Liam Neeson Plays It Dead Serious, and That's the Joke
Let's talk about the obvious: Liam Neeson, the man who made a second career out of avenging kidnapped relatives, is now playing the bumbling detective Frank Drebin. And while I went in thinking "no one can replace Leslie Nielsen," I left thinking "okay, maybe not replace, but Neeson understood the assignment."
Neeson doesn't wink. He doesn't try to be funny. He plays it completely straight, which is precisely what made the original Naked Gun work. And somehow, that stoic, world-weary action hero energy translates beautifully into slapstick. Watching him stumble through ridiculous crime scenes and misread every situation is weirdly satisfying. It's like if Bryan Mills from Taken accidentally wandered onto a sitcom set and decided to stay.
There are moments where he feels like he's doing his own Liam Neeson Movie inside a Naked Gun film, but that tension kind of adds to the charm. He's in on the joke, but just barely. And that makes the joke land even harder.
Pamela Anderson Is a Scene-Stealing Surprise
Now let's talk about Pamela Anderson. Yes, that Pamela Anderson.
She plays Neeson's love interest, and I'll say it outright: she's excellent. Great. Their chemistry is surprisingly sharp, and she nails the balance between parody and sincerity. There's a wink to her whole performance - but it's not self-mocking. If anything, she feels like the only one who knows exactly what movie she's in and is having the time of her life.
There are moments where she gives full-on 90s rom-com energy, then turns around and slips on a banana peel. And she sells both with the same straight face. Is it campy? Of course. But it's also fun in a way we don't see enough of anymore.
Oh, and apparently, there are real-life romance rumors between Neeson and Anderson? That may or may not be true, but it adds to the onscreen heat.
A Tribute Wrapped in Bubble Wrap
The new Naked Gun doesn't try to reinvent the franchise. It knows where it came from. It opens with familiar musical cues, visual gags that would make Zucker and Abrahams proud, and enough ridiculous wordplay to make you groan out loud. There are a few celebrity cameos, absurd chase sequences, and enough over-the-top set pieces to remind you that logic checked out at the door.
It's a tribute, not a reinvention. And that's why it works.
But this is also a 2025 movie. So while it celebrates the chaos of old-school comedy, it does pull its punches a bit. The edginess of the original - those wildly inappropriate one-liners, the visual gags that made you spit out your soda- has been softened. You won't find a single joke here that'll get anyone fired. It's cleaner. Safer. But still silly enough to remind you what joy felt like before irony took over.
Comedy Deserves to Be Dumb Again
We live in an era where comedy has to explain itself before it tells a joke, where a punchline comes with a disclaimer. Where satire sometimes feels like a TED Talk in disguise.
But not here. Naked Gun isn't trying to be "smart comedy" or "elevated comedy" or anything with a think piece attached to it. It's just dumb. And sometimes, dumb is precisely what we need.
This movie doesn't want you to nod along or clap thoughtfully. It wants you to laugh because someone fell into a cake while trying to arrest a mime. It wants you to giggle at puns, pratfalls, and perfectly timed sound effects.
Is it high art? Not. But it never pretends to be. It's banana peels, car chases, and double entendres - and there's something kind of beautiful about that.
Does It Stick?
Yes. Not in the way the original Naked Gun did. This isn't a classic in the making. But as a nostalgic throwback, as a tribute to the era of Airplane!, Hot Shots, and Spaceballs, it sticks the landing.
It made me laugh. It made me remember the joy of watching dumb comedies with my dad. And it made me hope, just a little, that this kind of movie doesn't disappear forever.
So see it. Bring popcorn. Bring your inner 12-year-old. Enjoy the moment.
Final Verdict:
It's not perfect. It's not edgy. But it's funny. And in 2025, that's rare enough to celebrate.
