The Naked Gun

On any given Friday night at the movies, you usually have quite a few choices for your viewing experience. One that seems harder to find these days is a good comedy—especially one that’s actually in theaters. For some reason, comedies have largely migrated to streaming. And that’s a shame, because comedies are best enjoyed with a crowd—laughter is contagious, and even the average jokes land better when shared with a group. So it feels like a gift from the comedy gods that a new Naked Gun movie is hitting theaters, here to rescue the genre from theatrical extinction. And let me tell you—it comes in with its comedy guns blazing.

For the toughest crimes in Los Angeles, there’s only one unit that can handle the job: Police Squad. Leading the charge is Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson), whose constant thirst for coffee never slows him down from catching the bad guys. Like his father, Frank has a knack for messing things up even while solving them. His latest blunder puts him in hot water with Chief Davis (CCH Pounder), who removes both him and fellow officer Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) from the department’s biggest case. That doesn’t sit well with Frank, especially after meeting Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), the victim’s sister, who convinces him he needs to stay on the case.

The investigation leads Frank to a tech company where all signs point to the boss (Richard Cane)—a man not about to go down without a fight. Lucky for the good guys, Frank is on the case, and as always, he’ll fumble his way to justice.

Written by Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and Akiva Schaffer (who also directs), The Naked Gun doesn’t stray from the classic ZAZ formula. It delivers a steady stream of toilet humor, sight gags, and good old-fashioned slapstick. For those unfamiliar, ZAZ stands for David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, who created Police Squad! in 1982, which later inspired the original Naked Gun films.

Most legacy sequels spend too much time looking back. The Naked Gun does indulge in nostalgia—but it also looks forward, all while offering a comedy that feels like it’s from another, funnier time.

I’m happy to report that The Naked Gun lives up to its name and captures the spirit of the original series without simply repeating it. Not every joke hits, but the sheer volume of gags means you’ll laugh a lot more often than not. What really makes it work is the film’s full-throttle enthusiasm for the concept—and a clear love for the original. That said, even with all of that goodwill, this could have fallen flat if they got the casting wrong.

Thankfully, they didn’t. Neeson, Anderson, and the rest of the cast are clearly having a blast—and their energy is infectious. Neeson is 100% committed. Not only does he look the part, he chews through both scenery and a ridiculous number of hot dogs, making the movie better on every front.

I wasn’t sure how this would work. As a huge fan of the original, I was skeptical about how far they’d push the humor. But this new Naked Gun stays true to the original’s ethos, packed with lewd jokes, deadpan delivery, and some truly inspired nonsense that’ll have you laughing harder than you have at the movies in a long time.