The Naked Gun Review: A New Face, Same Laugh-Out-Loud DNA

With Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island at the helm and pitch-perfect comedic performances from Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, 2025’s The Naked Gun is a gloriously absurd, wildly entertaining revival of the beloved spoof franchise.

The Naked Gun Overview

The spoof genre has been in decline for the past two decades, with only the Scary Movie franchise and David Zucker’s rapid-fire joke style briefly keeping it alive in the early 2000s. Theatrical comedy in general has struggled to gain traction, with just a few box office standouts like 2018’s Game Night and 2023’s Barbie. That said, recent years have seen a creative resurgence, with 2023 delivering three standout comedies—Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Joy Ride, and Barbie. From a pure comedy perspective, The Naked Gun stands proudly alongside them.

True to its roots, The Naked Gun is proudly, hilariously stupid. Director Akiva Schaffer, writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, and producer Seth MacFarlane lean into juvenile absurdity and bizarre pop culture nods. The result is a relentless barrage of jokes—verbal, visual, and downright ridiculous. If it’s not a punchline, it’s a sight gag—like cops being handed increasingly oversized cups of coffee from offscreen.

Liam Neeson’s gravelly voice and deadpan delivery make him a pitch-perfect Frank Drebin Jr. His comedic timing is surprisingly sharp, and he embraces the film’s lunacy with gusto. Pamela Anderson matches him beat for beat as Beth Daveport, delivering the most entertaining performance of her career. She deserves more roles like this.

Not everything lands. Paul Walter Hauser has a natural gift for offbeat comedy as Drebin’s partner Ed Hocken Jr., but he’s underused. Danny Huston is less successful as villain Richard Crane—his performance is too stiff for the tone, and many of his gags fall flat. The film also stumbles in the second act, particularly during a sluggish bar scene that kills the momentum.

Overall, The Naked Gun is a fun return to a genre that’s tough to nail down.

The Plot Device

The case in The Naked Gun is simple but just absurd enough to keep the story moving.

After a hostage situation goes sideways, Frank is reassigned to a seemingly routine car accident. A man drove off a bridge. Case closed, until the victim’s sister, Beth, arrives with doubts and a stack of evidence.

Beth is a fictional true crime novelist who suspects foul play. Frank brushes her off with outdated, sexist remarks. She ignores him and keeps investigating. Their reluctant partnership begins.

Clues point to Richard Cane, a tech mogul with a villainous plan straight out of Kingsman: The Secret Service. Cane wants to reset humanity by scrambling brains with a mind-control device. He even built a secret bunker for the elite.

The plot is thin and ridiculous, but that’s the point. It gives the jokes and romance space to shine.

Frank and Beth’s chemistry fuels some of the film’s best moments, including a Frosty the Snowman gag that will haunt you forever.

The Police Squad

The Naked Gun is proudly absurd, but it takes a few swings at real issues in modern law enforcement.

The Police Squad is under pressure. Frank’s outdated, reckless methods threaten the unit’s survival. Chief Davis (CCH Pounder) gives him an ultimatum: evolve or get out.

While the film doesn’t dive deep into procedure, it nods to topics like body cams and performative internal investigations. These touches add just enough depth while not bogging things down.

The bigger problem? There’s not enough of the Police Squad. They’re underused, and that’s a missed opportunity for more comedy.

The film’s funniest scene is a layered interrogation bit that unfolds like a Russian nesting doll. Each reveal is funnier than the last.

The Naked Gun Final Thoughts

The Naked Gun embraces the tried and true chaos, stupidity, and old-fashioned laughs of classic spoof films. Thanks to Schaffer’s direction, an endlessly silly script, and unexpectedly flexible turns from Neeson and Anderson, it mostly succeeds.

While the film’s plot is thin and some characters feel underused, the nonstop joke delivery, sharp chemistry, and inspired visual gags make up for it. It’s the kind of comedy that plays just as well in a packed theater as it does on rewatch at home.

If the spoof genre can make a comeback, The Naked Gun is a great place to start.