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The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear

Play trailer 2:04 Poster for The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear PG-13 1991 1h 25m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 112 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) returns for more madcap high jinks in this police-procedural spoof. Powerful energy corporations are intent on putting a halt to the eco-friendly plans of Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths), the new U.S. energy czar. They scheme to replace Meinheimer with an imposter who will do their bidding. Unfortunately for them, Drebin gets tangled up with their plans while trying to steal back his ex (Priscilla Presley) from her slimy new beau (Robert Goulet).
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The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear

The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear

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Critics Consensus

Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear delivers a handful of moderate laughs, but overall, its strained antics pale in comparison to its gut-busting predecessor.

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Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune It's 85 minutes of pure, breathless pleasure. The eternally oblivious Drebin, played with growing relish by a reborn Leslie Nielsen, now seems firmly entrenched as one of the great comic creations of American movies. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 23, 2025 Full Review Craig MacInnis Toronto Star It is merely stating the obvious to say that The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear is the most important movie of the year -- and also the most excellent. Rated: 4.5/5 Jul 23, 2025 Full Review Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer How funny is it? I'm snickering too hard to answer. Not only does David Zucker's preposterously silly film stoop to new comic lows to get you to laugh, it even does the limbo. And cha-chas, too. With arms akimbo and legs splayed. Rated: 3/4 Jul 23, 2025 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Although there wasn’t much of a reason to do a sequel, it’s easy enough to be entertained by carrying on with the misadventures of the invariably inept yet accidentally successful policeman. Rated: 6/10 Aug 23, 2025 Full Review Sebastian Zavala Kahn Me gusta el cine It's the second part that I find most consistently funny, and the one with the best third act. Instead of fizzling out at the end, "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear" concludes hilariously and quickly. [Full review in Spanish]. Rated: 4.5/5 Jul 30, 2025 Full Review Gary Thompson Philadelphia Daily News It's all fairly ridiculous, and fairly entertaining. There's no getting around the fact, however, that Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker have lost a bit of their collective touch. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 23, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

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bob t Even funnier than the first! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/02/25 Full Review Lasse L Just as funny as the first. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/27/25 Full Review chris m zucker does it again. from the very first moment, 'the naked gun 2: the smell of fear' bursts with overflowing humor that provokes laughter almost without pause. leslie nielsen, in an unshakable state of grace, once again demonstrates that his charisma is untouchable and that his character, with its mix of absurd seriousness and involuntary comedy, remains one of the most iconic in classic comedy. david zucker reaffirms his absolute mastery of the genre here, orchestrating a succession of gags that keep the viewer in constant anticipation, genuinely wondering what will happen in the next scene. the world he creates, filled with characters displaying ridiculous attitudes and deliberately over-the-top behaviors, serves as the perfect stage to elevate both physical and verbal humor to a level that is simultaneously absurd and clever. it is true that, in terms of freshness, this sequel does not quite match the unstoppable spark of the first installment. nevertheless, the film sustains itself thanks to the energy of its cast and the precision of its comic timing, delivering moments that, although slightly less brilliant than the originals, become memorable scenes capable of eliciting genuine laughter. ultimately, 'the naked gun 2: the smell of fear' may not surpass its predecessor, but it stands as a solid and endearing comedy, with enough ingenuity to continue asserting the enduring appeal of absurd and parodic humor in cinema. spanish: zucker lo vuelve a hacer. desde el primer instante, 'the naked gun 2: the smell of fear' arranca con un humor desbordante que arranca carcajadas casi sin darte respiro. leslie nielsen, en un estado de gracia inalterable, vuelve a demostrar que su carisma es intocable y que su personaje, con su mezcla de seriedad absurda y comicidad involuntaria, sigue siendo uno de los más icónicos de la comedia clásica. david zucker reafirma aquí su dominio absoluto del género, orquestando una sucesión de gags que mantienen al espectador en constante expectativa, preguntándose con genuina curiosidad qué ocurrirá en el siguiente plano. el universo creado, poblado por personajes que exhiben actitudes ridículas y comportamientos deliberadamente disparatados, funciona como un escenario perfecto para llevar el humor físico y verbal a un nivel tan ridículo como inteligente. es cierto que, en términos de frescura, esta secuela no alcanza la chispa imparable de la primera entrega. sin embargo, la película consigue sostenerse gracias a la energía de su reparto y a la precisión de su timing cómico, ofreciendo momentos que, aunque algo menos brillantes que los originales, se convierten en escenas memorables capaces de provocar carcajadas sinceras. en definitiva, 'the naked gun 2: the smell of fear' quizá no logre superar a su predecesora, pero se afianza como una comedia sólida y entrañable, con suficiente ingenio para seguir reivindicando la vigencia del humor absurdo y paródico en el cine. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/18/25 Full Review Marce S Just as hillarious as the first movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/13/25 Full Review Sam W More silly and goofy antics with ample one liners and farce but the gags weren’t as good or as frequent as in the first film. The ecological political storyline was rather dry but there were still some iconic scenes and laugh out loud moments and the lead characters put on a good show. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/25/25 Full Review Max W The comedic beats fall short in both quality and quantity compared to its predecessor, but combined with an excess of contemporary political undertones. Yet Leslie Nielsen’s effortless comedic charisma still manages to buoy the film’s overall humor. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/19/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear

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The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear

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Movie Info

Synopsis Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) returns for more madcap high jinks in this police-procedural spoof. Powerful energy corporations are intent on putting a halt to the eco-friendly plans of Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths), the new U.S. energy czar. They scheme to replace Meinheimer with an imposter who will do their bidding. Unfortunately for them, Drebin gets tangled up with their plans while trying to steal back his ex (Priscilla Presley) from her slimy new beau (Robert Goulet).
Director
David Zucker
Producer
Robert K. Weiss, John D. Schofield
Screenwriter
David Zucker, Pat Proft
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$84.3M
Runtime
1h 25m
Sound Mix
Surround
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