Let's be honest -- when "The Naked Gun" was first announced, we all shook our heads and asked a simple question: why? After all, the original trilogy, starring Leslie Nielsen as the clueless detective Frank Drebin, features some of the best comedies of all time, and those should never be touched, right? Well, maybe it's time for us cynical, old naysayers to go into Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand's sequel/reboot (requel? seeboot?) with an open mind, as the early reviews indicate that the movie
is a hoot.
"The Naked Gun" stars Liam Neeson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen's legendary Police Squad detective. Unfortunately for him (but good for us), the younger Drebin has also inherited his old man's more inept qualities, and his violent way of handling perpetrators gets him into a spot of bother with his superiors. However, it's still up to Frank and his buddies to save the day when a dead body turns up following a questionable car accident, which leads to them investigating a potentially crooked tech billionaire.
Based on that synopsis, it seems that "The Naked Gun" wants to poke fun at modern times. With that being said, the gamble appears to have paid off, as "The Naked Gun" boasts a 94% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing. That's an incredible rating for any movie, let alone one that has some lofty expectations to live up to. So, what have critics been saying about the flick?
The Naked Gun Is Delightfully Stupid
Most of the positive reactions to "The Naked Gun" celebrate the fact that it's unabashedly silly and aligns with the original franchise's zany sensibilities. That was also the conclusion Ethan Anderton came to in his review of the movie for /Film, as he described "The Naked Gun" as a comeback for comedy at a time when the genre could really use a boost at the box office. He also proclaimed it 2025's funniest film so far, adding that it ought to go down well with both old-school fans and newcomers alike. To quote him directly:
"[It] delivers a cavalcade of gut-busting jokes and gags that are both stupid and clever, riffing on classic crime thrillers and contemporary action hits while staying true to the goofy, slapstick spirit of the original franchise from 'Airplane!' filmmaking trio Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker."
Anderton also noted that the film lovingly ribs everything from "Mission: Impossible -- Fallout" to "John Wick" and "Law & Order," all the while retaining enough original qualities to prevent it from ever feeling like a spoof for a spoof's sake. In short, it's everything that a "Naked Gun" movie should be, and maybe -- just maybe -- it will lead to a new lease of life for theatrical comedies, as well as this particular franchise.
"The Naked Gun" opens in theaters on August 1, 2025.
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Read the original article on SlashFilm.
