The Naked Gun

Rating 7/10

Liam Neeson in a slapstick comedy might sound a little odd. After all, he’s spent most of his career playing stoic characters in dramas and action thrillers. But it’s precisely that serious demeanor that makes his performance so effective. He’s the secret weapon in The Naked Gun. This spirited revival is directed by Akiva Schaffer, a member of the comedy trio The Lonely Island. Schaffer also directed the Emmy-winning Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. The film is a “legacy sequel” that picks up years after the original and continues the story with a new generation. Liam Neeson stars as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character, stepping into his father’s shoes with the same stone-faced commitment.

The plot is as absurd as fans might expect. Frank Jr. is a loose-cannon detective juggling two cases that become intertwined. One concerns the suspicious death of a former EdenTech employee (Jason MacDonald). His sister, Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), suspects foul play. The company’s slick and secretive CEO, Richard Cane (Danny Huston), is a suspect. The other case concerns a bank heist carried out by the intense Sig Gustafson (Kevin Durand), who’s after a mysterious item known only as the P.L.O.T. Device. Frank stumbles his way through the overlapping investigations along with his partner, Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser),

Director Schaffer maintains the same gag-a-minute spirit that defined the original Naked Gun franchise by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker, but with a modern flourish. The story is packed with visual puns, physical pratfalls, and non-sequiturs. A hilarious early sequence depicts when a Girl Scout interrupts a bank robbery. The movie starts out with a big laugh, although it’s featured in the trailer, sadly. Shame on marketing for spoiling the moment. Elsewhere, Frank is saddled with a body cam after too many excessive-force complaints. Unfortunately, his dilemma after eating a chili-dog is caught on tape. In a completely unrelated side trip, Frank and Beth retreat to a snowy cabin, where they accidentally bring a snowman to life. The bizarre love triangle that follows is so random that it becomes genius. Perhaps the most inspired bit involves Sig spying on Frank and Beth with thermal imaging. The heat signatures appear confusing, to put it mildly. Everything he sees is wildly misinterpreted.

At just under 85 minutes, The Naked Gun moves briskly, never lingering too long on a single routine. Oh, and the jokes are best experienced with a crowd. Its rhythm and tone thrive on shared laughter. Though this update continues the world of the original films, the account stands firmly on its own. What sells the picture is Neeson. His ability to remain completely composed amid the mayhem elevates every scene. He’s the perfect deadpan foil, maintaining calm even as the craziness escalates. The ridiculousness never gets too out of hand with his sincerity. His performance shows how, sometimes, the funniest thing you can do is keep a straight face.

08-01-25