The Naked Gun (2025) [Movie Review] — A Raucous Revival That Hits the Comedy Marks

Akiva Schaffer’s 2025 revival of The Naked Gun series — officially the fourth installment following From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), The Smell of Fear (1991), and The Final Insult (1994) — arrives as a knowing, affectionate send-up of its own legacy. It doesn’t pretend to be profound. Instead, it embraces lightweight, broad comedy and delivers a steady stream of audacious gags that land more often than not.

Lead performance: measured, mischievous, and oddly fitting

Liam Neeson steps into the caped shoes of Det. Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. and plays the role with an unexpectedly precise deadpan. Where Nielsen once used guileless cluelessness, Neeson brings a gravelly gravitas that paradoxically fuels the absurdity; his stern intonation becomes the straight face the film needs to sell its more outrageous bits. Paul Walter Hauser is a reliable comedic tether as Capt. Ed Hocken Jr., and Pamela Anderson turns Beth — the deceased man’s sister and a true-crime novelist — into a deliberately over-the-top romantic foil. Danny Huston gives the villainous Richard Cane the requisite slick menace to push the plot forward.

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Direction and script: affectionate pastiche with modern wink

Schaffer, co-writing with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, constructs set pieces that echo the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker school while inserting contemporary pop-culture jabs. The screenplay favors payoff over poignancy, stringing together sight gags, throwaway lines, and deliberate tastelessness in equal measure. There are moments of homage that will please longtime fans — and a few references that court controversy — but the film’s brisk pacing keeps momentum high.

Tone, references, and comedic DNA

Visually and sonically, the movie channels an ’80s action-movie sensibility — a deliberate stylistic choice that amplifies its parody. The humor ranges from clever to crude: extended parody montages, meta riffs on modern TV staples, and a few shock lines that provoke gasps as well as laughs. It’s a revival that knows it’s a product of its influences and isn’t ashamed to milk them for laughs.

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Final verdict: disposable fun, expertly delivered

The Naked Gun (2025) doesn't aim to be a cinematic classic, and it never pretends to. As a critic, it’s easy to appreciate a film that understands its mission and executes it with confidence: arresting lead turns, tight comic timing, and unabashed silliness. If you come looking for sharp satire, you may be left wanting; if you want to leave the theater smiling at a series of clever, sometimes outrageous set pieces — this reboot delivers.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5)