Carl Roberts 
Liam Neeson takes over from Leslie Nielsen in the reboot of the classic comedy franchise, The Naked Gun. Does it shoot straight, or is it a dum-dum?
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT NAKED GUN MOVIE SINCE THE OTHER NAKED GUN MOVIES. Yep, you can tell by that single sentence alone that the spoof franchise is back. After three hilarious movies starring the late Leslie Nielsen, The Naked Gun is back. This time, we are in the company of Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr., as he takes to the streets to fight crime in a very similar way to his father.
The film is a legacy sequel, making it the fourth film in the long-running franchise that started way back in 1982 with Police Squad! Featuring a supporting cast that includes Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston, you can guess at what lies in store. But does the film give the audience a brilliant comedic visit to the movies, and shoot straight? Or is the film a blank bullet, never hitting the mark, and can be considered a Dum-Dum?
THE PREMISE
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 produced by Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy). Joining the cast are Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, and CCH Pounder. Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, and Danny Huston.
THOUGHTS
Fans of the franchise needn’t worry. The film is a total hoot from start to finish. Ok, so it can’t quite match the Leslie Nielsen movies, but it comes damn close. From the beginning, we are in for a laugh riot. When you have a McGuffin introduced early that has the acronym P.L.O.T Device, you know what you’re in for. As always, the audience will need to keep their eyes peeled for all of the visual gags, many of which lurk in the background. These include a knowing nod back to the first film with a prop on display in a club. While not all of the jokes land, it is more hits than misses for the most part.
LIAM NEESON
Liam Neeson, already known for his ability to deliver and take jokes, is inspired casting as Frank Drebin Jr. He mercilessly sends up his tough guy image, poking fun at his role in the Taken franchise while keeping a straight face. He easily allows himself to ridicule and be ridiculed throughout. Anyone thinking that the actor wouldn’t be suited to his role is wrong. Neeson fits the character like a glove. Like Nielsen, Neeson, known as a dramatic and action movie actor, keeps a straight face, playing against type to hilarious effect. His performance here opens up a career path for him to play more comedic roles. And I’m all for it.
PAMELA ANDERSON
Pamela Anderson plays the role of Beth, the love interest. Again, the actress shows she has a wonderful sense of humour and can play comedic roles with ease. Beth is seeking answers for the death of her brother and uses Drebin to get them. She has a strong urge for revenge and hampers the investigation with her actions. Of course, she becomes Drebin’s love during the proceedings, but shows a strong side when she needs to. The actress gives a winning and often hilarious performance in her role. The trailers featured a particular scene that made us laugh. Believe me, you’ve seen nothing yet. The full version is so risky, it’s no surprise the film has a restrictive rating. But Anderson plays into it with gusto, even poking fun at herself. And a particular video from years ago.
DIRECTION
The direction from Akiva Schaffer is perfect for a film like this. He directs the film in a kind of homage to the Zucker Brothers’ original trilogy. The way he shoots the film, frames the comedy and allows it to flow is brilliant. Certain scenes will have the audience rolling in the aisles as the madness flows unabated. Schaffer directs it all in his stride, allowing the actors to breathe while giving full rein to the comedic elements.
WRITING
The screenplay by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Akiva Schaffer effortlessly brings the spoof genre back to where it belongs. Forget what we’ve been given since the third Naked Gun film was released. They pale in comparison to what we are provided here. The script takes the ball of the original trilogy and runs with it, bringing the franchise back to its best. It does take some risks and also strays into more adult fare than PG-13, but it works. Although a particular scene strays into Austin Powers territory, it becomes one of the most hilarious sequences in the entire film. The jokes, both spoken and visual, come thick and fast, never allowing the audience to draw a breath. It is superb comedy entertainment.
VERDICT
Welcome back, The Naked Gun. We all missed you. We all thought that after the death of Leslie Nielsen and other members of the original cast, it was over. I’m happy to say that we were all wrong. At a brisk 85 minutes, the film is precisely the tonic we needed. A movie so silly, so dumb, and so hilarious, we can’t help but enjoy ourselves. Forget the CGI-packed blockbusters and the heavier movies in the multiplexes; this is what we needed. A laugh-out-loud, no apologies, comedy riot for the new age. For what some of us thought would be a pale imitation of the original movies and would flop, this is anything but. It genuinely is hilarious.
Sending up the actors’ movie images with aplomb, the film is a welcome return for the parody genre. Although I was disappointed that the Police Squad!/ The Naked Gun theme wasn’t heard until the very end, Lorne Balfe composes a winning score that lines perfectly with Ira Newborn’s scores for the original trilogy. With some surprise cameos (one that will please fans), the film is a welcome relief from life outside the cinema. Again, like the original movies, don’t leave before the credits end, or you’ll miss some hilarious credits that are guaranteed to keep the audience laughing. Sit back, relax, and don’t eat or drink anything while the film is playing. You’ll end up spitting it out with laughter. Justice truly has a new daddy. A truly hilarious treat.
The Naked Gun opens in cinemas on August 1st, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
