‘The Naked Gun' review: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson comedy is the biggest surprise of the year
Running time: 85 minutes. Rated PG-13 (crude/sexual material, violence/bloody images and brief partial nudity). In theaters.
Nobody in their right mind would reboot 'The Naked Gun.'
Crime procedural spoofs were played out long ago.
Leslie Nielsen, the original's iconic and seemingly irreplaceable star, died in 2010.
And lest we forget that his right-hand man for the 'Police Squad' trilogy was a pre-murder-trial O.J. Simpson.
That's why the new 'Naked Gun,' starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, is the biggest surprise of the year. Someway, somehow, it's the funniest movie to hit theaters in a long time.
We're talking gasping-for-air, 'get my inhaler!' hilarious. In the spirit of the 1988 classic, director Akiva Schaffer's movie carpet bombs us with non-stop jokes — from stupid to clever to utterly deranged. They never, ever let up.
4 Liam Neeson stars in 'The Naked Gun.'
AP
And its unlikely success begins with the inspired casting of Neeson — a 73-year-old leading man known for revenge thrillers and barely cracking a grin on red carpets — as Lt. Frank Drebin, Jr.
There's a precedent for giving the 'Schindler's List' Oscar nominee the career-pivot gig.
When his predecessor Nielsen first appeared in the 'Naked Gun' filmmakers' 'Airplane' in 1980, launching him as the Spoofmaster General, he was considered a serious actor too. But he was Santa Claus next to bloodthirsty Neeson.
In the past five years, the Irish actor has made seven movies whose posters show him holding a gun.
4 Pamela Anderson and Neeson have terrific chemistry.
AP
From the very first scene in the new 'The Naked Gun,' the 'Taken' star takes that cold and intimidating image and blows it to smithereens.
Lampooning 'Mission: Impossible,' he enters a bank that's being robbed dressed as a skipping schoolgirl, rips off his mask, miraculously becomes three feet taller and subdues the thugs in an undersized skirt. He bites off the barrel of a gun and chews it.
And that's one of the film's more restrained bits.
Get ready for the outrageous, steamy magical snowman montage with Neeson and Anderson that's set to 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now' by Starship.
The gags are the star — not the story — and the movie is better for it. By the end, I could barely recall most of what actually happened.
But, through the tears of laughter, I gathered that Drebin, the hardened son of Nielsen's LA cop, needs to prevent an evil billionaire named Richard Cane (Danny Huston) from unleashing technology on the world that will turn humanity into primal killers.
That machine hysterically is called the P.L.O.T. Device.
4 Anderson has had a career renaissance the last several years.
AP
With Police Squad at risk of closure, Drebin teams up with Anderson's sultry Beth Davenport, who has her own score to settle.
The movie's only 85 minutes. Have you ever read a more beautiful sentence?
With such a tight runtime, 'The Naked Gun' never relaxes, and pushes the actors to their energetic limits.
Not only does Anderson, whose acting renaissance has been an unexpected joy, play up her old 'Baywatch' persona to embody a noir femme fatale. She goes fully bananas.
When the pair is trying to steal the P.L.O.T Device from Cane, Beth distracts the baddie in a jazz club by taking the stage and scatting. It's ridiculous. An out-of-body experience.
She and Neeson have great chemistry, too, which after recent news reports that they're an item comes as less of a shock. Most vital, both play their parts without winks or self-awareness. It's hard to imagine, but growling Neeson is even more committed to the bit than Nielsen was.
4 The fast-paced movie pushes the actors to their limits.
AP
Any lingering doubts should be assuaged by the resumes of the 'Naked Gun' team, which are perfectly suited to this style of humor — an assault of absurdity.
Schaffer is a member of 'The Lonely Island' ('I'm On A Boat') and 'Family Guy' creator Seth MacFarlane is a producer. You can see their hands in every ridiculous, meticulous joke — even after their movie is over.
I normally find post-credit sequences to be a tedious roadblock between me and the bathroom. But here they've crafted one of the best of all time.
Nobody in their right mind would reboot 'The Naked Gun.' So, thank God these filmmakers clearly are not in their right mind.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Natasha Richardson's Mom Vanessa Redgrave Seen in Rare Video Amid Liam Neeson's New Chapter
's mom, Vanessa Redgrave, is all smiles in a rare video amid 's new chapter. "Darling. A little video?" Redgrave, 88, said in an Instagram video shared by daughter Joely Richardson on Wednesday, July 30. As the camera approached Redgrave sitting on a bench while petting a dog, she exclaimed, 'Hello!' ''When the heart is cut or cracked or broken, do not clutch it, let the wound lie open.' Leunig,' Joely, 60, captioned her post. 'For some reason these words from the poem came to me — simple summer morning.' Alongside her message, Joely shared a series of photos, including a selfie by a tree in a garden and a picture of Michael Leunig's book The Prayer Tree. She also shared an image of a T-shirt celebrating World Peace Day, which Redgrave rocked in the video. Liam Neeson Recalls Meeting and 'Falling in Love' With Late Wife Natasha Richardson 'Mum wearing my PEACE tshirt,' Joely wrote. 'Bare feet on grass, and astonishment at my little apple tree. It's about 2 feet tall, and I picked 8 apples off it that day all deliciously edible. Small wonders. Enough to keep going. 1 foot in front of other. X. #apple #tree #appletrees #prayers.' Redgrave shared Natasha and Joely with ex Tony Richardson, who died at age 63 in 1991. Redgrave is also mom to Carlo Gabriel Nero, whom she shares with husband Franco Nero. Neeson, for his part, tied the knot with Natasha in 1994. Natasha died in a 2009 ski accident at age 45. The pair shared two sons. 'It was great doing it every night with her and falling in love,' Neeson, 73, told The New York Times in a profile published on Thursday, July 31, while recalling starring on Broadway with his late wife. Liam Neeson's Sweetest Quotes About His Late Wife Natasha Richardson Over the Years While Neeson stayed single for the most part after Richardson's death, he sparked a romance with The Naked Gun costar Pamela Anderson. 'Pamela and Liam are dating,' a source exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, July 29, adding that the pair 'always had chemistry while they were filming and their friendship naturally developed into more.' The insider added, 'They are both shy and have tried to stay private, but the spark between them is obvious.' The source shared that Anderson's two children gave their stamp of approval on the relationship. (Anderson, 58, shares sons Brandon and Dylan with ex-husband Tommy Lee.) '[Brandon and Dylan] love seeing her happy and fully approve,' the insider told Us. '[They] think Liam is great and have gotten to know him better in the last few months.' Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump administration sanctions a Mexican rapper over allegations of cartel ties
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Trump administration said Wednesday it was sanctioning Mexican musician Ricardo Hernández, known as 'El Makabelico,' over allegations that the artist was laundering money for a drug cartel. The move comes after the administration has stripped the visas of some of Mexico's most famous musicians, targeting those whose genres often explore themes related to cartels. The U.S. Treasury Department accused Hernández, a musician they refer to as a 'narco-rapper,' of being associated with the Cartel del Noreste, CDN, an evolution of the former Zetas Cartel. According to the department, he laundered money for the criminal group through concerts and events. The CDN is one of several Latin American organized crime groups that the Trump administration has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The administration alleges that 50% of Hernández's royalties on streaming platforms go directly to the cartel, leading to his sanctioning alongside leaders of the cartel on allegations that he acted for or on behalf of the criminal group. Hernández did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'CDN depends on these alternative revenue streams and money laundering methods to boost their criminal enterprise, diversifying their income beyond criminal activity like drug trafficking, human smuggling, and extortion,' wrote the Treasury Department in a news release. The sanctions would block the rapper's properties in the U.S. and freeze financial transactions with any businesses owned by those sanctioned, and threaten secondary sanctions against foreign financial institutions that do business with them. Hernández, whose stage name is a play on words relating to cartels, performs his songs wearing a black ski mask and often sings songs related to the criminal groups, making reference to street life, cartel lifestyles and the realities faced in cartel-dominated areas. In recent years, young artists like Peso Pluma have brought Mexican genres into the international spotlight by mixing traditional rhythms with trap and other styles, competing with global stars includingTaylor Swift and Bad Bunny on streaming platforms. The genres — primarily 'narco-corridos' — have also become the center of controversy because a number of artists sing about cartels and 'narco culture' associated with them. Some songs romanticize criminals, while others speak to the harsh realities of youth living in cartel-controlled areas, similar to rap music in the U.S. The music has long fueled a debate about the fine line between artistic expression and censorship, as a number of Mexican states have previously banned performances of certain genres. In recent months, the Trump administration has revoked the visas of a slew of different artists related to the genre. In May, the famous northern Mexican band Grupo Firme, which has taken steps to distance themselves from the cartel-centric themes of the genre, announced they would have to cancel an upcoming show in California because their visas were suspended. In April, the administration said it was revoking the visas of the band Alegres de Barranco after they flashed the face of a cartel boss behind them at a concert, prompting a controversy and even criminal investigations in Mexico.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Your junk could be Gen Z treasure — how to profit from the Y2K fashion resurgence
From Juicy Couture sweat sets and low-rise, bedazzled jeans to chunky belts and baby tees, early 2000s fashion is all the rage again. That potentially makes that old box of clothes in the back of your closet a sitting cash cow. Generation Z — born from about 1997 to 2012 — has taken to the Y2K aesthetic that many millennials cringe at. Fashion-forward college students and TikTok influencers are flaunting the miniskirts, chunky sandals, and other bright, brand-heavy, and borderline tacky items they likely bought secondhand. 6 From Juicy Couture sweat sets and low-rise, bedazzled jeans to chunky belts and baby tees, early 2000s fashion is all the rage again. AP Jackson Mangum, a 24-year-old tailor in Eugene, Oregon, said that while he has distanced himself from Y2K and found his own personal style, his wardrobe still has influences of it, including baggy camo shorts, flared jeans, and big, funky sunglasses. 'I'm usually not Y2K, but I appreciate Y2K style. I think it's cool,' said Mangum, who showcases his work on his Instagram account, @wornandtornattire. 'The baggy jeans, different pops of pink, and the chrome shades — it's easy to go anywhere and be able to find things that fit into that niche. Throwing it together is easier than throwing together a full vintage outfit.' Boomers emptying their millennials' closets One reason for the Y2K resurgence is a 20-year cycle often seen in fashion history, experts say. (Y2K is short for the year 2000.) 6 AP 'Prior to Y2K styles being back, we saw a lot of '90s styles being back,' New York City-based fashion historian Emma McClendon said. Lauren Downing Peters, an associate professor of fashion studies at Columbia College Chicago, said the Y2K resurgence could be a result of boomers downsizing their homes and purging their millennial children's old belongings. 'The 20-year duration is just long enough for a younger generation to be able to find the fashions of their parents' generation, something that they can remember but only in the abstract, as quaint or interesting and kind of available for reinterpretation and adoption in their 20s,' she said. 6 AP The 2000s and the 2020s have a lot in common In addition, both experts drew parallels between the political and social dynamics of the two decades, such as technology booms and catastrophic events. 'At the start of the 2000s, we had 9/11, we had a restructuring of how people thought about the world, how people thought about themselves, how people thought about politics,' McClendon said. 'I think the global pandemic can be a really interesting comparative to that restructuring.' The growth of the internet and social media in the 2000s mirrors the development of artificial intelligence today, she said. At the same time, the 2000s may represent a time relatively free of social media and interconnectivity, which could appeal to Gen Z, who have grown up in the age of the internet. 'That is kind of the appeal behind vintage-inspired fashion trends — this idea that things were better back then,' she said. So, what can you get for that old pair of jeans? Jocelyn Brown, who owns the online resale shop Arkival Storehouse, earns a living off this nostalgia by purchasing vintage clothes from thrift stores and antique malls, upcycling them, and reselling them online. Anyone trying to turn a profit on old clothes, she said, can use online channels and apps like Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, TikTok, and Instagram to sell and trade. Brown also suggests selling at flea markets. She advises sellers to cater to the audience buying. 'People really like when something is curated and it feels like an experience,' said Brown, who lives in Chicago. 'I'm really specific about what I put on my racks, and I may have more than what I bring… or I separate it out into different collections.' Resale stores are another option. Nell Tercek, an assistant manager at Apocalypse, a resale shop in Boulder, Colorado, said about 75% of the inventory the store buys is Y2K. 6 Anyone trying to turn a profit on old clothes, such as jeans, can use online channels and apps like Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, TikTok, and Instagram to sell and trade, said Jocelyn Brown, who owns the online resale shop Arkival Storehouse. Shutterstock Staff specifically watch out for micro miniskirts, vintage Victoria's Secret lingerie tanks, and baby tees, she said. For every item bought, the seller receives either 30% cash or 50% store credit of the resale price. 'Y2K style is really flashy and very exciting and visually enticing,' Tercek said. 'Physical expression is really important right now due to the circumstances of the world. People are wanting to show who they are authentically and be able to experiment with clothing.' Downing Peters sees 'logo-mania and the resurgence of a lot of these cherished Y2K brands. Like, much to my horror, I'm seeing students wearing Von Dutch again and True Religion jeans, brands that I cared a lot about when I was younger.' 6 Generation Z — born from about 1997 to 2012 — has taken to the Y2K aesthetic that many millennials cringe at. Seventyfour – The Earth-friendly appeal of buying used The sustainable nature of buying secondhand also appeals to consumers, the experts said. Gen Z has 'this awareness of fashion sustainability and the ills of mainstream mass fashion, and the idea that you can shop responsibly by shopping secondhand without sacrificing style and individuality,' Downing Peters said. Brown said she is sometimes hesitant to resell Y2K-era clothing because some was made poorly during the industry's fast-fashion economics then. However, she emphasized, Y2K-era denim is much higher quality than current-day denim, making it more valuable. 6 The sustainable nature of buying secondhand also appeals to consumers, experts said. Mazur Travel – Looking ahead, Brown believes Y2K pieces will remain in consumers' closets but will be styled in a more individualized way. 'People will take bits and pieces of Y2K style with them and add it to just their overall style,' she said. As for what comes next? McClendon says 2010s style could be on the horizon, so hold on to those infinity scarves, skinny jeans or combat boots you may have tucked away.
