Hollywood rarely does original these days and comedy reboots are becoming increasingly common. So it was only a matter of time before someone tried to reboot “The Naked Gun” (1988). I hear you saying “Reboot the naked Gun? Surely you can’t be serious?” and to which I say “That gag doesn’t work in text form very well”. Anyway, filling the shoes of Leslie Neilson in the movie franchise that made him a household name is not an easy task. Initially I wasn’t even going to watch this. I just couldn’t see anyone making a reboot movie that was even a touch on the original. On top of this, the 2020’s is not a decade that has been very kind to comedy. My hopes were rock bottom. Then I saw the trailer and it was actually funny. I decided it was worth a shot.
So stepping into those shoes is veteran Actor Liam Neeson. Not because he has the same initials, but because he’s a serious actor that has shown he can do comedy with a relatively straight face. The casting makes sense. Neeson though is very hit and miss with his movies. He’s not someone that can make an underwhelming script shine. Every now and then though he drops a gem. He is joined by Pamela Anderson, continuing her comeback story. Another casting choice that makes sense for a reboot. This is not a remake though, nor is it a true sequel. It’s a reboot that is set in the same universe as the original. Neeson is playing Frank Drebin’s son (Frank Drebin jr). Given his age, this only really makes sense if he was from a past relation before the original film. Not that these things matter in a comedy like this.
The New Version
The movie is directed by former Saturday Night Live writer Akiva Schaffer. I’m not familiar with his work but he’s had some success. Seth MacFarlane is the lead producer and was responsible for taking the Naked Gun series from David Zucker who had been making his own pitch for a continuation. Zucker’s version would have featured a younger son who wouldn’t be a cop, but would inadvertently get caught up in a spy story. MacFarlane was more after a straight reboot as he’s been a very vocal fan of Zucker’s comedy style for many years. Family Guy has endless “Airplane!” references. MacFarlane is not scripting this however. Instead Schaffer is joined by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand.
Our story opens with the bank raid from the trailer. Drebin heroically foils the robber but is unaware that the real target was a safety deposit box. It’s contents, an electron device labeled “P.L.O.T. Device” has already been removed from the bank before Drebin’s heroics. His next case sees him investigating the death of a Software Engineer and introduces him to the engineers sister Beth (Anderson). The two cases end up related and Frank finds himself trying to stop a megalomaniac from causing a type of Armageddon. Through all this, Frank is trying to find his own place in the world and make his deceased father proud.
But Is It Funny?
So, is this movie funny and how does it compare to the original? First, yes the movie is funny. It’s not a classic. Many of the jokes don’t land. A couple are dragged out beyond their welcome and become boring. Many of the better jokes were spoiled by the trailers. But there are some jokes that land and for a modern comedy it has a pretty solid laugh per minute ratio. However, The Naked Gun movies are some of the funniest ever made. No so much the third, though it is fine. But the first two have an insane laughs per minute ratio, probably only beaten by the comedy masterpiece that is “Airplane!” (1980). After viewing this relaunch I went home and watched the original. Seven minutes in I realized I’d already laughed more than I did for the entire of the 2025 movie. Not good.
The funniest scene in the movie is partially spoiled by the trailer and appears to be a knock off of an Austin Powers joke. That didn’t stop me laughing at it. There is also a a great scene in a nightclub that was obviously inspired by “Airplane!” and I’m okay with that little nod. There’s a few good car jokes thrown in too and a recurring coffee gag. All of which had me laugh. That may seem like a lot of praise but if I made a list like this for the original Naked Gun It’d take me a year to complete. The originally had some lesser jokes, but none fell flat. There is a lot here that had me roll my eyes. The worst joke here is an overly drawn out gag that I can only described as a misplaced Family Guy cutaway. I was bored.
Liam and Pamela
But what about the actors? Liam Neeson is actually quite good at comedy and he was a good choice to attempt to fill Leslie Neilson’s boots. The problem is, those shoes cannot be filled. It’s like trying to replace Peter Sellers in “The Pink Panther” franchise. It is doomed to fail. They’ve actually failed twice already with replacing Sellers and now Eddie Murphy is going to try (And no doubt fail). If anything replacing Neilson is an even more impossible task. The man had a unique gift of being able to deliver virtually any form of comedy as if he is in the most serious of dramatic movies. Neeson meanwhile overplays it. Where Leslie’s comedy felt almost accidental, Liam’s feels like an intentional parody. On the other hand Pamela Anderson is every bit as good as Priscilla Presley and I really hope she does more comedy. She nailed it.
The rest of the cast is pretty much inconsequential. It’s not the actors fault, they just aren’t given anything to work with. The new Nordberg doesn’t even have a part beyond the OJ Simpson joke that was in all the trailers. The new Ed is just goofy and sort of hangs around with little to do but drink coffee. The villain, played by Danny Huston about as generic villain as you can get. He’s certainly no Ricardo Montalban (His counterpart from the original). I couldn’t help but notice that the entire villainous plot is ripped off of “Kingsman”. It wouldn’t have been so bad had they actually done a parody of the infamous church scene. Sadly original is the last thing anyone would describe this film as.
Conclusion
Criticism aside though, did I enjoy the film? Mildly. I think ultimately this was a bad idea. Some actors can’t be replaced, Leslie Neilson is one. There’s also only so many jokes you can make about an old maverick ass kicking cop. David Zucker pitched a very different Naked Gun sequel that involved taking the film in a different direction. I really wish we’d gotten that film instead. But it is what it is. The good news is that a lot of the comedy here is the kind of thing that many thought you could no longer get away with. While that is good, if we are going to get a resurgence in the genre, it needs to also find some originality. I’m not sure that will happen. Instead we’ll get another “Scary Movie” film, “Space Balls 2”, and a third attempt at a “Pink Panther” reboot.
As for this movie. It is worth watching. It is funny. But it’s no classic. Frankly, this is not worth a trip to the cinema. But catch it when it is on streaming for a spot of nostalgia and a few good laughs. If you find you enjoy it, stay for the credits as there are jokes in them and a post credit scene. Best I can give this is a 6/10. Mild recommendation.