The Naked Gun (2025)
This reboot/sequel is a delightful throwback to the gag-packed parodies of old, where if one joke doesn’t amuse you, you only need to wait a few seconds for the next one. Leave your cynicism at the door, and enjoy the ride.
Premise: When Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr (Liam Neeson) of Police Squad investigates the death of software engineer Simon Davenport, he crosses paths with Simon’s sister, crime novelist Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), and Simon’s employer, tech billionaire Richard Cane (Danny Huston).
Review:
I’ll confess that I rolled my eyes when they announced they were doing a reboot/sequel to the classic The Naked Gun movies, especially because Leslie Nielsen’s performance had been so synonymous with the character of Frank Drebin. Then the first trailers dropped and they underwhelmed me (although I now see that they were very badly edited and didn’t do the film justice).
The real turning point for me was when I heard the film was directed and co-written by Akiva Schaffer, one-third of The Lonely Island and the co-writer/co-director of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, which was my favourite comedy of the 2010s. Here, Akiva Schaffer delivers a film that remains faithful to the tone and comedy style of the original The Naked Gun films, while also feeling fresh and updated.
“…Liam Neeson’s straight-faced, deadpan delivery is perfect for this parody…”
It’s no easy task to step into the shoes of Leslie Nielsen, but Liam Neeson’s straight-faced, deadpan delivery is perfect for this parody, because he makes sure that Frank Drebin Jr never thinks that anything that happens is funny or out of the ordinary. Whether it’s delivering a groan-worthy pun, or engaging in an inventive sight-gag, Liam Neeson’s stony demeanour remains unmoved, which is the key to selling the jokes.
This reboot/sequel of The Naked Gun is a non-shop joke machine, just as the originals were – even the pre-title prelude sequence is packed full of genuinely funny gags that set the tone perfectly for what’s to come. Hell, even the titles themselves have a joke in them – and the film uses every comedy trick in the book, from wordplay and background visual jokes, to surreal flights of fantasy and parodies of other famous movies.
“…just the jolt of silly humour that we need…”
Liam Neeson’s performance carries the film, but the whole cast look like they’re having a great time. Pamela Anderson is more than able to fill the “femme fatale” role (played by Priscilla Presley in the original films), while Danny Huston and Kevin Durand both get to show off their sillier sides as the villains of the film. Even small roles, like Frank’s partner Ed Hocken Jr and his boss Chief Davis, are played to perfection by the likes of Paul Walter Hauser and CCH Pounder.
Of course, if you don’t like comedies or parodies, then this won’t be for you – but in a world where there are no precious few comedy films that get cinematic releases on the big screen, this is just the jolt of silly humour that we need to keep the spirit of the classic Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker parodies alive.
