Film Review: The Naked Gun

The Naked Gun
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Paramount Pictures, Fuzzy Door Productions
In Theaters: 08.01.2025

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Airplane!, from 1980, is one of my all-time favorite comedies. David and Jerry Zucker’s direction and affinity for absurd slapstick comedy with Leslie Nielsen’s impeccable comedic timing has made the film an easily-rewatchable treat. Whenever I go back to it I always find a new joke or detail in the background. So it is no wonder that the duo would later reunite to release The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! and spawn a trilogy. Now in the era of remakes and sequels, it was only a matter of time before one of the Zuckers’ iconic titles was reintroduced to the big screen with The Naked Gun.

Functioning as a legacy sequel to the original trilogy, The Naked Gun follows the son of Nielsen’s Lt. Frank Drebin, Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson, Taken, Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace) as he investigates the murder of a software engineer with the victim’s true crime fiction author sister, Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson, Baywatch, The Last Showgirl). The murder is soon revealed to be a part of a much larger plot schemed by billionaire Richard Cane (Danny Huston, The Aviator, Wonder Woman) to revert people’s brains back to their animalistic instincts and cull the population.

The highlight of the film is clearly Neeson’s performance. His signature graveness and deadpan delivery offers the perfect juxtaposition to the ridiculousness of the script. In many ways, he is the perfect successor to Nielsen since both share a similar acting history of being known as serious actors before moving on to more comedic roles. All the best comedies know that to make absurdity work, it must be delivered with a level of earnestness. His romantic and comedic chemistry with Anderson makes for some enjoyable back and forth and a fun send-up of film noir tropes. In fact, the whole cast fits perfectly into their roles. CCH Pounder (Avatar: The Way of Water, NCIS: New Orleans) was obviously the best choice to play the no-nonsense Chief Davis. Paul Walter Hauser (The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Cruella) works great as Drebin’s bumbling partner Capt. Ed Hocken Jr.

As expected with any Naked Gun installment, the film is brimming with visual gags. I would say my favorite one is the running coffee gag that just gets more ridiculous as the movie progresses. Drebin’s over-the-top law enforcement antics work to great comedic effect, while also not being too far off from the current state of law enforcement. The jokes are non-stop, so there’s always another one just around the corner that will hit. The only disadvantage of having non-stop jokes would be that some jokes don’t get the chance to build, thereby not allowing the film to reach the same levels of absurdity as the original. It also doesn’t help that the credits even show a joke from the original film which would only invite comparisons. One of the most memorable scenes in the film is the romantic montage in the middle of the film involving some tension with a snowman. It sticks with you because the joke is allowed to build and go to surreal places. Still, the film is an obvious crowd pleaser. I should know considering I could hear the whole audience in my theater laughing.

The Naked Gun is a welcome addition to the comedic franchise and to cinemas. It is a dumb surrealist time and with the announcement of Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs 2 we are in for some great comedies. —Angela Garcia

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