The Final Insult is an Insult
Whilst the first in the series "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" was fresh and funny and the second movie "The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear" was amusing but a little tired they for the most worked. But this third movie "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" rarely works or at least not to the extent of the previous movies with many of jokes both tired and sadly not that funny. It was a case of a franchise being squeezed dry by those who saw it as a guaranteed money maker.
Having finally retired, Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen - The Sheepman) is trying his hardest to be the perfect house husband, but not only does he miss the job but his marriage to Jane (Priscilla Presley) is hitting a rocky patch. But he gets a visit from his old colleagues Ed (George Kennedy - Guns of the Magnificent Seven) and Nordberg (O.J. Simpson - The Towering Inferno) who want Frank to go under cover to get information on a bomber who is threatening to blow up a big unnamed target.
As a rule you don't really expect there to be a decent storyline in a "Naked Gun" movie but this time around the storyline is so weak that for most of the less than impressive 79 minute running time it's filled up with irrelevant gags. It's so weak that opportunities to make some clever jokes are completely wasted with lame gags. Although saying that the side of the movie which delivers humour surrounding Frank's retirement and attempts to live a happy home life is a little amusing, just a shame that the rest of the movie and storyline really isn't up to much.
What doesn't help is that most of the jokes are dull, that cleverness which made the first "Naked Gun" so much fun is lost replaced with complete stupidity rather than intelligent humour. Those little things like something going on in the background just doesn't really hit you as amusing even though it's still happening. There are some good moments in particularly the opening sequence and closing credits but otherwise there is just an amusing 70s piece in the middle which actually delivers the laughs that the rest of the movie fails to deliver.
The good thing is that once more Leslie Nielsen is back as Frank Drebin and he is the reason why the few good jokes work. His comic timing, dead pan delivery and so on is as good as ever. And of course Nielsen isn't the only one to return as we once more get Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy and O.J. Simpson returning to fill in the gaps with their characters. Aside from the returning faces well Fred Ward purposefully over acts as Rocco the bomber and Anna Nicole Smith lends her considerable assets but little else as Tanya.
What this all boils down to is that whilst "Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult" has some amusing moments it's not a patch on the previous movies especially the first. The whole thing feels a little tired with numerous jokes failing to generate the laughs they desire. Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley are as good as ever delivering everything with a dead pan seriousness which makes you laugh but by the time this third movie ends you are glad it has.
