Spy Hard

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Most of the laughs come near the beginning, before Rick Friedberg's klutzy directing becomes annoyingly monotonous.

San Francisco Examiner Barbara Shulgasser

This movie may not be brilliant, but every now and then it's really funny.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

Instead of building sustained comic set pieces, it takes a machine-gun approach to humor. Without looking at where it's aiming, it opens fire and sprays comic bullets in all directions, trusting that a few will hit the bull's-eye. A few do, but many more don't.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

I'm happy to report, though, that even a dud like Spy Hard can't completely douse the stumbling Zen charm of Leslie Nielsen, whose genius is that he never quite sheds the illusion that he isn't in on the joke.

Empire Darren Bignell

Sporadically funny, but never more than a sting of crude gags.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Director Rick Friedberg (who made the "bad golf" videos with Leslie Nielsen) has crafted a dreadfully unfunny comedy that takes Naked Gun-like sketches and rehashes them without a whit of style or energy.

TV Guide Staff (not credited)

Nielsen's schtick is getting pretty threadbare by now -- his movies used to wring laughs from assaults on his silver-haired dignity, but after years of screen buffoonery, he has no dignity left to assault.

USA Today Andy Seiler

Friedberg, who previously made Nielsen's golfing video and rental car commercials, knows only the low road -- and gets lost anyway. [24 May 1996, Pg.04.D]

Variety Greg Evans

The picture that will test the durability of Leslie Nielsen's lowbrow franchise -- and proves the talent of the regrettably absent Zucker brothers-Jim Abrahams team --Spy Hard sticks so closely to the "Naked Gun" formula that one half-expects an O.J. Simpson cameo.

Los Angeles Times David Kronke

It could have used several more passes on the screenplay to strengthen the gags and flesh out the characters.

Austin Chronicle Joey O'Bryan

Filled to the bursting point with witless, sub-Mad magazine movie parodies, pointless cameos by a seemingly endless parade of has-beens, and once-hysterical, now stale jokes lifted straight from "Airplane!" and the original "Naked Gun", Spy Hard is a truly desperate comedy.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Nielsen earns a few giggles with his big entrance and later on his even bigger belly, but he can't overcome the lousy material.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

The best bits come in the first few minutes -- or maybe the jokes just seem fresher then.