The Naked Gun (2025)
Directed by Akiva Schaffer
★★★½
FILM NAME SUPERMANFILE NAME: SPMN-TRL1-011.tifFILESIZE: JPEG: 1.98 MB,TIF: 43.61 MBUSAGE: General Use PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Warner Bros. PicturesCAPTION: DAVID CORENSWET as Superman in DC Studios’ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SUPERMAN,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.COPYRIGHT: © 2025 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. TM & © DC
What seemed unimaginable—a fresh Naked Gun installment nearly three decades later—has surprisingly hit its mark. The Naked Gun (2025) introduces Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., played by Liam Neeson, as the earnest, bumbling son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic detective. Tasked with saving the Police Squad from shutdown, Drebin Jr. finds himself entangled in a bizarre, over-the-top conspiracy centered on a futuristic gadget with apocalyptic potential. To make matters even zanier, the ever-delightful Pamela Anderson stars as Beth Davenport—an absurd, stylish crime novelist who becomes both Drebin’s investigative partner and romantic interest.
From the opening scene—where Neeson inexplicably dons a schoolgirl disguise to thwart a bank robbery—the film sets its frenetic, absurd tone. The jokes land with gleeful abandon: pratfalls, visual gags, meta-references that wink at fans, and a shameless dose of slapstick. The action sequences blur into comedic chaos—electric cars gone haywire, nightclub brawls, and a climactic emergency at a mixed martial arts match coincide with the unveiling of the film’s high-stakes tech villainy. It’s silly, absurd, full of momentum—and it works.
Neeson, surprisingly adroit in physical comedy, channels a deadpan earnestness that becomes the perfect foil to the film’s outright lunacy. He leans into the tradition of the “straight-faced buffoon,” turning every non-sequitur into a punchline. Anderson is a revelation—her persona is buoyant with charm, self-aware wit, and the right degree of bizarreness. Their chemistry crackles: she teases and challenges him, and he, in turn, plays the ever-earnest detective too serious for the world around him.
Akiva Schaffer’s direction embraces both nostalgic homage and modern flair—quick cuts, bold sight gags, and occasional fourth-wall quips create a pace that never flags. The supporting cast rounds things out delightfully: a new-era Captain Hocken, a calculating tech baron, and a parade of cameos that feel earned and entertaining.
What surprised me most: this movie is funnier than it had any right to be. Nostalgia isn’t leaned on—this reboot feels alive, self-assured, and unafraid to lean into absurdity. It’s the rare sequel that doesn’t rest on the laurels of the originals, yet still honors their spirit of over-the-top spoofing. The set pieces earn genuine belly laughs—some purely visual, others gleefully meta, and a few edged with cheeky commentary.
By the time the credits roll—with Neeson’s climactic, ridiculous showdown and a wink-heavy post-credits moment—you’re cheerfully spent. This Naked Gun isn’t just a passable relic revival; it’s a full-throttle, silly-to-the-max comedy that feels unexpectedly fresh. We get to feel relief that the genre isn’t dead—and even hope for more. The bad news: there’s no more franchise left, just this blissfully ridiculous stand-alone. The good news: it was defiantly worth the wait.
