Liam Neeson‘s action era may be ending, but his comedy run is just starting in the newly released film The Naked Gun.
This legacy sequel to The Naked Gun trilogy is carrying on the tradition of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker, the creative team behind some of the most hilarious movies of the ’80s and ’90s.
Fortunately, most of the films by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker are readily available to stream.
That’s why the Watch With Us team has put together this guide about where to watch all of The Naked Gun movies, as well as a few other great spoofs by ZAZ.
‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!’ (1988)
The first Naked Gun movie was a revival of the short-lived 1982 TV comedy, Police Squad!, which isn’t available to stream in any form. Leslie Nielsen reprised his role as Lt. Frank Drebin, and his deadpan delivery made him a comedic legend. This film was audacious from the opening scene — in which Frank beats up America’s contemporary adversaries — to the finale at Angel Stadium, where he had to prevent the assassination of Queen Elizabeth II (Jeannette Charles).
Priscilla Presley proved she had great comedic chops of her own as Frank’s love interest, Jane Spencer. Frank and Jane’s whirlwind romance is a highlight in the film. Ricardo Montalbán also has a terrific turn as the film’s villain, Vincent Ludwig. Out of all of the bad guys in this franchise, Ludwig was the only one who ever seemed genuinely menacing. That only made his final fate funnier when the end of the movie arrived.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is streaming on Paramount+.
‘The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear’ (1991)
O. J. Simpson‘s Detective Nordberg suffered a lot of the comedic mishaps in the first film. However, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear inexplicably shifted the pratfalls to then First Lady Barbara Bush (Margery Ross). In the time between films, Frank and Jane have broken up, and she finds herself in a relationship with the new villain, Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet).
Goulet may not have the same screen presence as Montalbán, but he is great in the role, and his character meets an equally bizarre fate. Somehow, this movie is even more over-the-top than the first Naked Gun,
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult’ (1994)
The final film in the original trilogy parodies contemporary films like The Untouchables, Thelma and Louise, The Shawshank Redemption and even The Crying Game. It turns out that retirement doesn’t suit Frank, and his marriage to Jane is coming apart. That’s why he agrees to go undercover in prison to get close to a mad bomber, Rocco Dillon (Fred Ward).
Rocco and his mother, Muriel Dillon (Kathleen Freeman), have a plan to attack Hollywood during the Oscars, and that naturally leads to Frank and Jane causing havoc at the Academy Awards. Look for Anna Nicole Smith in a funning supporting role as Rocco’s mistress with an eye-opening secret, plus cameos from such stars as James Earl Jones, Shannen Doherty and Pia Zadora.
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult is streaming on Paramount+.
Sometimes, timing is everything for the major streamers like Max. HBO and Max couldn’t have predicted that a Spaceballs 2 announcement would arrive this month, but it has, and it’s already propelled the original Spaceballs into the top 10 movies on the streamer just a few weeks after its arrival. That’s not the only comedy […]
‘Airplane!’ (1980)
Disaster movies were huge in the ’60s and ’70s, and Airplane! spoofs the entire genre while giving Nielsen his first breakout comedic role as Dr. Rumack, a passenger on a plane stricken by food poisoning. Former military pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) wasn’t even supposed to be on the flight. He only bought a ticket to win back the heart of his ex-girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty), a stewardess on the plane.
Elaine and Dr. Rumack have to find a way to convince Ted to take over as the pilot and land the plane safely. That makes the film sound more serious than it actually is. Rest assured, the jokes keep coming at a lightning fast pace in the same style that Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker used in the Naked Gun movies.
Airplane! is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Airplane II: The Sequel’ (1982)
ZAZ didn’t return for the next film, Airplane II: The Sequel. But Hays and Hagerty reprised their roles as Ted and Elaine. The film also takes a somewhat bizarre turn into sci-fi as the featured trip is a flight to humanity’s base on the moon. Ted has also been institutionalized for sounding the alarm about the unsafe space shuttle, while Elaine has moved on to a new lover, Simon Kurtz (Chad Everett).
A great summer comedy movie doesn’t necessarily have to be set during summer to fit into that category. Sometimes it’s enough for a comedy to play so broadly that it successfully competes with the other films in the crowded summer landscape. The Watch With Us team’s picks for the three must-watch comedy movies that are […]
Much like the first film, Ted finds his way onto the flight, and he once again proves to be heroic while Simon shows his true colors. It’s not as funny as the first Airplane, but it’s enjoyable.
Airplane II: The Sequel is streaming on Paramount+.
‘Top Secret!’ (1984)
Before reuniting for The Naked Gun, Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker gave Val Kilmer his big break in Top Secret!, a ludicrous spoof of spy thrillers and Elvis Presley movies. Nick Rivers (Kilmer) is somehow a rock star and a spy who has been sent to East Germany to prevent General Streck (Jeremy Kemp) from reuniting the two halves of the country under communist rule.
There’s even less of a plot in Top Secret! than there is in either of the two Airplane movies. Regardless, Kilner carries the film with his natural charisma, and it’s still a great comedy in its own right.
Top Secret! is available to rent or buy on Prime Video.
