- Release year: 2025
- Director: Akiva Schaffer.
- Producers: Erica Huggins and Seth MacFarlane.
- Screenplay by: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and Akiva Schaffer.
- Cinematography by: Brandon Trost.
- Music by: Lorne Balfe.
Synopsis: a detective tries to stop a villainous plot through unorthodox means.
Shotgun Commentary: the perfect way to bring a 80s comedy into the 2020s.
Review
The Naked Gun is a remake of the classic The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988). If you liked the original, chances are, you’ll like this one. And if you like the original but think a significant portion of the jokes are a little outdated, worry not, you’ll LOVE this one.
Unhinged story
This new adventure is protagonist by Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson), son of the legendary Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) from the original work. A random investigation will get Jr. tangled in a scheme to kill humanity and reshape it as the villain-of-the-day (Danny Huston) sees fit. Think Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014), but a lot sillier and definitely less gory.
As expected from a Naked Gun instalment, it is a silly film with silly humour. However, the brilliance of this particular movie lays in being capable of maintaining the exact same spirit from the originals, while bringing the humour into a 2025 context. No more in-law level jokes for you, but do expect to drown in puns, double entendres, visual humour, and self-awareness. How many jokes can one do with the famous cop addiction to coffee? The answer might surprise you.
One particular sequence stands out for its contrast in genre. Instead of reprising the famous “honeymoon phase” of Drebin’s relationship with his love interest, this instalment takes it several steps forward, adding thriller and horror to it, a short film within the feature, if you will. One that could only work with the amazing chemistry between the main couple, Frank Drebin Jr. and Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson).
Unhinged people
Neeson and Anderson are a killer comedic duo. Neeson’s stoicism delivering lines is sidesplitting, almost identical to Nielsen’s style, which makes him perfect for the role. You might have already glimpsed his comedic aptitude in films like The Lego Movie (2014), where he also plays a cop in a very ridiculous world, but now you get to see the whole picture and not just a voice on a Lego, which is totally worth the ticket.
As for Anderson, her naive aura is simply flawless, superb for the role of love interest in a Naked Gun film. Much like Priscilla Presley back in the day, Anderson has that innocent demeanour that works so well for double entendres and puns, a purity that blends perfectly with the seriousness of the protagonist, creating wonderful moments where you’ll cry of laughter.
The film also features several cameos and callbacks, some of them shown in the trailers, and all of them very much welcomed. From the mention of OG characters to the use of its famous police light sequence for the final credits, the mentions to the original saga are few but brilliantly chosen. There is also the added value of random cameos and other pop culture references that coat the narrative with an extra layer of absurdity that elevates it into the surreal level it was always meant to be.
All in all, The Naked Gun is a worthy sequel for the franchise. The story is silly, and the characters even more so. You have a great time, and you keep finding more jokes the more times you watch it. Leslie Nielsen would’ve loved this work, and there is no higher praise than that.
Thanks to Paramount for big-screen access! The Naked Gun will be released the 1st of August.
Advice to take from this movie:
- Vengeance can feel good.
- Make your cast sing in character for the credits.
- When possible, always, ALWAYS, use the Wilhelm scream in your movie.
What’s your take? Have you watched The Naked Gun? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀