Only one man has the particular set of skills… to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) follows in his father’s footsteps in THE NAKED GUN, directed by Akiva Schaffer (Saturday Night Live, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and from producer Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy). Joining the case are cast Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, with Danny Huston.

Review

Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson lead a reboot of The Naked Gun franchise, in what will be one of the biggest surprise wins for 2025 in the comedy/spoof genre. The Naked Gun isn’t so much a reboot as it is a continuation and a tribute to the original film franchise starring Leslie Nielsen, which began in 1988. Trying to follow up Leslie Nielsen in any comedic role is a big set of shoes to fill. Hollywood tends to try to reboot or remake everything instead of creating something fresh.

Director Akiva Schaffer knew that and played this off smartly. It’s set up as being in the same continuity as the original franchise, but in a future where the characters are the sons of our favorite characters from the original. What follows can only be called genuine comedic fun. The Naked Gun does a good job of modernizing its parody of police dramas and even making fun of Neeson’s previous characters in various thrillers. It’s self-aware in a way that the original Naked Gun was as well, but never tries to repeat the original’s punchlines directly; instead, it creates its one-liners that still feel very much like a Naked Gun.

For someone who has always played serious roles, seeing Liam Neeson not only do some outrageous stuff for this role, but also make fun of himself and even sing (yes, he sings), shows just how much he has to offer in other roles. And let’s not overlook Paul Walter Hauser, who has been hitting theatres with not one, but two big films in just 2 weeks (Fantastic Four: The First Steps), where his comedic chops are put to the test.

When I first saw trailers dropping for this, I had extremely low expectations. Most comedy spoofs are released straight to streaming these days, and rarely do well. The fact that this one made it to theatres is a miracle by itself. But I can promise you, it’s been a long time since we have had a film that was genuinely this funny, and for anyone old enough to remember Buffy, will find something joked about that they can connect with.

Whether you see it in theaters or at home, it’s worth watching as both a tribute to the good old days of comedy spoofs and as a much-needed lighter film after so much comic book and drama-focused media. Although I will say that seeing it in theaters and listening to the audience’s reaction to some of the crazier moments, knowing they have never seen the original, is worth the price of admission.

Oh, and be sure to stick around for the credits. Not because of post-credit scenes, but because of all the funny easter egg puns and jokes hidden in the credits. Be sure to sound off on our socials and let us know which ones you find!

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