The Naked Gun
★★★★ 1/2
The Naked Gun series is something I grew up on—pure, stupid humor in the best way possible. Alongside Airplane! and Top Secret!, these were the movies I rewatched endlessly as a kid. But let’s be honest: that style of comedy eventually burned out under the weight of countless copycats. So, when a new installment was announced, I was curious—and a little skeptical. Could they nail the tone? Would audiences still embrace the barrage of puns, slapstick and absurdity that defined the genre?
My hopes skyrocketed when I learned Akiva Schaffer was directing. I’ve always been a fan of his work with The Lonely Island, and sure enough, this new Naked Gun is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a theater in years. Granted, I saw it on my birthday in a packed house that was totally on board for the ride—but still, the filmmakers absolutely nailed it. The movie perfectly honors the genre’s roots while feeling sharp, fresh and eager to try new gags instead of just recycling old ones.
Liam Neeson, of all people, turns out to be perfect casting as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. You can tell he’s having a blast, and the deadpan delivery is gold. The jokes fly at such a relentless pace that this will be highly rewatchable—there’s no way I caught them all. And while the humor is broadly silly, there are some wonderfully dark moments (a snowman gag in particular had me cackling) that tap into the 90s-style comedy I grew up on. Surprisingly, the film even sneaks in some pointed jabs at tech billionaires and older white male power figures, and those jokes land hard.
The only stumble comes near the end, when the film has to wrap up its plot. The action-comedy finale works, but it’s the one time the laugh-per-minute ratio dips. Still, the craft is there—every joke feels deliberate, never phoned in. And there’s an x-ray goggles scene (think Austin Powers but for this generation) that had the audience shrieking.
Bottom line: this isn’t trying to be more than what it is—a machine built to make you laugh—and it succeeds spectacularly.
