Taken star and aged action icon Liam Neeson stretches his comedy muscles more than ever before this year, taking over from the late, great Leslie Nielson in the long-gestating reboot/sequel to The Naked Gun. The first reactions to the action comedy have now started to emerge on social media, and it turns out they can still make ‘em like they used to.
“‘The Naked Gun’ is so deliciously stupid, and I mean that as the highest compliment. Very true to the spirit of the Leslie Nielsen movies I grew up loving. #NakedGun,” said X/Twitter user and critic @katcystephan. Fellow fan @jeffreyvega adds...
“I saw The Naked Gun and I can now say they ARE making them like they used to! There are so many great jokes in this and you can tell the filmmakers had so much fun making an actual comedy movie. #NakedGun”
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Liam Neeson will have just enough time to pack in the gags as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. in the next installment of the much-loved crime spoof comedies.
Praise has been heaped on Liam Neeson in the lead role of Frank Drebin Jr., with @BrandonDavisBD saying, “The new #NakedGun is hilarious. It is every bit as ridiculous & over the top as they come. Clever ongoing bits, nostalgic beats, fearless humor.. Surprises, too! Liam Neeson shouldn’t be this funny. I’ve been wanting Austin Powers 4 and this might’ve scratched that itch, baby!”
The deafening applause continues courtesy of @ErikDavis, who calls The Naked Gun “100% pure silly spoof humor” that manages to avoid anything overtly “offensive.”
“I can finally talk about how obsessed I am with #TheNakedGun reboot. Director Akiva Schaffer delivers a hilarious film stuffed with hundreds of gags that very much honors the original series. Haven’t laughed that much in a while - walked out feeling amazing. Highly recommend!
Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson are perfectly cast imo, and the jokes are endless, but there’s nothing offensive in it at all. Just 100% pure silly spoof humor. One could say they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.”
Beginning first as the short-lived series Police Squad! in 1982, The Naked Gun went on to spawn one of the best-loved comedy trilogies ever made. Led by Leslie Nielson as the "detective with a heart of gold and a brain of wood,” Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! was released in 1988 and led to two sequels in The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear in 1991 and Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult in 1994. Despite such a comedic legacy, it seems that this new take on The Naked Gun has defied the odds and will live up to what came before.
Directed by Akiva Schaffer (Saturday Night Live, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and from producer Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy), The Naked Gun features an all-star cast alongside Liam Neeson, including Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, with Danny Huston. The Naked Gun is all set to hit theaters on August 1, 2025, and you can check out the official synopsis below.
“Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. (Liam Neeson) follows in his father's footsteps in THE NAKED GUN, directed by Akiva Schaffer (Saturday Night Live, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and from producer Seth MacFarlane (Ted, Family Guy). Joining the case are cast Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, with Danny Huston.”
Source: X
