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

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

PG-13

1991

1h 25m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

77%

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114 Reviews

66%

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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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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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Dave Kehr

Chicago Tribune

Jul 23, 2025

3.5/4

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.

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Craig MacInnis

Toronto Star

Jul 23, 2025

4.5/5

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.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jul 23, 2025

3/4

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.

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Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Jun 16, 2026

2.5/4

It's too funny to dislike, and Zucker and company are too talented not to have included a few inspired yucks. What they haven't recovered is the joy -- and it shows.

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Jack E. Wilkinson

United Press International

Jun 13, 2026

While the semi-warped humor doesn't always work -- there are some misfires here -- when you're using a scattergun you'll hit the mark more likely than not.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 22, 2025

3/4

While it may not deliver as many sustained laughs as the first flick, the hit-to-miss ratio of its comic content is still high.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

The Naked Gun 2 1/2 = A 3.5 Movie!

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Jorge R

@jlrtechno Jul 7, 2026

The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell Of Fear is Funny and awesome at the same time just like his predecessor, highly enjoyable. 😆

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Diego P

@Sakuta01003 Jun 20, 2026

A classic no matter how many times I see it.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 21, 2026

The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) is a fantastic follow-up that keeps the same chaotic, fast-paced comedy style that made the first film so great. It fully embraces absurdity and commits to the nonstop gag-driven humor that defines the series, rarely letting up long enough for you to catch your breath. The jokes come at a rapid-fire pace, mixing visual gags, wordplay, and ridiculous slapstick in a way that feels effortless. Even when some jokes don’t land as strongly, there are always several more right behind them that do. The film also does a great job of escalating situations into complete nonsense while still keeping a loose sense of narrative. Like the original, it works best when you just go along with the madness instead of questioning it. Overall, it’s just as funny, just as silly, and just as rewatchable as the first film. A strong 9/10.

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Adam K

@AK8144 Feb 22, 2026

Not as good as the first Naked Gun film, because it was not the first, but still really fun and Leslie Nielsen is a legend.

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Wyatt C.

@timewizard12 Feb 16, 2026

I think this movie has lots of funny moments to it. The start is pretty good, but it does not have as good of a start as the first movie. The middle of the movie has some absurd jokes that sort of hurt the movie for me. Then ending is not great, because of some weird jokes. These jokes at the end do not move the plot forward, but the old movie did not have those problems at the end. They still manage to have some funny jokes at the end of movie. Leslie Nielsen does a great job, but the script they made for him did not make the best movie. His own skills increase the humor in the the movie significantly. I would give it a 6.5 out of 10, because the plot is affected by some weird jokes ( these jokes are in the middle of the movie, and the end of the movie).

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David Zucker

Director

Leslie Nielsen

Det. Lt. Frank Drebin

Priscilla Presley

Jane Spencer

George Kennedy

Det. Captain Ed Hocken

O.J. Simpson

Det. Nordberg

Robert Goulet

Quentin Hapsburg

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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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