Only one man has the particular set of skills – to lead Police Squad and save the world.
Chuck says:
With more of its jokes hitting than not, Akiva Schaffer’s “The Naked Gun” is a worthy successor to the Leslie Nielsen-led trilogy from the late 80’s-early 90’s. Leaning into the absurdity of the franchise, it also has a retro feel to it, the sets, costuming and sensibility of the original films replicated to a tee. Perhaps most refreshing is the movie’s running time, Schaffer and his co-writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand delivering an under 90-minute entertainment that wisely hits us with one gag after another, taking care of business quickly without overstaying its welcome.
Though it gets off to a wobbly start with a bank robbery scene that goes on far too long and seems to belong to a fantasy film rather than a broad parody, the movie soon rights itself. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) comes to realize that an apparent suicide is connected to the opening theft, with all roads leading to tech billionaire, Richard Cane (Danny Huston) being the culprit. It would be a quickly solved case, were anyone other than Drebin assigned to solve it, and to make matters worse, he becomes distracted by the alluring Beth Davenport (Pam Anderson). The sister of the alleged suicide victim, she’s sure Cane is behind her brother’s death and isn’t beyond using Drebin to achieve her goal.
Everyone understands the assignment and you can tell, all involved are having a blast. As they did with Nielsen, casting normally dramatic actors in broadly comic roles proves a masterstroke. Seeing Neeson and Huston let their hair down is a hoot, the movie tough guys playing their roles to the hilt, delivering one laugh after another. Paul Walter Houser as Drebin’s partner Ed Hocken Jr. proves he’s an effective straight man, but it’s Anderson who’s the revelation here. With crackerjack timing and admirable abandon, the actress impresses at every turn, a scene in which she pretends to be a scat singer one of the film’s highlights.
Other moments that work include the extraction of a van from a lake that goes horribly wrong, Drebin obsessively eating chili dogs despite his digestive system repeatedly advising him against it, a series of ribald sight gags during an innocent dinner date, a flirtatious conversation between Drebin and Davenport filled with double entendres and a running gag revolving around ever-present cups of coffee.
Whether another entry in the series is in the offing remains to be seen, yet a sequel as well done as this would be welcome. Comedies are in short supply at the country’s multiplex, most of the genre’s entries relegated to streaming services. If nothing else, “Gun” serves as a reminder of the pleasure of sharing a collective, infectious laugh in the dark with a theater full of strangers.
Pam says:
“Airplane,” “The Naked Gun” and all of its sequels continue to shine in my memory; still making me laugh aloud when I recall a line or hear the name “Shirley.” These screwball comedies worked because of the comedic timing and innate understanding of how to make a scene funny by Leslie Nielsen. And now, we have another sequel rather than a remake, to the long line of “Naked Gun” films with the 2025 “The Naked Gun” starring Liam Neeson. The entire film’s success rides on Neeson embodying the spirit and likeness of Nielsen. Did he do it? Yes! Emphatically, yes!
Neeson plays Frank Dreben, Jr., the renowned Police Squad detective’s son. We meet him in full disguise as he thwarts a bank robbery, putting the bad guys away. There’s unexpected fallout, though and he and his trusty sidekick, Ed Hocken, Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) are placed on traffic duty. Wouldn’t you know it, there’s a connection between traffic and the bank heist which is all connected by the femme fatale Beth (Pamela Anderson) who shows up at Dreben’s office.
Dreben fumbles and stumbles his way into uncovering clues and somehow putting the pieces of the puzzle together, but there are several inadvertent casualties along the way. Nothing too violent and never gruesome; it’s all in good fun. And that’s the beauty of “The Naked Gun.” It remembers that it’s a comedy and hones in on all aspects of what makes a scene funny. It also remembers that editing is key and with a running time of under 90 minutes, this is perfect escapism.
Callbacks to the original make the crazy situations even funnier as Neeson nails that deadpan humor and reaction. While Paul Walter Hauser is underutilized, Pamela Anderson shows us her deft comedic skills, countering Neeson’s humor. Cashing in on unexpected glances at language to make us laugh (I’ll never see or hear the word “manslaughter” the same again), or looking at the repercussions of eating food we shouldn’t, each and every scene is comic gold. Never will I doubt Neeson as a comedic actor again and, dare I say, I am looking forward to another sequel with all the same cast!
3 1/2 stars
