A drug courier is found dead after a car accident. Frank Drebin (a marvelously deadpan Leslie Nielsen) and the Police Squad trace his work to the nightclub Mr. V's. Drebin goes undercover as a terrible comic at said club. Director Joe Dante, working from a witty script by Tino Insana and Robert Wuhl, relates the entertaining story at a zippy pace, maintains an engaging tongue-in-cheek tone throughout, and pokes broadly affectionate fun at classic crime pictures (the send-up of the drug search set piece in "The French Connection" is especially hilarious). The cast have an absolute ball with the screwball material: Claudette Nevins makes for a fine femme fatale as sultry nightclub owner Veronica, William Conrad deliciously hams up his death scene as a stabbed man in the opening credits, Peter Lupus does well as the bumbling Norberg, and Dante regular Dick Miller has a neat supporting part as nightclub manager Vic. William Duell likewise excels in his obligatory single scene as the ridiculously all-knowing shoeshine guy informant Johnny; this time Dick Clark pays Johnny a visit to ask him about ska music. Moreover, it's a gut-busting riot to see Drebin tell extremely bad jokes and belt out a few songs with a certain endearingly awful aplomb. Cool running gag: A bunch of hands pop up out of nowhere whenever Veronica needs to light a cigarette. Ira Newborn's jazzy bebop score hits the swinging spot. A worthy closer to this enjoyable series.
