In a heartfelt letter found in the press materials for the film “Reno 911!: Miami,” Reno Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Jim Dangle (a fictional character in the film played by Thomas Lennon) has the following to say:

“THIS FILM IS NOT ENDORSED IN ANY WAY BY THE RENO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT... YES, there were some unfortunate events that took place during out time in Miami. Yes, people got hurt. Yes, property got destroyed. And yes, one nude person and some passers-by got parts of an exploded narwhale on them. But... the truth is: we also did a lot of good.”

Thanks to what Dangle calls the “classic Hollywood bull****” of the “good people (pronounced: dirty liars)” at Twentieth Century Fox, you won’t see much of that “good” in the film. You will see the exploding narwhale. And, fortunately, you will see a hilarious television show adapted into an even more hilarious film. “Reno 911!: Miami” is far and away the funniest film released in 2007.

Now in its fourth season on Comedy Central, “Reno 911!” follows the bumbling exploits of the Reno Sheriff’s Department in a parody of “COPS”’ documentary style. Using quick jump-cuts to move at a rapid pace, the show delivers a uniquely varied blend of improv-style banter, smart wordplay and low-brow slapstick comedy — one episode, for instance, finds the officers holding a scavenger hunt (for such items as the best-looking hooker and a suspect with a wig) to figure out who gets tickets to see a live execution. The show rarely dwells on any one joke before skipping to the next and throws too many gags at the audience — most of them successful — to ever become boring. Luckily, the movie retains everything that makes the series great and then some. Fans of “Reno 911!” will love the movie, and non-fans, well, will probably love the movie, too.

The story of the film follows the woefully incapable Sheriff’s Department as they head for Miami for a national police convention. The story itself is primarily a reason to get the officers into a new locale, so they can share some very non-Reno experiences such as attending a Suge Knight party, finding an alligator in a swimming pool, and, yes, blowing up a whale on a beach. The film is structured very much like an episode of the show: one overarching story littered with sketch-like scenes (that may or may not have anything to do with anything) loaded with jokes. Where many TV shows fail in the conversion to film by trying to do too much with the story, “Reno 911!” sticks to its roots and focuses on being funny first.

What makes the premise work so well is the cast. Lennon, Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney, Carlos Alazraqui and the rest of the actors have played these roles for years, and it shows. Every line of dialogue feels fluid and natural and every character responds to their surroundings consistently and uniquely, made all the more impressive given that the film has a semi-improvised feel. Every player brings something different and often hilarious to the table, so no one character is over-used or over-ignored. They’re a team that’s truly found its groove. “Reno 911!” is a show loaded with both personality and personalities, and it achieves a rare brilliance as far as comedic ensembles go. Cameos by Danny DeVito, The Rock, Paul Rudd and more also help.

Reno 911!” often pushes the boundaries of what’s allowed on basic cable, so rest assured that the movie uses its R rating to its fullest potential. Profanity, nudity, drug use and more all abound, but, to the benefit of the audience, it never becomes gimmicky — jokes are funny because of the characters’ reactions, not just because they’re offensive. But occasionally they’re pretty offensive, too.

Reno 911!” isn’t Comedy Central’s most popular show. But what “Reno 911!: Miami” proves is that it probably should be. It’s an hour and a half of great comedy, the kind audiences don’t get to see enough of. If anything, just watch the trailer, knowing that the film maintains the same comedic pace. Plus, no one should pass up the chance to see an exploding narwhale.