The Top Spoof Films Starring Leslie Nielsen

      Casey Chong reminisces about the finest spoof films featuring the late, great Leslie Nielsen.

      The late Leslie Nielsen was truly unique, and his comedic range remains the pinnacle of his lengthy acting career. It's surprising to think that the actor best known for his deadpan humor originally started as a dramatic performer. You may recall his roles as the captain in The Poseidon Adventure or the school principal in Prom Night, neither of which hinted at his later success as a comedian. With the much-anticipated legacy sequel The Naked Gun, starring Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (yes, playing Nielsen’s character's son), set to release this summer, let's take a nostalgic look back at seven of Leslie Nielsen's finest spoof movies.

      **Airplane! (1980)**

      The 1980s represented a significant shift for Leslie Nielsen, whose career before had been primarily in dramatic parts. It wasn't until the release of Airplane!, a parody of disaster films, that his path changed. The story revolves around the flight crew and several passengers who suffer from food poisoning after eating fish during a flight. The pilots are among the affected, leaving Otto, an inflated dummy, in control of the plane. The only hope rests on a former fighter pilot, Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who is dealing with PTSD.

      Nielsen arrives after about half an hour as one of the passengers, Dr. Rumack, greatly enhancing this hilarious spoof with his deadpan delivery. He maintains a straight face throughout and delivers some of the film's best lines, particularly, "I am serious... and don't call me Shirley." Although Nielsen plays a supporting role, his contribution is vital in making this parody one of the funniest films ever produced. Directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker brilliantly spoof a range of films, including Jaws, Saturday Night Fever, From Here to Eternity, and Zero Hour!, the latter being the film that inspired their work.

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

      Based on the 1982 TV series Police Squad!, The Naked Gun established Leslie Nielsen as the king of deadpan comedy, with him reprising his role as Frank Drebin, a detective from a special unit of the LAPD. Directed by David Zucker, the film quickly delivers jokes, beginning with Frank going undercover in Beirut and easily taking down foreign adversaries, including Yasser Arafat and Mikhail Gorbachev.

      Nielsen’s classic deadpan delivery shines throughout. Whether he's bribing a dock worker for information or unwittingly leaving his microphone on while in the bathroom, his character is central to the film's success. His standout moments are in the third act, where he impersonates an Italian opera singer and later an umpire at a baseball game. Zucker expertly intertwines serious moments, deadpan delivery, and slapstick comedy while incorporating plenty of clever puns, including the iconic "Nice beaver!"

      **The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear (1991)**

      While The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear may not reach the heights of its more humorous predecessor, David Zucker's 1991 sequel still boasts much of the comedic chaos, featuring the usual slapstick and puns characteristic of the series.

      Nielsen remains the glue holding the film together as the clumsy and oblivious Frank Drebin. His entrance at the White House reception is memorable, as is his chemistry with returning co-stars George Kennedy, Priscilla Presley, and O.J. Simpson. Zucker also cleverly references his brother Jerry’s 1990 box-office hit, Ghost, during an iconic pottery-wheel romance scene between Nielsen and Presley.

      **Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)**

      This third and final Naked Gun film may be regarded as the weakest entry in the series, yet even at its “lowest,” Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult delivers a captivating mix of parody humor, starting with a take on the iconic train station shootout from The Untouchables and touching on films like The Great Escape, The Shawshank Redemption, and even The Crying Game.

      Peter Segal, who took over directing from David Zucker, impresses as a first-time feature director by maintaining a swift pace and allowing actors, especially Leslie Nielsen in his final portrayal of Frank Drebin, to shine. The third film was initially set to feature Pamela Anderson as the blonde femme fatale, Tanya Peters, but she had to withdraw due to scheduling conflicts, leading to Anna Nicole Smith's casting instead. It would take Anderson over thirty years to appear in the 2025 legacy sequel alongside Liam Neeson.

      **Spy Hard (1996)**

      In Spy Hard, Leslie Nielsen spoofs James Bond as Dick Steele, Agent WD-40. Despite sharing traits with 007, he is