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There’s a snowman threesome, a chili dog autopsy, and a sonic weapon disguised as a podcast mic. So yes, The Naked Gun reboot is funny. But it’s also a little too pleased with itself—like a whoopee cushion that keeps deflating before the punchline lands.
Liam Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr. with the kind of deadpan sincerity that made Leslie Nielsen a legend. He’s game, and often very good, especially when the film leans into the absurdity of his action-star legacy. But the gags—while plentiful—rarely escalate. They’re clever, not delirious. You chuckle, but you don’t lose control.
Pamela Anderson, however, is a revelation. As Beth Davenport, nightclub singer and possible double agent, she’s sultry, silly, and strangely soulful. Her recent turn in The Last Showgirl (2024) earned her Golden Globe and SAG nominations, and rightly so: it was a quiet, aching portrait of ageing and reinvention. That film, along with her Broadway debut in Chicago and the Netflix doc Pamela, A Love Story, marked a pivot from icon to artist. Here, she channels that history—her own and the franchise’s—with a wink and a scat solo. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it’s hers.
The villain? A tech billionaire with a fleet of driverless cars and a plan to mind-control the masses via audio content. It’s a trope that’s gaining traction—see Free Guy, The Old Guard, or even Glass Onion. These characters aren’t just plot devices; they’re cultural barometers. The tech bro as villain reflects a growing unease with unchecked innovation, performative altruism, and the erosion of public trust. In The Naked Gun, it’s played for laughs, but the satire lands because it’s rooted in something real: our suspicion that the people selling us the future might be the ones stealing the present.
Ehe film is affectionate, uneven, and occasionally inspired. It doesn’t quite match the anarchic brilliance of Naked Gun 2½, but it knows its lineage—and it knows its audience. If you’re willing to forgive a few flat notes, there’s joy to be found in the chaos.
Reviewed by Pat Harrignton
Picture credit: By Paramount Pictures – http://www.impawards.com/2025/naked_gun_ver2.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79622924
