The 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun is just the kind of absurd joyride that your comedy bone would have been asking for, if you were longing for the great old days when comedies used to be nothing but pure ludicrousness—slapstick mayhem, puns galore, and gags that would make you laugh loudly in public places. Since most stage comedies are now streamed and sequels are considered by the audience as a lazy way of cashing in, Akiva Schaffer has brought us a funny film reboot that is not a tribute but a copy of the original.
Not relying on nostalgia alone, Schaffer, with his past involvement of working with The Lonely Island and cult favorites like Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppin, did not mess around. He wanted the whole thing to be fundamentally different thus, no recycled jokes or the old standby opening credits were used. It was clear as day what the goal was: to make a film that would be the genuine next episode of the series, with fresh jokes, new characters, and its tempo, which, however, was still a tribute to the original franchise.
The casting choices are genius. Liam Neeson, better known for darker roles in films like Schindler’s List and Taken, takes on Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic bumbling detective. It’s a risky move that is rewarded handsomely—Neeson’s droll, deadpan delivery makes the film even sillier. Pamela Anderson stars alongside as a smirking femme fatale, spoofing Priscilla Presley’s original with extra comic bite. Together, their chemistry is silly, playful, and just right for the movie’s frenetic energy.
The jokes come fast and furious. Co-writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand help Schaffer pack nearly every scene with visual gags, wordplay. There are coffee cups that magically appear, a freezer labeled “COLD CASES,” a car chase involving bees and a fruit cart, and Neeson thwarting a villain by eating his gun. Anderson even receives a moment of scat singing that’s both funny and gratuitously over-the-top. Each gag pays off because the film believes in its audience’s ability to enjoy the mayhem.
But the reboot is not a constant gag reel. Schaffer cuts the silliness with brilliance, interpolating references to pop culture, Hollywood reboots, and spy thrillers. He even references O.J. Simpson’s Nordberg in one witty joke before advancing—self-aware without being about bad news.
What sets this reboot apart is its balance of respect and revision. It doesn’t play just to the old fans—it’s a love letter to everyone who wishes for a time when comedies could be as big, as brash, and as well-done for laughs. In a world where most comedy movies are also phone-scrolling background chatter, this Naked Gun is a reminder to everyone of what it feels like to laugh in a theater.
And the numbers prove it. With a 91% Rotten Tomatoes ranking and more than $42 million in its first two weeks, it’s obvious audiences are starving for this type of cinematic foolishness.
Whether you came of age on the exploits of Leslie Nielsen or simply appreciate a fabulously stupid joke, the 2025 The Naked Gun demonstrates that smart people can make ridiculous humor sound new, entertaining, and—above all—funny. Sometimes paying tribute to the past is about making the world laugh again.
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