It’s been over 20 years since The Naked Gun 33 1/3, and The Lonely Island alumnus Akiva Schaffer’s reboot/sequel pays homage to the original trilogy.
Liam Neeson takes the reins as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr, son of the late Frank Drebin Sr. RIP Leslie Nielsen. (This is meant to be another off-screen son, not the baby we saw at the end of Naked Gun 33 1/3, although that would fit into the franchise’s comedy). In fact, a few of the characters are sons of the previous movies’ characters, including Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser).
This is referenced in a visual gag involving O.J. Simpson, showing they’re not afraid to push the boundaries on jokes, silencing the tiresome ‘everything is woke’ mob. Just in case you weren’t sure, a Bill Cosby joke is thrown in for good measure. The dry wit and slapstick humour that made the originals so successful are prevalent throughout. Some of it lands, and some of it doesn’t.
After reinventing himself as an action hero, Neeson is now masterfully flexing his comedic chops, as is Pamela Anderson, also going through a deserved career renaissance, as femme fatale Beth. They’re obviously enjoying themselves in this ridiculous spoof of a spoof, and their chemistry drives the film, involving a thin but very on-brand 1980s-style murder mystery plot.
We also get a prototype Danny Huston bad guy performance, as the sinister and charming tech giant Richard Kane. You can guess exactly the kind of character he plays before even watching the film, but it works well enough.
This new Naked Gun won’t go down in history as a classic, but it’s enjoyable ‘don’t need to think’ entertainment and a nostalgic throwback to the spoof films of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
THE NAKED GUN is in cinemas from August 1st.
