The Naked Gun

Comedy’s back – with lovers, liars and clowns…on the big screen with Liam Neeson as dimwitted detective Frank Drebin Jr. (son of Leslie Nielsen’s bumbling Frank Drebin), and Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) – son of Ed Hocken (George Kennedy). What’s most memorable is how Oscar-nominated Liam Neeson, who has spent the past 18 years playing tough action heroes (Taken franchise), brilliantly transitions his stoic physicality, deadpan intensity and raspy voice into slapstick comedy.

It’s been 31 years since we last helped solve a crime with actor Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun franchise. His Police Squad has changed personnel since then, but their bungling antics and slapstick humor still hit the bullseye. Liam Neeson was really the only choice to take the role of Lt. Frank Drebin, Jr in this reboot. He plays the son of the legendary lead (naked) gun and has been mistaken for Nielsen a multitude of times. Both actors also came from dramatic backgrounds finding a resurgence in their careers with comedy. The Naked Gun is not just a direct sequel, but an homage to the original with photos of the former squad and their new counterparts.

What makes a comedy, moreover a reboot of television and film, work as hilarious entertainment? A partial answer to that question comes in The Naked Gun, with director Akiva Schaffer’s decision to throw in everything but the kitchen sink. For 85 minutes, the film rushes forward, piling on one joke after another, even through the final seconds of the closing credits. Never stopping to catch its breath, never minding if one gag or witticism doesn’t land, another rushes in immediately, so no matter. Deliriously fun, this film delivers an inspired, worthy addition for those who thoroughly enjoy this kind of unbridled goofiness.

The Naked Gun is right on target, a laugh-out-loud funny crime spoof I didn’t know I needed. Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson and company deliver a screwball LA noir full of sight gags and sunshine, loopy puns, rapid patter, and enough raunch to fit within a PG-13 rating. Thankfully, director Akiva Schaffer has a good handle on how to make this Naked Gun fresh within its familiar universe. That includes nods at the earlier films that aren’t obtrusive while emulating its fast-and-thick schtick.