REVIEW: Liam Neeson Shows Off his Comedic Chops in ‘The Naked Gun’
In 1982, the parody police procedural, Police Squad! premiered on ABC. Starring Leslie Nielson as Detective Lieutenant Franklin “Frank” Drebin, the show followed as Drebin comedically took down a new bad guy every week. Though receiving rave reviews from critics, ABC opted to cancel the show after only six-episodes. However, creators, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, didn’t let a little cancelation prevent them from re-introducing Frank Drebin back into the world. This time, the trio teamed up with Pat Proft to rework the show, and in 1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! was released not on TV, but to theaters all over the United States. Filled with too many to count laugh out loud moments, the movie was a comedic hit. And, with its success, came two more movies in the franchise, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.
Speculation surrounding whether or not there would be a follow-up movie circulated for years, but after the passing of the man who made the franchise the icon it is today, Nielsen, in 2010 the rumors quieted down, but never went away. After two unsuccessful attempts to reboot the series, Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane took the reigns and production on a new movie got underway. Now, Paramount Pictures is set to release the new movie with Liam Neeson at the helm. Playing Frank Drebin’s son, Frank Drebin Jr., The Naked Gun is not a reboot of the original franchise, but a continuation that finds the laughs in whatever way it can.
Directed by Akiva Schaffer with a screenplay by Schaffer, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand, you are either going to love this movie or hate it. There is no in between. From the second the movie starts Schaffer, Gregor, and Mand poke fun at anything and everything they can. Using the same techniques that made the first three movies so funny, slapstick humor, and non sequiturs, the writers welcome audience goers back to an era of comedy that wasn’t afraid to go there. They don’t care who they offend and that is why I said earlier, some people are going to hate it. And, because their focus was finding the joke in everything, the movie lacks a story. The plot is pretty simple, cop tracks down bad guy, but the story lags, especially the further you get into the movie. However, even with the lagging storyline, you are entertained until the very end. Remember, the previous Naked Gun movies were never about the story, but the laughs, and Schaffer, Gregor, and Mand manage to recapture that in this new pic.
Like Frank Drebin Sr., Frank Drebin Jr. doesn’t have much going on upstairs. He is a simpleton who only wants to make his Dad proud. This of course leads to a great comedic performance from Neeson. His deadpan manner and comedic timing allow him to nail most, if not all of his jokes. Is he Nielson,? No, but he does a good enough job that you will be left wanting to see more of Frank Drebin Jr. Neeson is joined in the movie by Pamela Anderson, who stars as the mysterious true crime writer, Beth Davenport. She is a treat alongside Neeson. Anderson is getting her Renaissance and it is well deserved.
Danny Huston plays the villain of the story, Richard Cane, and delivers. His one-liners will leave the audience roaring while at the same time saying, “Oh gosh!”. Kevin Durand, Paul Walter Hauser , Liza Koshy, and CCH Pounder round out the rest of the movie’s main cast, and are wonderful alongside Neeson, Cane, and Anderson. However, the this movie belongs to Neeson, Cane, and Anderson.
The Naked Gun doesn’t rely on raunchy comedy or outlandish stunts to find the laugh. Instead, the movie brings fans backs to the 90s where comedies were parodies on themselves. If you are looking for a movie that will have you laughing nonstop from start to finish, I highly recommend checking this movie out. It’s an overall good time, with notable one-liners that people will be quoting for days to come.
Grade: A