perfect lead performance. Equal parts clever and completely stupid, the film has aged gracefully and it completely solidified Leslie Nielson's place as one of the greatest comedic actors of his generation.

The Video:

The anamorphic 1.85.1 widescreen transfer on this DVD looks to be identical to the previous DVD release from Paramount, meaning that it looks alright but it's far from reference quality. There's a fair amount of grain evident in some scenes and some minor print damage here and there indicating that more effort could have gone into cleaning up the picture a bit. That said, the disc is well authored in that there aren't any problems with mpeg compression artifacts or edge enhancement to complain about. Color reproduction is okay and detail levels are average for an older, low budget comedy such as this (meaning they're not great). The film doesn't look great by any stretch but it's certainly more than watchable.

The Audio:

The English language Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound track is clean and clear enough even if it's not reference quality. Dialogue is audible and easy to understand. The said, the levels are well balanced and there aren't any problems with background hiss or distortion to complain about. There's some nice channel separation during some of the more action intensive moments in the film and the score also makes good use of the rear channels a few times. The movie sounds good - not great - but definitely good. An alternate language French Stereo track is included, and optional subtitles are provided in English.

The Extras:

The only really substantial extra feature on this disc is a commentary track with writer/director David Zucker, producer Robert Weiss and moderator Peter Tilden. This track is as lighthearted and as fun as the movie itself and the three men are obviously having a blast recounting what went into making this picture and their friendship and obvious admiration for the film and the people that they worked with on it is a bit infectious, truth be told. That said, in addition to the humor, there are some interesting stories told here about the cast, crew, locations and the like - it's a very solid mix of comedy and information.

Also included in this 'I Love The Eighties' edition, however, is a bonus audio CD containing a selection of eighties pop classics for you to enjoy. The film's theatrical trailer, menus and chapter selection are also included.

Overall:

If you've got the original release, this re-release offers absolutely no real reason to double dip, but those without The Naked Gun in their collection can pick up a legitimate classic of late eighties buffoonery at a nice price. Recommended.

Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.