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West Australian
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
The Naked Gun sequel is dumb fun and that's all we really want
Well, that was a hoot! The Naked Gun is an unadulterated good time, absolutely brimming with sight gags, one-liners and goofy humour. Only the most joyless would be opposed to its existence. Sure, it's a sequel, the fourth movie in a big-screen franchise that was spun-off a failed 1982 TV show, but when it comes to belly laughs comedy, The Naked Gun is firing off. It's also been 31 years since The Naked Gun 33 1/3, so that's enough time. But it's a double standard, because of course it is. If The Naked Gun had been bad, we'd all be jumping up and down about the lack of originality left in Hollywood, but because it was great, no one minds! It's also very aware that it's following a legacy, and not just because it references it itself. You have to appreciate that The Naked Gun wanted to embrace why the Leslie Nielsen movies were great, and not try to 'elevate' something that should be simple. The original films were known for being unapologetically silly, and this sequel did not scrimp. It's dumb but brilliantly dumb. In a crowded cinema, all those laughs in symphony is a beautiful sound, and it's what makes going to the movies such a delight. Times are tough, don't you want to properly switch off for 85 minutes (yes, it's only 85 minutes, god bless), and chuckle through the repetition of a simple coffee cup gag? Don't you want to have your inner child tickled pink? Frank Drebin Jr (Liam Neeson) is the son of Nielsen's Drebin (don't do the maths, it doesn't work out) and his partner is Ed Hocken Jr (Paul Walter Hauser). Frank can be a loose canon, like disguising himself as a little school girl to foil a group of bank robbers. He's not one for following orders and his chief (CCH Pounder) takes off the bank heist case, assigning him to collisions instead. The first case they catch seems to be the suicide of a man who drove his smart car off a cliff. Not so, obviously. It's the start of a story involving a literal P.L.O.T. (Primordial Law of Toughness) Device, a tech billionaire villain (Danny Huston) and the victim's sister, Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), culminating in a showdown at the Arena (a jab at the actual Arena). The howls will keep getting louder and more frequent because for all its goofiness, The Naked Gun is actually playing a smart game. The team behind the movie knows what they're doing, including director Akiva Schaffer, one third of The Lonely Island, the comedy trio that also includes Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone and had met on Saturday Night Live. Seth McFarlane is one of the producers. You might not realise because you're having such a grand old time, but The Naked Gun is expertly paced, it ramps up that joke-ratio and the elaborateness of its set-ups in line with knowing how audiences react over its runtime. It's not so rapid-fire as to be exhausting but never leaves you waiting, and will save the pants-down gag for later in the movie, when you're already buttered up. It riffs on classic LA noir tropes (the voiceover, shadows of window blinds cast on the wall, a potential femme fatale) while casting a wide net on reference points. Highlights include Anderson's intentionally terrible scatting, and a vignette inspired by cheesy 1980s music videos. Neeson is also perfect casting because he's not a comedic actor, and the role is only funny with someone not trying to be. He plays each beat and each line of dialogue straight, as if everything was totally serious, working synchronously with all the contrasting elements around him. Neeson and Schaffer know that you don't need Frank to sell the joke, and uses the set-up to be super literal. He and Anderson have a really fun chemistry, and it's hard not to then be chuffed with the real-life plot twist of their off-screen romance. In the past decade, broad comedies have had a tough time as a cinema proposition as audiences increasingly devalue the genre as something you can watch at home on streaming. Just as with horror, it's the collective experience that makes a comedy one of the best things to watch with lots of other people. Laughter is infectious, and it's more visceral when you're surrounded by others who appreciate a pratfall as much as you. Do yourself a favour, don't wait for this one. You'll still be chuckling days later. Rating: 4/5 The Naked Gun is in cinemas from August 21 but there are previews this weekend and next
The Hindu
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
‘The Naked Gun' movie review: Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson reboot the slapstick classic with laughs aplenty
There were moments when I laughed out loud in the empty theatre (sigh), including Miranda Rights (Carrie is the one who writes) and 'take a chair' which brings back fond memories of 'Johnny, how about a coffee?' And of course there are many cups of coffee powering The Naked Gun. The film opens with a bank robbery and a little girl skipping nonchalantly into the bank only to reveal herself to be… Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson). While the robbery is going on, a mysterious man, Sig Gustafson (Kevin Durand), gets a gadget, a P.L.O.T. Device, out of a locker and hands to another mysterious man, Richard Cane (Danny Huston), who drives away with it in a mysterious car. The Naked Gun (English) Director: Akiva Schaffer Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, Danny Huston Runtime: 87 minutes Storyline: Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. is the only hope for the Police Squad The bank robbers are quickly dispatched Frank is on the road with rapidly replaced cups of coffee and a gravelly voiceover. Chief Davis (CCH Pounder) calls Frank and his partner, Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) in for a dressing down—the elite Police Squad is getting shut down, the bank robbers are suing and Frank has been reassigned to traffic. Off Frank goes to check out a car crash, carefully putting on a glove on one hand while handling what might be an important clue with the other. He rules the accident, which killed a tech engineer, a suicide. Frank returns to his office to meet a curvaceous blond woman, Beth, (Pamela Anderson), who tells him her brother, Davenport, would not have committed suicide and there is more to his death than meets the eye. Davenport was working for the green energy tech billionaire, Cane, and after carefully, or not-so-carefully interviewing the suspects (including one, Busta Rhymes, who was arrested for 'man's laughter or manslaughter') Frank realises the two cases are connected. There is an enchanted, jealous snowman, a long discussion on roasting turkey, another on cleaning out a dirty oven, many more cups of takeaway coffee and an owl, before all comes right in the end. Neeson proves he has the special skills to step into Leslie Nielsen's shoes. The legacy sequel to ZAZ (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker) trilogy of Naked Gun movies, the film is funny without being so meta as to cannabalise itself. There is even 'Weird Al' Yankovic as himself who comes in the post credit scene to perform for the absent evil billionaires, a sequence where Dave Bautista steps in for Frank who is on a bathroom break and the credits rolling over the revolving lights of a runaway police car. At 87 minutes, The Naked Gun does not overstay its welcome while conclusively proving it is worth coming to the theatres with friends for a guaranteed jolly good time. The Naked Gun is currently running in theatres
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First Post
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
The Naked Gun movie review: Liam Neeson & Pamela Anderson deliver an insane & kickass entertainer of 2025 with Akiva Schaffer's action-comedy
With a crisp runtime of 85 minutes and running gags, which hit the right spots, The Naked Gun gets the title of 2025's best entertainer. read more Star cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston Director: Akiva Schaffer The Naked Gun franchise has consistently entertained audiences with its spoof comedies, featuring bang-on one-liners and hilarious situations. The latest one featuring Liam Neeson & Pamela Anderson, which serves as a legacy sequel to Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994), is hands down an insane roller-coaster entertainer. Talking about the plot, it starts with a bank robbery where the robbers are making sure to have a grip on the clients with Sig Gustafson (Kevin Durand) robbing a P.L.O.T. (Primordial Law of Toughness) device from the locker and handing it over to Richard Cane (Danny Huston), CEO of Edentech. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This time, Police Squad, which is known for fighting against criminals, has the lead Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), who is none other than Liam Neeson. He makes an entertaining entry with performs some interesting fight sequences along with witty one-liners. While he stops the robbery, he is now demoted by his boss, Chief Davis (CCH Pounder), because of breaking protocols and overusing violence. He is now assigned to investigate what looks to be a simple death-by-suicide car accident. However, the death person's sister, Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), tells Frank about her last call with her brother and shares that he has been murdered. Now, while investigating this case, he found out that the accident is linked to the bank robbery and Richard Kane. What is that connection, and what's the purpose of the P.L.O.T. device? Well, honestly, I don't know when was the last time I enjoyed a movie in the cinema hall that much. There is not a single dull moment in The Naked Gun as it consistently makes you laugh and entertain with its situational scenarios, interesting and fun action sequences and insane comic punches. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Director Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the film with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, makes sure to give us the best comic-entertainer of the year, which has the same spirit as the original film. Talking about the performances, Liam Neeson, who seems to enjoy this carefree comedy stuff, nails the character of Frank effortlessly. On the other hand, Pamela Anderson has her moments to shine as she plays this meaty character with ease. Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, and Danny Huston are simply entertaining in their roles. With a crisp runtime of 85 minutes and running gags, which hit the right spots, The Naked Gun gets the title of 2025's best entertainer. Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars) The Naked Gun is playing in cinemas
