‘The Naked Gun (2025)’ Review
Stars: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, Danny Huston | Written by Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, Doug Mand | Directed by Akiva Schaffer
Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson co-star in this reboot of The Naked Gun, the spoof comedy series – based on the short-lived TV show Police Squad – that previously starred Leslie Nielsen and spanned three movies, between 1988 and 1994. Directed by Akiva Schaffer (part of the Lonely Island trio), the new film is unashamedly stupid, but it delivers a steady stream of funny gags and perfectly captures the spirit of the original films. Which is pretty much the best anyone could have hoped for.
Neeson stars as Detective Sergeant Frank Drebin Jnr, the son of Nielsen’s character, which technically makes this a sequel as well as a reboot. In fact, his entire Police Squad team are the sons and daughters of the original Naked Gun characters, which occasions what is thankfully the film’s only gag aimed at original cast member O.J. Simpson.
The plot, such as it is, centres on a dastardly remake-the-world scheme dreamed up by Musk-like tech billionaire genius Richard Kane (Danny Huston). However, the case starts with a murder investigation when beautiful Brenda Davenport (Pamela Anderson) asks Drebin to investigate the mysterious death of her brother, a scientist at Kane’s company, who died while driving an electric car.
The key element to the original The Naked Gun movies was their gleefully scattershot approach to gags, ensuring that every scene ping-ponged between visual jokes, spot-on parody material, knowing fourth wall breaks and a wide variety of one-liners, ranging from absurd non-sequiturs to off-the-wall pop culture references and everything in between. Crucially, the new The Naked Gun perfectly emulates that approach, and while it’s fair to say that not all of the jokes land, there are a huge number of them and overall, the general hit rate is very high.
In all honesty, Neeson isn’t exactly what you would call a natural comedian, but he gives it a bloody good go. Furthermore, his former tough guy screen persona from the Taken movies (and others) gives the role an extra edge of parody that works well, and nicely distinguishes him from Nielsen’s original in the process (an opening gag to this effect has Neeson telling Nielsen’s portrait, “I want to be just like you, but at the same time, completely different”).
As for Pamela Anderson, her smoking hot on-screen chemistry with Neeson (fueling rumours of a real-life romance) turns out to be the film’s most delightful surprise. She also turns out to have great comic timing and note-perfect delivery, making their every scene together an absolute joy.
Elsewhere, Huston is good value as the villain, but the likes of CCH Pounder (as Drebin’s long-suffering boss) and Paul Walter Hauser (as Drebin’s partner, the son of George Kennedy’s character) are largely wasted and given very little to do, at least as far as the laughs are concerned.
In short, The Naked Gun is unremittingly stupid, but it’s also an enormous amount of fun, and the sheer volume of gags means that there is literally something for everyone. Here’s hoping they get to do a sequel, because on the strength of this, it would be very welcome indeed.
**** 4/5
The Naked Gun is in cinemas now.
