The Naked Gun review: Charged with man’s laughter

Leslie Nielsen’s fashion of comedy could be very exhausting to copy. Whereas most followers of his work will bear in mind his iconic puns corresponding to “Good Beaver!” and “I’m critical, and don’t name me Shirley”, they’re simply the tip of the iceberg.

Re-watching the unique The Bare Gun (1988), in addition to episodes of Police Squad!, the present that spawned the movie, a lot of the brilliance comes from the lightning-fast gags that come thick and quick. It’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it humour of the perfect form.  

So, going into the brand new model of The Bare Gun – which is extra of a sequel than a remake – I used to be very a lot looking out to see whether or not this fast, absurdist comedy was current all through. 

Regardless of my doubts, I’m comfortable to report that 2025’s The Bare Gun did emulate its supply materials with aptitude, and at many factors, it had me choking on my popcorn, laughing.

Is it pretty much as good as the unique? No. However I nonetheless imagine that followers of comedy classics corresponding to Airplane! gained’t remorse shopping for a ticket.

The primary third of the movie is exhausting to fault, as that is the place these snappy jokes are packed in. If you happen to’ve watched the teaser trailer (linked above), you’ll already know the way that financial institution heist scene goes down, however relaxation assured, you’ve not been spoiled for the remainder of the scene. 

That leads completely into the start of Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr.’s investigation right into a mysterious new case. We’re launched to his weird squad who deal with mugshots like modelling shoots and down about three million coffees per day, irrespective of the place they’re or what time it’s.

I don’t need to spoil all of the gags, however this part jogs my memory completely of this bribery scene from the unique The Bare Gun, which could have you hooked proper from the beginning, together with the poor fisherman (pun very a lot supposed): 

Liam Neeson’s dedication to the position of Frank is obvious. Whereas he takes inspiration from his ‘dad’ (all of the detectives are kids of the unique solid… and sure, that features Norbert), he additionally places his personal spin on this era’s unlikely hero. He has no reservations about making a idiot of himself – a stark distinction from his work on the Taken sequence.

Frank’s love curiosity is Beth Davenport, performed by former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. She’s a real crime writer. Nicely, it’s true crime that she makes up – and all with a steamy twist. Having been the centre of a lot media scrutiny all through her profession, it’s sensible to see her having such a blast with this movie, alongside Neeson.  

That being mentioned, there are areas during which this era’s The Bare Gun could possibly be stronger, and if it’s given the go-ahead for a sequel, I’d hope to see these parts rectified.  

Whereas it’s a tad redundant to scrutinise the plot of a movie this foolish, I did really feel my consideration wane every time the movie’s focus was on its villain, Richard Cane, performed by Danny Huston. And that’s an inexpensive chunk of the working time.

This isn’t to discredit Huston, who actually offers it his all. Nevertheless, the dastardly scheme that Cane cooks up is a weaker model of the one seen in Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman, which has a way more fleshed-out antagonist in Samuel L. Jackson.  

I typically discovered that the jokes on the villain’s facet fell flat, relying as they did on outdated references (which made me query who the filmmakers had been concentrating on) and dropping the quips that so many viewers love. Plus, these form of jokes aren’t remoted to Cane’s plot – there are references to TiVo bins, and a visible gag sequence that appears to imitate ones within the Austin Powers movies.  

Would that cease me from recommending it? Completely not. The viewers in my screening had been proven a tongue-in-cheek PSA led by Neeson about going out and supporting comedies within the cinemas, because it’s a style that will get much less love and a focus today. Whereas this was very clearly a spoof, I believe there’s a sound level there.  

Must you watch The Bare Gun (2025)? 

The brand new model of Frank Drebin in The Bare Gun is a pleasing shock. The primary third, particularly, really emulates the humour and puns that made the unique Leslie Nielsen movies comedy gold.  

It does undergo from a weak villain plot and outdated references, however I actually hope that doesn’t cease former followers from seeing how Frank Drebin 2.0 takes down his enemies, one schoolgirl disguise at a time.  

The Bare Gun is out in cinemas this Friday, 1 August 2025. UK readers can purchase tickets from Cineworld, Odeon and Vue, whereas US comedy followers can purchase them from AMC Theatres and Fandango.

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