In 2014, Liam Neeson played a police officer with a split personality in the hit animated film, The LEGO Movie. 11 years later, this award-winning actor picks up the police badge once more as he plays Frank Drebin Jr. in The Naked Gun, a modern reboot and fourth instalment of the Naked Gun films, which was based of the Police Squad TV series. It’s directed by Akiva Schaffer, a member of The Lonely Island with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone, and was produced by Family Guy’s Seth McFarlane. So, seeing those two names together, you know these guys will be able to bring back a side of comedy that hasn’t been around since the ’80s.
Set years after 1994’s Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, the film follows Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the original bumbling detective, originally played by Leslie Nielsen. Now a Police Squad officer, Frank takes his job seriously, but his approach makes him a legal liability, especially after a bank robbery case. Now reassigned to a simpler investigation involving a suspicious car crash, Frank begins to suspect the crash and the robbery might be connected. Also involved is Beth Davenport, played by Pamela Anderson, the victim’s sister. She believes there’s more to the case than meets the eye and is frustrated with how the justice system is handling the situation.
On the surface, The Naked Gun is your typical police murder mystery, with many familiar genre tropes. An old and widowed police officer is approached by a beautiful femme fatale, who has a connection to the victim. Meanwhile, the man behind it is some eccentric billionaire who thinks they can rule the world. Also, it knows that this is a revival of an old 80s trilogy that it pays homage to in one way or another. But in between the thriller and the mystery is a lot of slapstick action and jokes that feel like a modern take on the parody genre.
As expected, there will be fight scenes that look thrilling at first, but then comes the punchline that makes you want to laugh and chuckle, showcasing what made the genre enjoyable in the first place. The jokes are jabs at issues and topics that resonate in this modern era, like electric cars, “evil” billionaires, women liking true crime, and topics related to the police department, from constant coffee drinking to body cams. There’s also that familiar innuendo/sex joke that was common in the previous works of the Naked Gun’s original creators, Jerry and David Zucker, and Jim Abrahams. But when you compare the use of comedy in this 2025 reboot to the original films, it’s pretty tame, as it didn’t have the same “gags per minute.” Also, I’ve noticed there was a missing Chekov’s gun moment that could have been helpful to the plot, but it might be removed because it was tied to a gag.
… In between the thriller and the mystery is a lot of slapstick action and jokes that feel like a modern take on the genre.
Regardless, Neeson’s performance as the serious guy is pretty great. It’s similar to what Nielsen did in the past, but he made it his own. When you watch his serious performance, which is surrounded by various comedic scenarios, it makes The Naked Gun entertaining. But at the same time, he also showcases his comedic funny bone, but through that same stoic act that we know and love. Meanwhile, his chemistry with Pamela Anderson is great. Unlike the stereotypical damsel that’s seen in thriller action genres, this one is willing to do things off the book because the justice system doesn’t bind her. She’s not a police officer; she’s someone who wants revenge and justice.
The Naked Gun is a great entry point if you want to get into this type of slapstick comedy that was wildly popular in the ’80s and ’90s. Neeson did a great job pulling off the same comedic feats as Nielsen, and he and the cast were able to transform a typical action thriller mystery into something more comedic. Hopefully, this paves the way for more projects that feature this style of comedy. Because in this day and age, where things look bleak and depressing, what we all need is a bloody good laugh.
The Naked Gun enters Australian theatres on August 21, 2025.
About the Author
Erielle Sudario
If she's not podcasting, Erielle Sudario is seen either playing Baldurs Gate 3, The Sims, or a really cute cozy indie game that she found either in conventions or on TikTok. Outside of gaming, she's either embracing her inner Swiftie, building keyboards, or watching shows/films in theatres or streaming platforms.
