Lt. Frank Drebin, Jr., the son of Police Squad’s legendary Frank Drebin (the character played by Leslie Nielsen in the earlier films) finds himself investigating a bank robbery, and discovers the culprits may not have been after the cash in there. Working alongside the son of his father’s old colleague Ed Hocken, and a beautiful true crime novelist whose brother died under mysterious circumstances, Drebin quickly finds himself in over his head, having to act rapidly to stop a tech mogul’s plot to sacrifice lives to create a more perfect world.
The Zucker Abrahams Zucker (ZAZ) comedy team created some of the funniest motion pictures of all time, including AIRPLANE! and THE NAKED GUN trilogy, as well as several other titles. Needless to say, there was plenty of skepticism to the latter series being soft rebooted. And starring Liam Neeson of all people, a man certainly known for harder-edged roles than his predecessor Leslie Nielsen. I went into the screening with skepticism…
…and left with an enormous smile on my face from 85 minutes of nonstop laughter. THE NAKED GUN is the funniest movie of the year, holding nothing back. It’s unabashedly silly and outright juvenile at times, but when you’re laughing this hard, are you really going to care?
Liam Neeson scores points here for not blatantly rehashing Leslie Nielsen’s character from earlier movies in the series, with him portraying Frank Drebin’s son more in a manner akin to that of the movies Mr. Neeson is known for, in which he tends to be quite aggressive and ready for action. I give the guy credit for not simply copying Nielsen, and instead building this character based on his strengths as an actor. He pays homage without being a copycat.
Luckily, the supporting cast is equally competent, largely playing it straight in a zany, over-the-top comedic world. The cast includes the always-reliable Paul Walter Hauser as Drebin’s fellow officer, CCH Pounder as a chief fed up with his incessant antics and failures, and Pamela Anderson serving as the love interest; a murder novelist with an interest in the case. Danny Huston plays a tech mogul with a sinister scheme, and Kevin Durand portrays his right-hand man. There are also a few cameos, including a certain funny man who’s no stranger to THE NAKED GUN series.
There’s nothing original about THE NAKED GUN’s plot. It’s not hard to figure out who the villain is. His scheme is literally the same as the bad guy from KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE. But… let’s face it. We don’t go to NAKED GUN movies for the plot. The road there is paved with nonstop laughs, from physical gags to verbal quips that do justice to the ZAZ movies of old. The opening scene involves the theft of something literally called a “PLOT Device.” The plot is simple, but it works, serving as more of a gateway to the endless array of humor the film throws at its audience. At a brisk 85 minute running time with credits, it’s short and sweet like the older films with Leslie Nielsen. The cast and crew certainly know what they’re doing here. Stick around for mid-credits and post-credits scenes too.
If there’s one minor shortcoming to be had in an otherwise excellent comedy, it’s an overabundance of pop culture references. Older movies in THE NAKED GUN series kept these to a fair minimum, outside of ones that were more historical and significant. It’s the one thing this critic is worried might date the film in a few years.
Will we get additional NAKED GUN films starring Liam Neeson? This longtime fan would welcome them with open arms after seeing the sheer lunacy that unfolded on the screen here. It’s a return to madcap humor that Hollywood has needed for a long damn time. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard at the movies. THE NAKED GUN comes highly recommended. Turn off your brain, and laugh until it hurts.