A laugh riot!

Rating: Null/10 (18 November 2014)

Although I adore "Airplane!" and the "Naked Gun" films and the former is one of my top 20 films of all time, I had never even heard of this Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker film until last week when one of its cast members, the always wonderful Warren Clarke, sadly died. The film is a laugh riot from start to finish! In his first film, Val Kilmer is very entertaining and has seldom been more likable or appealing in any of his subsequent films. He leads a very strong cast of mostly British actors including Clarke, Peter Cushing (in his penultimate film role), Michael Gough (who later played Alfred to Kilmer's Batman), Omar Sharif, Jeremy Kemp, Lucy Gutteridge, Ian McNeice, John Sharp and Jim Carter, all of whom excel at their comedic roles played with a completely straight face.
The film is an hilarious parody of the films of Elvis Presley (whose ex-wife Priscilla later appeared in the "Naked Gun" films, funnily enough!), World War II films and Cold War films. My favourite joke in the film is Nigel and Du Quois dressed in a cow costume, which is played by a real cow with black spots painted on it! Outside of its parody elements, the plot is surprisingly good as well. I've seen plenty of straight dramas with more nonsensical plots!