In a day and age where adult comedies seem to be a dying breed, director Akiva Schaffer has delivered a reboot/legacy sequel for the books. The Naked Gun is ridiculous, over-the-top, and running on an insane amount of caffeine for one riotous good time at the movies.
The Naked Gun Review
Back in 1982, there was a cop parody show called Police Squad! from Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker. The short-lived show spawned three theatrical films — the first one, 2 ½, and 33 ⅓ – starring Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, a boneheaded, silly, caricature of a cop who somehow saves the day every time. And so it continues with Liam Neeson in the role of Drebin's son, Frank Drebin Jr. who also works at Police Squad, and is surrounded by the sons of other existing characters, complete with the same names. Parodies aren't new but it takes a special group of people to bring them to life in a way that makes them funny and not dumb. Schaffer and this cast understood the assignment, showcasing all their funny business with the straightest faces possible. (I want to see the outtakes because there had to be moments no one could keep it together.)
The Naked Gun is ridiculous, over-the-top, and running on an insane amount of caffeine. It is exactly what I expected and I had a great time watching it, as did everyone else in my showing. The pun-heavy shenanigans began with casting Neeson whose name sounds similar to Nielsen's and doesn't let up until the very last minute of the credits. The cast fully throws themselves into every absurd situation, whether it includes intestinal distress, gross innuendos, or slapping a man with his detached arms. The jokes are flying from start to finish and you may find yourself missing some while laughing your butt off at the previous one. It is one riotous good time at the movies this summer.
There really isn't much semblance of a plot with this one but here is the gist. After some thieves break into a bank to steal the “P.L.O.T. Device,” we meet Frank Drebin Jr. (Neeson) who is working a suicide case. Random coincidences happen and it turns out the suicide (which was a actually a murder) is related to the Plot Device theft and tech billionaire Richard Cane (Danny Huston) is at the center of it all. Frank Jr. mostly works the case alone but sometimes his partner, Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) and Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), sister to the deceased, join him to help crack the case. There is some commentary there about the rich, “superior” genetics, and tech that can kill us all, but it's never explored because that's not the point here. This is a movie that throws everything plus the kitchen sink at the wall and allows it all to fall where it may.
Physical comedy, visual gags, and puns… oh my! The Naked Gun has all that and gross-out moments that may make you want to vomit a little yourself. However, if you've ever watched the originals (and I do think you should) then you know exactly what you're in for. Anything and anyone is fair game in the Naked Gun world, nothing is sacred and I do mean nothing (including the real-life passing of Neeson's wife). There are jokes in there I was pleasantly surprised to hear, considering dark humor lives on the outskirts of society nowadays. Still there were dated one-liners and some callbacks to the previous films that no one under a certain age will find nearly as funny.
All of that aside, none of it would be funny without Neeson and Anderson. My only complaint was that I wanted to see more of Hauser do what he does best. Unfortunately, he was relegated to the straight man role to allow Neeson free rein to be as nonsensical as possible. Which means, unlike his scene-stealing Mole Man in Fantastic Four First Steps, Hauser's Ed Hocken Jr. is reserved and acts as the audience's stand-in for all the face-palming moments. Someone else filled the role of scene-stealer – Anderson. Beth is a femme fatale, vulnerable and sweet, yet fierce when the need arises. She is Neeson's love interest who thankfully gets more to do than just sit there and look pretty. Anderson is great and the perfect sparring partner to Neeson's tough (not smart) guy.
Neeson is more hilarious than I expected him to be capable of. Not trying to be mean, I just don't see him as a comedic actor but his timing is sharp and his deadpan delivery of lines coupled with his stern face just work. He commits to each antic with such seriousness you almost want to remind him this is Naked Gun not Schindler's List. Neeson takes the gruff, revenge-seeking, weathered good guy he is known for and dials it up 20 notches here. Basically, he is parodying himself.
Verdict
The Naked Gun is ridiculous, over-the-top, and running on an insane amount of caffeine for one riotous good time at the movies. Neeson is pitch-perfect, keeping his stoic personality no matter the absurdity. You won't catch him winking at the camera. Anderson is equally great here, the b-side to her previous role in The Last Showgirl. This is a film that knows it's insane and never tries to justify why that is or attempts to be anything but. It's unapologetically “dumb” but in a way that never makes you roll your eyes but wipes tears from them because you've been laughing so hard. If you've been lamenting the loss of adult comedies (and short runtimes), then it's a no-brainer. Just grab the largest cup of coffee you can find and head to the movies.
The Naked Gun is in theaters August 1. It is rated PG-13 for crude/sexual material, violence/bloody images and brief partial nudity with a runtime of 85 minutes.
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