Directed by Akiva Schaffer, “The Naked Gun” is the fourth film in the eponymous franchise inspired by the spoof 1980s TV show “Police Squad.” Liam Neeson stars as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. of the Los Angeles Police Department, the son of Leslie Nielsen’s original detective protagonist from the preceding trilogy. Styled after classic film noirs, the plot follows a murder investigation that gradually reveals a greater conspiracy. Pamela Anderson costars as Beth Davenport, a crime novelist and sister of the murdered man.
As in the franchise’s prior installments, “The Naked Gun” has a gleefully absurd sense of humor with an emphasis on wordplay and physical gags. For instance, when asked if he suspects “foul play,” Drebin soberly responds, “No, a chicken never could have done this.” In the police station, there is a massive walk-in freezer labeled “cold cases.” These types of jokes populate the entire film, often without drawing much attention to themselves. There is a new gag seemingly every 30 seconds, so even if half of them don’t fully land for you, there’s still something to snicker at once per minute.
Neeson is a terrific successor to Nielsen, and not just because they have similar sounding names. Neeson has spent the last 15 years starring in deadly serious action films of varying quality. Here, playing a trigger-happy cop who has killed “literally thousands” of people, his natural intensity and gravitas contrast wonderfully with the film’s ridiculous humor. Anderson is equally equipped, delivering a committed performance that even includes an extended scat singing sequence.
The film wisely stars veteran actors who typically don’t work in comedy. By treating the material with utmost sincerity, they’re able to highlight its absurdity even more effectively. A tender romantic montage featuring the leads and an anthropomorphic snowman, set to Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” is the clear highlight of the movie.
“The Naked Gun” also benefits from feeling distinctly theatrical in a way that few comedies nowadays do. Its relentless gags and broad comedy lend themselves well to in-theater viewing. Although inconsiderate audience members can be frustrating during more serious movies, “The Naked Gun” is best viewed in an energetic, packed crowd of moviegoers where laughter will undoubtedly be infectious. This is certainly the kind of movie that loses some of its steam when viewed alone on a laptop.
The film also successfully updates the series for 2025, feeling extremely current despite its old-fashioned sense of humor. For one, it functions as a parody and homage to a range of recent action films, with some obvious elements cribbed from “Kingsman: the Secret Service” and “Mission Impossible: Fallout.” Other modern flourishes include its big-tech villain and a climax that takes place at an Ultimate Fighting Championship-like arena match.
Perhaps the most praiseworthy element of “The Naked Gun” is its lean 85-minute runtime. That’s not to say it wouldn’t be fun to follow more of Neeson’s and Anderson’s antics, maybe even in a sequel. However, the film’s brevity ensures that its silliness never becomes exhausting, which would be an acute possibility if an additional 30 minutes were tacked on. After feeling momentarily surprised when the movie cut to the credits, I realized that the story had been resolved and that there had been enough jokes to fill an entire season of TV.
“The Naked Gun” gets the reboot right; it doesn’t drown itself out with excessive callbacks to its predecessors or elaborate lore. Instead, it utilizes the franchise’s signature absurdity to showcase an all-new cast and a story built for 2025. Sure, many of the jokes are a little clunky and don’t always work; still, batting .500 puts a hitter firmly in Hall of Fame territory. The high-volume joke style and the writers’ commitment to stupidity make “The Naked Gun” a fun, low stakes diversion that’s perfect to see with a crowd.
