The Naked Gun
July 29th, 2025
MOVIE: THE NAKED GUN
STARRING: LIAM NEESON, PAMELA ANDERSON, PAUL WALTER HAUSER
DIRECTED BY: AKIVA SCHAFFER
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 3 STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: R
RUN TIME: 85 MINUTES
To say I hold the Zucker brothers’ Naked Gun trilogy in high esteem would be an understatement. That brand of absurd, rapid-fire humor helped shape my comedic sensibilities, alongside Mel Brooks, The Simpsons, and the surreal weirdness of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. So, when news broke of a modern reboot, I was filled with dread. Could a film like The Naked Gun even exist in 2025, let alone succeed? Shockingly, the answer is yes. Not only does it work—it’s one of the funniest comedies of the last five years.
The plot doesn’t stray far from the original trilogy. This time, the badge is passed to Frank Drebin Jr., played with surprising and pitch-perfect deadpan by Liam Neeson. He’s a no-nonsense cop—except, of course, for the nonsense that follows him wherever he goes. Frank drinks an absurd amount of coffee (he’s handed a cup in nearly every scene) and somehow bungles his way into heroism. After foiling a bank heist, he’s pulled into a murder mystery involving tech billionaire Richard Cane (Danny Huston) and a possible romance with the victim’s sister, Beth Davenport, played by Pamela Anderson. But leave it to Drebin Jr. to unravel the plot and take down the bad guys—accidentally or not.
Let’s face it: the comedy genre has been in a rough place since around 2016. Other projects felt directionless, timid, and overly polished. Enter Akiva Schaffer—one-third of The Lonely Island—who directs this revival with just the right mix of reverence and reckless abandon. Co-written by Schaffer, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand, this Naked Gun is packed with slapstick, sight gags, and boundary-pushing one-liners. The humor ranges from a three-way involving a snowman, a crane operated like a human claw machine, to a jaw-dropping Bill Cosby joke that had me laughing until it hurt.
What makes it work is that Neeson and Anderson play everything completely straight. Their commitment gives the comedy room to breathe—and land. Sure, there are a few bumps. Some scenes look like they were filmed on obvious studio backlots, and no, this version doesn’t quite reach the comedic heights of the 1988 original. But those were different times, and Schaffer strikes a smart balance between homage and reinvention.
At its core, The Naked Gun (2025) is a laugh riot. It feels good to laugh like this again. Unlike recent efforts like Happy Gilmore 2 or Don’t Look Up, there’s a genuine sense of freedom and fearlessness here. Schaffer doesn’t over-direct or lean on irony. Will every joke land? Probably not. They didn’t all work for me. But there’s real joy in the chaos, the slapstick, and the sheer silliness—exactly what a Naked Gun movie should have.
In a year with few surprises, this one takes a big comedic swing—and nails it. Case closed.
3 STARS
THE NAKED GUN IS PLAYING IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE FRIDAY, AUGUST 1ST, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
