The Naked Gun (2025) Review - Neeson headlines entertaining reboot of a comedy classic

The 2020s really have been the dark ages for cinematic comedy. No, this isn't some rant about cancel culture or wokeness, despite how easy it is to make a career from that kind of grifting, but rather a general lament for one of my favourite genres.

Rebooting a classic like The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) was always going to be an uphill battle given that many consider it one of the funniest film of the 80s, a decade largely considered one of the best for American comedies. I think all diehard fans knew The Naked Gun (2025) was never going to top what Nielson and co. delivered and were approaching the film as more of a tribute band than anything else.

Given the age demographic of my screening, I think it's fair to say this has translated to most audiences. The Naked Gun hasn't reinvented the wheel and instead takes the humour of the originals and gives more of the same just with the twist of bringing this world into the twenty-first century. While yes, this means it isn't nearly as memorable as what came before, there's enough substance and change here that the film has enough confidence in itself to justify its creation.

Liam Neeson stars as Frank Drebin Jr. and in my eyes was a perfect pick for this kind of role; apologies to Ed Helms, originally lined up to lead, you were great in The Hangover (2009) but Frank Drebin needs that grizzled straight-faced approach to juxtapose the absurdity and very few actors can pull that off. Neeson may hit similar beats to Nielsen but he's never trying to replicate him, leaning more into his tough-guy persona, which allows him to stand on his own merits even if the performance was intrinsically destined to exist in Nielson's shadow. The rest of the cast are fine enough as well delivering the laughs and set up when needed with CCH Pounder (my god was Glenn Howerton's impression close) and co-lead Pamela Anderson being the two most notable stars. The Anderson renaissance blazes on.

Furthermore, the majority of jokes land here as well. The tribute band nature I ascribed to the film resonates most profoundly here which can at times take away some of the surprise that makes the original's so strong. If you're familiar enough with the language of Drebin's escapades you can at times predict the beats here but thankfully there's enough sprinkles of misdirection that keeps the laughs per minute at a decent rate irrespective of how fresh it all is. For those scared that the comedic leanings of Family Guy or The Lonely Island would bleed too far in put your worries at ease.

What's most important about The Naked Gun for myself is its unashamed existence and marketing as a theatrical comedy after the genre has been absent from the silver screen for close to a decade. New Hollywood comedies may still be frequent on streaming services, after all we did just receive another legacy sequel in the form of Happy Gilmore 2 (2025) only a few weeks ago, but to my chagrin when it comes to the cinema it has predominantly felt like too many filmmakers are ashamed to create pure comedies. It always has to be juggled with drama, action or crime which while inherently fine and has lead to some amazing genre-bending works has created a culture wherein the traditions and talents of comic writers and performers are rarely allowed to flourish like they have in prior decades. I beg above all else that The Naked Gun is a commercial success so that it can help usher comedy back into cinemas. Alongside horror, comedy really is the perfect genre for communal viewings and to get to see a new full-on comedy after such a long hiatus made this a highlight in my cinema going experiences this year.

Overall, a must watch for those open to a new take on the familiar formula or those simply wanting the comedy to take over Hollywood once more. After getting so jaded with countless films this year to have the pleasure of seeing a film with such pride and comfort in its silliness made for an experience probably too profound than it has the right to be.

3.5/5