Leslie Nielsen underwent an interesting onscreen evolution. Coming from a dramatic background, he became synonymous with the spoof genre after Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Liam Neeson is perhaps the only living actor who could follow in his footsteps. Like Nielsen, Neeson’s career has taken some unexpected turns, going from Oskar Schindler to action star. For over a decade, Neeson has more or less been cashing in on Taken’s success with one retread after another. Every now and then, though, he’s been allowed to show his silly side (The Lego Movie, Ted 2). Even at his silliest, Neeson reads every line as if his finger is on a trigger, ready to shoot.
This makes Neeson the ideal candidate to play Frank Drebin Jr., who was born in Naked Gun 33 1/3. Eerily, that film ended with Frank Sr. chasing after O. J. Simpson’s Nordberg just three months before a certain white Bronco chase. This fourth Naked Gun pays respect to Neeson and other late cast members like George Kennedy. Not even Nordberg’s son is mourning him, however. Paul Walter Hauser fills the Ed Hocken role, while Pamela Anderson continues her career reissuance as a funny femme fatale. Neeson is the glue who holds the film together, however. The Academy is finally introducing a Best Casting Oscar this year. The Naked Gun won’t get nominated, but Neeson as Drebin is among 2025’s most inspired casting choices.
At one point, there was talk of Ed Helms leading a new Naked Gun movie. Helms is a funny guy, although that’s why his casting might’ve been a misfire. A role like this demands an actor who can read the most cleverly stupid lines with a straight face… and possibly wearing a schoolgirl uniform. On the poster, Neeson almost looks like he lost a bet. Watching him in the film, though, Neeson fully commits to whatever the filmmakers throw at him. They throw a lot at him, from ridiculous visual gags to wordplay that isn’t just on the nose. It practically gives the audience a rhinoplasty. That’s 100% The Naked Gun.
About 80% of the jokes here just as easily could’ve played in the original trilogy over 30 years ago. 15% are more of the time in a plot concerning an evil businessman (Danny Huston) who runs an electric car company. Then about 5% feel fifteen years late, referencing Jacket Jason’s wardrobe malfunction and TiVo. Yet, even those are funnier than they have any right to be. Every second tries to make the audience LOL, and even when you aren’t laughing, there’s a big smile on your face. The standouts involve a frosty ménage à trois and a running gag about the cops always being handed a fresh cup of coffee, even when they already have one.
The talent behind the scenes is comprised of ideal candidates. The film’s co-producer is Seth MacFarlane, whose gag-a-minute style is cut from the same cloth as the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team. Director Akiva Schaffer has made some of the more underappreciated comedies of the 21st century, including Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping and Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Schaffer reteams with Chip ‘n Dale co-writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand for a comedy that prioritizes laughs above all else. It’s a throwback to the sort of comedy that Hollywood rarely makes anymore. Comedies in general are a rarity these days. Most of the ones we see nominated at the Golden Globes are truly dramas with chuckles interspersed. The Naked Gun is a pure-blooded comedy, unafraid to be over-the-top, dumb, and, above all else, funny.