Unlike modern spoofs that often rely on pop culture references that age poorly, The Naked Gun 2½ leans into slapstick, wordplay, and structural parody. While the environmental subplot provides a loose framework, the movie is essentially a delivery system for 86 minutes of pure, unadulterated silliness.

The film is famous for its "blink and you’ll miss it" background humor. Highlights include:

A dive bar where the wall photos are all of famous tragedies (the Hindenburg, the Titanic).