More explosive laughs from Leslie Nielsen, Pricilla Presley, and friends (George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson) in another madcap police farce that is often so funny you lose track of the terrorist story. Alas, the comic pace is not sustained to the finish, but maybe it couldn't be. [18 Mar 1994, p.C]
One of the best comedies should be the Naked Gun series. This is the original pure cinematic comedy, with a tonne of comedic lines. Really impressed with the movie writer and how talented the performers are. Well done!
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult cannot be considered separately from the first 2 parts. This is a film designed for an audience who liked the first parts. It's all here. And personally, I liked the third part most, especially its ending, such an absurdity is no longer removed. And if they remove it, obviously with some subpoena.
David Zucker and Segal seem to thrive on the formulaic tomfoolery that propels these rapid-fire spoofs. Naked Gun 33 1/3, as pointlessly plotted as ever, manages to be not only still funny but energetically slapped together and occasionally inventive.
Once again, the anchor aboard this ship of fools is the drolly doltish Leslie Nielsen, who can deliver lines like "I like my sex the way I play basketball - one on one, with as little dribbling as possible" as if they were first-class mail. Let's hope Zucker and Co. quit while they are ahead. [18 Mar 1994, p.4D]
There's a little less hilarity in Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult than in the first two films, but there's still enough slapstick firepower to put it across. There's efficiency in Peter Segal's direction, but never real zaniness, and in the gaps between the sight gags lurks the onset of sequelitis. [18 Mar 1994, p.68]
Yes, the Naked Gun series is showing its age, resorting to spoofs that have been done countless times before (there's a long, mostly unfunny parody of prison movies) or sketches that simply don't work (like a lame Thelma and Louise takeoff.)
This type of rapid-fire, joke-a-second comedy is on the verge of cliche -- imitations like Fatal Instinct, National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon, and the Hot Shots! series have turned what was fresh and rollicking into a formidable challenge. Audiences have grown used to this style of stupid humor, so if a movie is going to employ the Airplane! format, the jokes have to be funny. [18 Mar 1994, p.G5]
Let's just say if you liked the last one, you'll like this one, too. Otherwise, you'll discover that it's time for Drebin, Nordberg, Capt. Hocken, and the rest to finally retire their badges.
Thank you so much Leslie Nielsen, as I haven't laughed this hard in what feels like ages.
The Mother Theresa musical skit was almost too much for me to handle lol.
It is not as good as the previous movies. I think I am maybe too harsh because it is more of a disappointment than a bad movie. I will try my best to explain this. The movie sticks to the formula of enjoyable nonsense and Leslie Nielsen being absolute serious in the most hilarious situations. For me the movie fails when it focused on the movie business and romantic drama (or dilemma?). The roots of the series were polices movies with hilarious situations and parody of tropes and cliches added to it. They still to the last parts but not all jokes are as good or well integrated as before. This again sounds too negative as still 60-70% of the jokes work. I was not invested in the story but I must admit that it was not boring. The acting is also weaker than before and the cast was nominated for some negative awards. Leslie Nielsen however is as good as always. He created an iconic role for himself and a solid income. Sadly he never had good parody movies again as all follow ups reached from acceptable to awful. I noticed that I am repeating myself so I can continue with my conclusion. Overall while the movie is enjoyable with some really good moments it is not as good as the sequels. Worth watching and remembering but will never be praised as much as the prequels.
I think as a whole, It's funnier than the second film but still not as satisfying as the original. It's still a solid comedic trilogy though and not really appreciated the way it should be.
A Last Knockout Joke.
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult
Segal directing this franchise starts to look like a mistake, as for the first time this franchise takes time to settle in among the audience. A price that David Zucker- the director of the previous installments- would never ask for. Nevertheless, with slapstick humor and witty satirical punch lines, the film goes right back on the track in its second act, soon after the lead couple splits up after a big fight. The marital conflicts and the humor that comes along with it, is pretty basic.
There isn't much use of the frame as it were in previous films, it is busy in its made-up theories that at times aren't funny. But if compared like such, the film would never be able to cope up with its predecessor. For an individual project, a parody mocking the drama with all its sincerity, is a work of pure passion. The writing is still silly enough to tickle you, but what comes in plethora, is the exact replica of the infamous dramatized sequence that is being laughed at.
Starting from the incredible intense sequence of Brian De Palma's The Untouchables to tiny fables of Ridley Scott's Thelma And Louise, it puts these films on trials to a point where you too start questioning them, I don't think I'll ever be able to look at them with that amount of sincerity. The performance is on the mark, with Leslie Nielsen hilariously portraying this iconic character for the last time. Also, this time the supporting cast too gets a lot of room to factor in, Priscilla Presley getting her own arc and Fred Ward squeezing in the most of his textbook antagonist job. Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult may not seem like a finale at all, but then it isn't an insult in whatsoever manner.