What a hilarious delight. I’ve never been against spoof/parody films. Still, there was undoubtedly an ongoing fallow period once “2 of the 6 writers behind Scary Movie” spent several years running the comedy sub-genre into the ground with some of the laziest studio efforts one could ask for. Fortunately, director Akiva Schaffer, of The Lonely Island comedy group, and producer Seth MacFarlane have a far better eye for what makes these kinds of films work, let alone how to rely on the spirit in a modern setting. The result is a new iteration of The Naked Gun. While barely functioning as a legacy sequel (yet that alone inspires a few great jokes), the real point is doing the work to place a new, perfectly deadpan actor in the shoes of a serious yet largely inept police lieutenant, as he attempts to solve a hard-boiled crime plot within a ridiculous world. Liam Neeson was truly the right choice, and the results are hysterical.
Neeson stars as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. He works for Police Squad, a special unit of the Los Angeles Police Department that specializes in getting things done in unorthodox ways. Sure, it’s 2025, so Drebin has to deal with things like body cams to make sure he behaves himself. However, the Naked Gun movies don’t have to worry about giving a bad name to police due to racial tensions, escalating situations, or over-the-top charges for civilians. They’re too busy drinking non-stop coffees, consorting with potential criminals for the sake of larger cases, or participating in other shenanigans that keep them away from the trials and tribulations of daily modern life.
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Plot-wise, this film focuses on Drebin’s efforts to solve a case involving a man who may or may not have killed himself by driving off a cliff in his electric car. The man’s sister, Beth Davenport (a very game Pamela Anderson), suspects foul play, and a lot of signs point toward a wealthy tech billionaire, Richard Cane (Danny Huston). Using his skills and help from others, including Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) and Detective Barnes (Liza Koshy), Drebin will do all he can to uncover the true nature of the evil at hand, even as he falls in love with Ms. Davenport in the process.
Anyone familiar with director Schaffer or one of his Lonely Island counterparts, Jorma Taccone, should know these guys are big on making the silliest jokes possible by leaving no stone unturned, while also knowing how to root their work in a strong reverence for whatever the material is that they are paying homage to. This has led to films like MacGruber, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, and Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, all of which have become, at least, cult comedy favorites for many. The Naked Gun is no different. There’s clearly a lot of effort going into what made the original ZAZ production (David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams) stand alongside their other films, Airplane! and Top Secret! as incredible comedy classics.
That said, the challenge must have been how to adapt this idea for a new generation. Suffice it to say, Neeson speaks the message out loud pretty close to the film’s opening. While talking to a picture of his deceased father (the great Leslie Nielsen), he explains that he wants to be just like his dad, but also completely different and original. This is a nonsensical statement, and yet that is what this movie amounts to. The original short-lived TV show, Police Squad, and the subsequent films were designed as spoofs of the 50s/60s police procedurals that would air and be taken very seriously. Schaffer and his fellow collaborators grew up with other shows in mind, let alone flashy action movies involving police from directors like Tony Scott. An adjustment makes sense.
And here we have it – a Naked Gun movie that is no less irreverent than any of the others, but entirely put together to resemble a 90s/2000s action film. Shot by DP Brandon Trost, there were clearly instructions in mind to give this film an atmosphere and action scenes that speak to a world that’s been populated by Jason Bourne and John Wick, but not to overcrowd things with too much flashiness. As a result, this is a film that maintains a level of brightness for all the sight gags to last, and yet, you can see Neeson and others choosing to lean into the tone of the various action movies they’ve recently been involved with.
That being said, this is all nothing compared to the sheer number of jokes per minute on display when considering how nothing is off limits. No, I don’t mean that in terms of how crude or edgy they can be (this is a fairly light PG-13 in the grand scheme of things). I am referring to how nothing in the frame of any scene can be considered out of play. That includes background actors, parts of the set, and even words that appear on the screen, which may or may not be legible and tangible to those in the scenes with them. This movie is a riot of sight gags, wordplay, non-sequiturs, slapstick bits, and all sorts of jokes, ensuring the audience is consistently laughing and caught off guard by the unexpected nature of these jokes.
Having a hit rate this strong is impressive to say the least, but that may come down to how effectively the cast sells it. Neeson is perfectly in-tune here, letting himself say some of the most ridiculous things, such as references to the Black Eyed Peas or the results of eating a spicy chili dog. Nothing is beneath him as far as the humor goes, and he brings the exact kind of energy one wants from a character we would take seriously if not for the way he interacts with the world.
Just as impressive is Pamela Anderson. Never a performer I had much to say about, which includes her critically acclaimed role in 2024’s The Last Showgirl, it was wild to see how well she adapted to this kind of material. Not letting herself get overtaken in a scene based either on what one generally associates with her premise or the caliber of the performers around her, Anderson throws herself into the comedy in a manner that felt fun and natural. Knowing that Neeson and Anderson now appear to be dating in real life only inspires further agreeable thoughts on how strong they are together in this film.
The rest of the cast is just as fun, with me, if anything, wishing we’d gotten more of some of the underutilized players (Koshy’s work makes me think a lot of her role was diminished in edits, as she clearly knew the assignment as well). That said, at a brisk 85 minutes (like the previous entries), The Naked Gun knows how to get in and out, without leaving too much time for anyone to get sick of what’s going down (that said, make sure to stay and read the credits for plenty of additional gags).
This is the kind of movie that is pure joy. It offers a non-stop rollout of good-natured comedy, with a group of actors all willing to play along with the silliness. The added values that come by way of strong production aspects, a knowing score by Lorne Balfe (particularly during one key scene), and just the right amount of cameos only speak to the level of confidence at play as far as reviving this particular IP and wanting to do it justice. Well, The Naked Gun does more than serve up a slice of justice; it books it into holding and throws away the key to make sure everyone is behind bars and laughing.
The Naked Gun is now playing in theaters.
