Synopsis – Only one man has the particular set of skills – to lead Police Squad and save the world.

My Take – Since Leslie Nielsen‘s boneheaded cop Frank Drebin, his brilliant-yet-unfairly canceled Police Squad! Series and his three big-screen Naked Gun spin-offs continue to be celebrated, considering the relatively deserted theatrical comedy landscape of the past few years, a 30 year old belated follow-up sounded pretty much like a terrible idea. That too without the original star cast and crew.

Thankfully, after many false starts, the results here are much better than expected.

Running for a precise 85 minute run time, the film proudly brings cinematic groaners and outrageous sight gags into the 2020s. Directed by Akiva Schaffer (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and produced by Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy), the humor is absurd, silly, stupid and basically everything you want and expect from an installment in this series. And the plot is nothing more than a framework for them.

Sure, it’s not top tier, but it’s pretty good on its own.

Mainly because it largely follows the original playbook and subjects its new lead, Liam Neeson, an Oscar-nominated actor who has become known for the last decade or so for playing deadly serious characters in straightforward action thrillers, to a battery of humiliations that include, but are not limited to, extended scenes of intestinal distress, visual sexual innuendo, and interactions with multiple, intentionally obvious puppets. Honestly, I can’t wait to see it again just to pick up any of the punchlines I laughed over or funny little signs I overlooked.

The story follows Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) of the LAPD Police Squad department, who after single-handedly dispatching a gang of bank robbers (while disguised as a schoolgirl) finds himself kicked off the from the case, and sent with his partner, Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) to investigate the fatal car crash of a software engineer named Simon Davenport.

Though initially deeming it a suicide, his mind changes when he meets Simon’s sister Beth (Pamela Anderson), a crime novelist, points him in the direction of Simon’s employer, Richard Cane (Danny Huston), a mysterious tech mogul. Soon enough, Drebin begins to suspect that the bank robbery and car crash cases may actually be related. All leading to a gadget called the “P.L.O.T. Device”.

All of this, of course, unfolds in the silliest and perhaps dumbest way possible, and Drebin is bound to wrap things up by the end of the film through sheer dumb luck.

Of course, director Akiva Schaffer, of The Lonely Island fame, knows how to stage absurdity, and he packs the film with high-density gags: visual puns, literal dialogue misunderstandings, blink-and-you-miss-it background signage, and over-the-top set pieces like a snowman love triangle gone slasher horror.

Yes, it does take some risks and also strays into more adult fare than PG-13, but it works. Although a particular scene strays into Austin Powers territory, it becomes one of the most hilarious sequences in the entire film. The jokes, both spoken and visual, come thick and fast, never allowing the audience to draw a breath.

As one would have expected, Liam Neeson absolutely kills it and proves he was the perfect choice for the role. His gravely, deadpan voice and serious expression add an extra layer of humor to each joke. He mercilessly sends up his tough guy image, poking fun at his role in the Taken franchise while keeping a straight face. He easily allows himself to ridicule and be ridiculed throughout. His performance here opens up a career path for him to play more comedic roles.

Likewise, Pamela Anderson turns in a surprisingly funny performance as a true-crime author and femme fatale who scats her way through seduction. Paul Walter Hauser too is hilarious as well. Danny Huston and Kevin Durand‘s cartoonishly villains adds just enough menace to ground the mayhem.

In smaller roles, CCH Pounder, Liza Koshy, Cody Rhodes and Busta Rhymes understand their assignment and deliver well. On the whole, ‘The Naked Gun‘ is a highly enjoyable legacy sequel that is hilariously silly and gloriously dumb throughout.

 

 

Directed – Akiva Schaffer

Starring – Liam Neeson, Paul Walter Hauser, Pamela Anderson

Rated – PG13

Run Time – 85 minutes