the rapid-fire formula that worked so well in airplane ! , the ” police squad ! ”
television series , top secret ! , three naked gun films , and two hot shots !
movies has finally reached a desperate dead-end with spy hard .
even ezio gregio’s the silence of the hams is arguably funnier than this over-extended spy- and action-movie spoof .
leslie nielsen stars as secret agent wd-40 , who returns from retirement to battle his old nemesis , general rancor ( a cackling andy griffith ) .
the jokes fly in every direction and with hardly a hint of restraint , timing , or tact .
most the movie is comprised of recycled airplane and naked gun gags , recreated movie sequences , and soggy star cameos .
yeah , maybe we * do * need ray charles driving an l . a . bus bound for a speed bump , but did mr . t , hulk hogan , and dr . joyce brothers also have to appear in the same movie ?
leslie nielsen plays it straight with his usual dopey flair .
there is something oddly inspiring about the sight of nielsen wearing a nun’s habit , even the resulting sister act spoof is silly .
as are the bits directly lifted from home alone , pulp fiction , true lies , etc . etc . ( adolescent males might enjoy this mess , tho .
the butt shots , breast peeks , penis pokes , flatulence gags , and related innuendo are right up beavis and butthead’s alley . )
beyond the hilarious title sequence with ” weird ” al yankovich performing the theme song , spy hard is barely the stock that it’s printed on .
my recommendation : duck in while you’re waiting for another movie to start .
stay long enough to see the camera dart inside of weird al’s nostril and then leave .
you won’t miss a thing .