I Watched The Original Naked Gun For The First Time, And All I Can Think Is WTF

In anticipation of The Naked Gun’s release on the 2025 movie schedule, I figured it was finally time for me to watch Leslie Nielsen in 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad. Now, I’ve seen it, and much like the first time I watched Airplane!, all I could think was WTF, and I mean that as a sincere compliment.

Truly, I say “what the fuck” as the highest of praises. My favorite kinds of comedies are the ones that really lean into the silly, absurd and dumb. I think they’re brilliant and super creative, and Naked Gun fits that bill. So, let’s talk about why.

The Opening Credits Established The WTF-ness Immediatel

After we’re introduced to Frank Drebin via a big wild fight, the opening credits roll. They start out unassuming. It looks like a camera is strapped to the top of a cop car, and we’re riding along with it. However, things take a turn for the unrealistic and absurd quickly, making me, a first-time viewer of Naked Gun, both confused and chuffed. Here’s the order of events:

• We start on the street. And that’s perfectly normal, cop cars are always on the street.
• Then, we’re on the sidewalk – things have gone off the road…literally.
• The next stop is the car wash? Why? Who knows, but cars do go there.
• Then, we enter a house. The car goes through the living room, dining room and kitchen.
• After that, it’s to the women’s locker room.
• A natural next stop, a rollercoaster, obviously.
• Then, the trip ends at a gas station.

First of all, three of these locations were places where cars have no business being. Secondly, none of the locations really go together.

However, this random set of events is honestly brilliant and incredibly creative; it also sets the tone for the movie. From the jump, they told us we were in for a wild and at times nonsensical ride, and I love them for it.

The Whole Peeing With His Mic On Scene

During a very important press conference about Queen Elizabeth’s visit, Frank Drebin is working really hard to stay hydrated, and that works against him. At the start of the scene, you see him chugging water before having to switch mics with another person to talk to the press.

Once he’s done saying his piece, he can’t hold it. He drank too much water, and he needed to use the men’s room. However, he tragically forgot to take off his microphone, so as he did his business, everyone heard it too.

As someone who has seen my fair share of theater, I have been in audiences when there’s a microphone malfunction, and I can hear what’s going on backstage. It’s always funny, however, this took that snafu to a wilder, sillier and even more ridiculous level.

How Did Frank Not Get The Pen Out Of That Fish Tank?

Right when Frank walked into his meeting with Ricardo Montalban’s Vincent Ludwig, I clocked the fish tank. There were “Japanese fighting fish” in there, and I wondered if they’d be important. Well, they were, to one’s demise.

These aquatic creatures played a major part in the scene; in fact, when Frank tried to break a pen that was “impervious to everything but water,” he accidentally flung it into their tank.

Now, I get that the fish are potentially deadly. However, Frank’s hand was hovering right over the pen, with no fish really around it, every time he tried (and failed) to grab it. I couldn’t help but giggle as he attempted to grab it and just missed it every time.

Then the fish bit him, and things got funnier. Of course, the fact that he killed the fish with said pen made this whole ordeal simultaneously darker and more comical.

The Entire Dinner Date That Ended With Them Wearing Full-Body Condoms

The list of funny lines Leslie Nielsen has said is long; however, one of the best came during this moment in Naked Gun. I’m of course talking about Frank’s explanation of “the same old story” about dating, which, naturally, ends with a “tragic blip accident over The Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day.” However, that wasn’t the biggest WTF moment. Oh no.

After that, Frank and Jane (Priscilla Presley) had sex in human-sized condroms. Like they covered their entire bodies with a condom.

It was absolutely hilarious and absurd, and I loved how it was immediately followed by a montage of cliché super romantic dates, like frolicking on the beach. It took typical rom-com plot points and tropes, turned them up to a million, and added a splash of utter ridiculousness.

When Frank Went Out The Window And Hung On To The Statue's Penis

Now, Frank’s whole attempted escape is ridiculous here. However, no moment is as crude and genuinely funny as when he is outside hanging onto that statue’s private parts for dear life.

They really went there when it came to him using these statues’ privates to play up the comical and unfortunately inappropriate nature of Frank’s attempt not to fall to his death. I personally found the moment where he was hanging onto the penis and trying to lift himself up with his mouth open to be the funniest instance in this whole sequence. However, when it broke off and he carried it into that poor stranger’s apartment, it might take the cake as the most WTF moment.

I mean, if I were her, I would have been terrified, too. However, as a viewer, I was laughing.

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Everything That Happened With Frank, The Team And The Queen At The Baseball Game

To really bring the WTF home – pun intended – the movie’s grand finale at the baseball game really did everything in its power to make viewers laugh so hard they cried. I know I certainly was, and it began when Frank sang the Star Spangled Banner really, really, really badly.

Then, his getting on the field as an umpire was great stuff. He really committed to the bit and his job of making sure none of the players were trying to kill the queen, which resulted in him patting down every person who went up to bat.

However, after all that, a few fights and some funny shots of the queen reacting to it all, he finally got the bad guy. Then said villain fell to his death and was smushed by a bus, heavy machinery and a whole marching band.

Really, from start to finish, this movie is non-stop jokes, gags, and bits, and I loved every second of it. It’s so over the top with its slapstick humor that I couldn’t help but think WTF for most of the runtime. However, when it comes to comedy, that kind of reaction is exactly what I want to have.