'Naked Gun' returns for a new generation
The Naked Gun Franchise gets rebooted for a new generation
"The Naked Gun" (2025) follows Frank Drebin Jr., played by Liam Neeson ("Taken"), the son of the original Frank Drebin, as he works to solve a mysterious case involving a rich billionaire plotting to take over the world.
Only Frank Drebin Jr. can stop him, but a mysterious woman played by Pamela Anderson ("Baywatch") stands in his way. Or does she?
I wasn't a huge fan of the "Naked Gun" movies, as I didn't grow up with them and only recently saw the first one to prepare for the new one. Having no expectations and one trailer as reference, I went into this movie more blind than most movies, but I came out very surprised at how good this movie was!
Neeson was a perfect choice to follow the late Leslie Neilson, as both are dramatic stars turned comedic actors. Neeson does a great job playing a stern face to all the zany jokes that happen in the movie.
Anderson was also great as the mysterious Beth Davenport, and she had some really funny moments; one involving her trying to distract the villain while Drebin does undercover work. They both have a great scene involving a snowman that made my theater burst out laughing.
Paul Walter Hauser ("Cobra Kai") was great as Drebin's partner Ed Hocken Jr., but he receives very little screen time compared to his other cast members. I will say every scene with him is bound to make you laugh, especially the scene involving beer and other drunks at a wrestling event.
Danny Hudson ("Wonder Woman") plays a great cartoony villain that feels like a combination of James Bond and Mission Impossible villains from throughout the years. He did great and looked like he was having fun being this evil billionaire.
The director Akiva Schaffer ("Hot Rod") uses his understanding of goofy humor and great direction to craft a reboot film that not only respects the past movies, but also allows itself to stand out with some really risky jokes that people are either going to love or hate.
If you have a crude sense of humor, you're going to love this movie, but if your type of comedy is a bit more reserved, I'd say skip the movie.
As for negatives, the plot is really stupid, but it's a comedy, so it's done on purpose. The only real negative I have is that the villain doesn't have a great explanation for why he wants to end the world, and just leaves me confused. I also think the snowman joke might run a little long for some people.
The best advice I would give for this movie is to come in with low expectations and to acknowledge that this is a comedy, made to make you laugh.
Overall, this is a great comeback for parody comedies, and I hope to see a sequel in the near future. There are endless possibilities with these types of parody movies. As long as the writing is as solid as this movie was, I'd say keep them coming! I'd give "The Naked Gun" a 9/10.
