I remember watching Police Squad on ITV in the early 1980’s and finding it hilarious, especially Leslie Nielsen as Detective Sergeant Frank Drebin. But, it was cancelled after one series, because the station executives did not like that viewers had to give the show their full attention, so I was not expecting a feature film spin off or for it to be successful enough to spawn two sequels, all of which were very funny.
So, with such fond memories, when I heard about this fourth entry in the series, directed by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the script with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, it was with some trepidation. Liam Neeson, who takes on the role of Drebin’s son, Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., appeared to be miscast as he is not known for his comedy, or, in recent years, any lightness of touch. But prior to Airplane! in 1981 neither was Nielsen and that worked as he played it completely straight.
It turns out that one of the things that really works is Neeson playing up his tough guy persona. There were also a lot of incidental, throw away gags that reminded me of the earlier films, and a lot of those were funny. It does not matter if they don’t hit the mark as there is another coming in a matter of moments. For fans of the earlier films there are blink and you miss them appearances by Priscilla Presley and a stuffed beaver!
What was less successful were the longer set pieces such as Frank’s weekend away and his father’s re-incarnation, and there was a coarseness that I will blame on producer Seth MacFarlane.
Ultimately, despite its flaws, I chuckled more than in any other film this year and it certainly exceeded my expectations.
Rating: 7 out of 10