The law never takes a holiday. But comedic filmmaking seems to have done just that over the past decade or two. A genre that was once dominated by silly goofy movies like “Talladega Nights,” “There’s Something About Mary,” or “Ted” could gross over $300 million worldwide each easily. Now, most comedy films are relegated to streaming services or simply far smaller box office returns. A comedic draw like Seth Rogen, who used to attract worldwide returns of $100-200 million easily, now struggles to break $50 million total. Which is why a film like “The Naked Gun (2025)” can feel like such a gamble. Sure, on paper a legacy sequel IP film with a recognizable lead star should be a sure thing, but whether audiences will show up is an entirely different story.
This latest film stars Liam Neeson (“Taken,” “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace”) as Frank Dreben Jr., the son of Nielson’s original character from the first three films, as he attempts to solve a new crime involving various characters across Los Angeles, including Beth Davenport, played by Pamela Anderson (“Baywatch,” “The Last Showgirl”), tech mogul Richard Cane, played by Danny Huston (“Wonder Woman (2017),” “Children of Men”), police chief Davis, played by CCH Pounder (“The Shield,” “NCIS: New Orleans”), and Dreben Jr’s fellow cop Capt. Ed Hocken Jr., played by Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird,” “Richard Jewell”).
A film like this needs a certain kind of comedy director. Sure, Judd Apatow or even Adam McKay can make funny films, but they’re decidedly different kinds of comedies compared to “Airplane!,” “Top Secret!”, the original “Naked Gun” or the other films by Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker. Which is why co-writer/director Akiva Schaffer (“Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” “Hot Rod”) seems borderline perfect for the pick. With a background in short form comedy skits on “SNL” as well as the same combination or sight gags, stupid, silly, and somehow still smart humor that made ZAZ films excellent, he steers the ship here excellently. His co-writers, Dan Gregor (“Most Likely to Murder,” “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)”) and Doug Mand (“Most Likely to Murder,” “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)”), work on the exact same wavelength, and the trio stuff the film to bursting with gags.
Whether it's the trademark “Naked Gun” style of wordplay and sight gags or more modern bits of action comedy and meta-movie gags, jokes fly relentlessly fast and if one flounders for you, it's almost a guarantee that another one will. Despite its short length at just 85-minutes with credits, the gag-to-minute ratio is kept exceptionally high. The end of the film does let off the gas a bit when the plot needs to wrap itself up, but then it gets right back to it with even more visual gags going all the way until the very end of the credits. There’s no snark, no sarcasm, just pure absurdism and crude humor. In an age where it seems as though the only kind of comedy that can get greenlit is the winking, self-aware “isn’t this ridiculous” kind of humor pioneered by “Deadpool,” a film this disconnected from pop culture references and a desire to seem “cool” is nothing short of refreshing.
While it's hard to compare him directly to an icon of straight-faced comedy like Nielson, Nesson certainly does a fantastic job in this film. His gruff persona allows him to play everything straight, adding to the absurdity of each passing moment. If nothing else, this is clearly the kind of comedic performance an actor can only give when he is completely and totally having a blast. Anderson is just as amusing, though the plot doesn’t give her as much material to work with. When the pair are together, they’re a great comedic match, and a bizarre sequence in the middle of the film involving them is an absurd riot. The rest of the cast are all fine, filling their roles well, essentially just existing as people for jokes and gags to bounce off for Neeson.
A new “Naked Gun” film would be a bit of a surprise, even if the state of modern theatrical studio comedies wasn’t in such a dire state. But in this current state, it's a bit of a surprise in a completely different way. Jam packed with every kind of gag imaginable, led by a pair of actors willing to commit to every single bit thrown their way, and helmed by writers and a director who know the power of a good visual gag, you’d be hard pressed to find more laughs squeezed into 85-minutes this year. 4.5/5
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