---
title: "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!"
year: 1988
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad"
fi1m_id: "the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad"
imdb_id: "tt0095705"
tmdb_id: 37136
wikidata_id: "Q832047"
fi1m_score: 88
critics_score: 87
critics_reviews: 11
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:49.708765+00:00"
region: "ES"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

Directed by David Zucker · 1h 26m · ICAA A · Comedy, Crime

## Identity

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad
- **IMDb ID:** tt0095705
- **TMDB ID:** 37136
- **Wikidata ID:** Q832047
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095705/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37136, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q832047

**Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 87 from 11 reviews

*In a sentence:* Eighty-six minutes of a policeman looking thoroughly qualified to deal with the trouble he is causing

> Leslie Nielsen’s solemn detective makes David Zucker’s police spoof a dependable source of laughter. A few crude, elderly jokes deserve retirement, but the visual invention and brisk 86-minute running time more than compensate.

## Synopsis

Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) investigates a shooting with a confidence his competence does not justify. His attempts to carry out police work produce a succession of mishaps, while his solemn manner stays much the same. Priscilla Presley plays Jane Spencer and Ricardo Montalban plays Vincent Ludwig, with George Kennedy as Ed Hocken and O. J. Simpson as Nordberg. David Zucker directs this crime comedy, written with Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and Pat Proft. The investigation provides a route through sight gags, slapstick and verbal misunderstandings as Drebin continues to approach the job with the seriousness he believes it deserves.

## Review

David Zucker’s [*The Naked Gun*](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun) is a thoroughly funny police spoof, provided a little vulgarity and a great many old jokes are welcome. It asks how long a detective can remain convinced of his own authority while giving everyone else reasons to doubt it. Leslie Nielsen supplies the answer by playing Frank Drebin with a seriousness that survives every available objection. Some of the material is tired, but Nielsen rarely lets that show. The investigation of a shooting supplies enough story to keep him occupied.

Nielsen is the reason this quantity of nonsense remains bearable, and usually much better than bearable. His dapper, heroic bearing makes Drebin’s ineptitude funnier because he never seems to notice the discrepancy. We laughed at the Beirut opening because Nielsen approaches its absurdity as though undertaking a serious assignment. He gives the impression of a man who would take a complaint about his behaviour as evidence of someone else’s confusion. His delivery remains sober even when the material offers every excuse to abandon it.

The screenplay is credited to David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker and Pat Proft, and their chief strength is the willingness to keep changing the kind of joke. A verbal misunderstanding need not lead to another; physical clumsiness or something absurd in the picture can take over. Michael Jablow’s editing makes that density pleasurable for much of the film, leaving barely enough time to hold a failed joke against it. There are stretches when simply keeping up becomes part of the fun. The running time is 86 minutes.

The visual jokes are easy to follow, which is the useful achievement of cinematographers Robert C. Thomas and Robert M. Stevens. Their contribution need not draw attention to itself for the comedy to work. John J. Lloyd’s production design is convincing enough for us to accept the surroundings while Drebin does something foolish in them. That matters in a spoof dependent on sight gags: we need to recognise what belongs before we can notice what does not. The physical comedy benefits from that clarity.

Ira Newborn’s music takes Drebin about as seriously as Drebin takes himself, providing useful support for Nielsen’s performance. The temptation to announce the silliness must be considerable, but the comedy works better when its presentation remains respectable. Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer and Ricardo Montalban as Vincent Ludwig help sustain the sense that ordinary acting has somehow ended up in the wrong film. George Kennedy’s Ed Hocken fits comfortably into the same company. The supporting performances leave Nielsen room without making him responsible for every laugh.

The weakness is the uneven quality of the material being delivered with such care. Corny jokes do not all improve because an actor refuses to smile, and a few of the juvenile ones offer little beyond the pleasure of being indecent. We sometimes wished the writers had discarded more before trusting the pace to carry it. The loose plotting also gives us little to hold on to when the laughter briefly stops. Those pauses are short, but the older gags account for too many of them.

As a police comedy, it understands how much humour there is in a man carrying on with a job he plainly cannot do. Zucker trusts the actors to preserve that belief even when the surrounding nonsense grows broad. We would happily spend another evening with Drebin, despite knowing that a few jokes will arrive already worn out. Choose it for Nielsen’s unbroken conviction and the sheer number of opportunities to laugh. Do not expect the jokes to improve your manners.

*Fi1m score 88, published 15 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**How long is The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, and what is it rated?**

*The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!* runs 1h 26m and is rated A by the ICAA in Spain. It is a comedy and crime film.

**Where can I watch The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! in Spain?**

*The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!* is streaming on Netflix in Spain, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**What should I watch after The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!?**

After *The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!*, try [*Playtime*](https://film.one/film/playtime) (1967, Fi1m 88): Watch the edges of the frame; the joke may already be happening. Then [*Hot Fuzz*](https://film.one/film/hot-fuzz) (2007, Fi1m 84): Police procedure gets another thorough comic inspection, with more affection for competence.

### Reviews we read (11)

- **Radio Times**, John Ferguson (5/5): This hilarious feature-length spoof introduced Leslie Nielsen's inspired Frank Drebin to a worldwide audience. Nielsen remains wonderfully stone-faced as the inept lieutenant wreaking havoc while investigating a shooting, with supporting players and juvenile gags flowing nonstop. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-58hizd/the-naked-gun/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Michael Wilmington (90/100, inferred): The critic calls it a vulgar but hilarious collection of cheesy jokes, slapstick and parodies that kills with sheer density of gags. He praises David Zucker's straight-faced direction of the blizzard of sight gags and the cast including Leslie Nielsen. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-12-02-ca-1075-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the film as funny as any comedy of the year aside from one other title. He praises its nonstop visual and spoken puns, satire, slapstick and the manic logic of its plot progression featuring Leslie Nielsen. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-naked-gun-1988)
- **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin (Critic's Pick): The critic notes the sophomoric comedy style delivers unexpected sophistication and screamingly funny moments. She singles out Leslie Nielsen's dapper, heroic presence as the oblivious fall guy for particular praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/02/movies/review-film-a-fall-guy-as-antihero.html)
- **The Telegraph** (90/100, inferred): The critic celebrates the film's enduring daftness and infectious slapstick as a high point of ZAZ-style spoof comedy, praising its relentless visual gags, puns and Leslie Nielsen's straight-man performance even if it falls slightly short of Airplane!. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/naked-gun-30-leslie-nielsen-oj-simpson-lost-art-taking-stupidity/)
- **Variety** (90/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as crass, broad, irreverent, wacky fun that is absolutely hilarious from beginning to end. He highlights the chockablock sight gags, Leslie Nielsen's clumsy detective and the inspired nonsense of the assassination plot at a baseball game. [Read](https://variety.com/1987/film/reviews/naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad-1200427511/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (85/100, inferred): The critic calls it a brilliantly irreverent comedy overflowing with extraordinary absurdity. They single out the cascade of hilarious gags, from the Beirut opener through the motel room climb and the safe-sex demonstration. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/naked-gun-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Carson Lund (80/100, inferred): The critic positions the original film as the series highlight for its gleeful overload of visual and verbal interruptions to genre conventions. The unmitigated commitment to joke density and details like peripheral sight gags are praised as its ineffable strengths. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/david-zucker-and-the-freeing-of-the-id-naked-gun-2-1-2-the-smell-of-fear-and-33-1-3-the-final-insult/)
- **Time Out**, GA (80/100, inferred): Corny old gags, hoary clichés and downright silliness provide far more fun than sophistication when delivered in the right spirit. Ineptitude rules throughout as dim-witted Lt Frank Drebin investigates, but Nielsen's flair for the dramatic holds the shambling absurdity together. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-naked-gun)
- **Film Comment**, Michael Joshua Rowin (75/100, inferred): The critic defends the film's place in a slapstick survey, praising how it blends influences from silent comedy, Marx Brothers verbal absurdity, and Mel Brooks-style parody into something affectionate and effective. Nielsen's humble obliviousness and the inventive sight gags are highlighted as key strengths. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/tcm-diary-naked-gun-slapstick/)
- **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (85/100, inferred): The critic celebrates the film as a timeless classic of slapstick and parody, highlighting its domino-effect gags and absurd physical comedy. Leslie Nielsen's deadpan performance as the oblivious Frank Drebin is singled out as the perfect anchor for the chaos. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-naked-guns-timeless-buffoonery/)

## Details

- **Director:** David Zucker
- **Director:** David Zucker
- **Writer:** Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Pat Proft
- **Cinematography:** Robert M. Stevens, Robert C. Thomas
- **Editor:** Michael Jablow
- **Music:** Ira Newborn
- **Production design:** John J. Lloyd
- **Costume design:** Mary E. Vogt
- **Producer:** Robert K. Weiss
- **Cast:** Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin; Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer; Ricardo Montalban as Vincent Ludwig; George Kennedy as Ed Hocken; O. J. Simpson as Nordberg; Susan Beaubian as Mrs. Nordberg; Nancy Marchand as Mayor; Raye Birk as Pahpshmir
- **Runtime:** 1h 26m
- **Certificate (ICAA):** A
- **Release (Spain):** 23 June 1989
- **Genres:** Comedy, Crime
- **Budget:** $12 million
- **Box office:** $152 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PACTQutbow4

## Where to watch in Spain

- Netflix: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €5.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BG, CA, CH, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IS, IT, JP, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *A Shot in the Dark* (1964): Another detective whose confidence survives rather more evidence than it should.
- *Playtime* (1967), Fi1m 88: Watch the edges of the frame; the joke may already be happening. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/playtime.md)
- *What's Up, Doc?* (1972): Verbal confusion and physical chaos, with performers who understand the same rhythm.
- *Police Story* (1985): For slapstick with real physical risk and a policeman worth following.
- *Hot Fuzz* (2007), Fi1m 84: Police procedure gets another thorough comic inspection, with more affection for competence. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hot-fuzz.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad