THE NAKED GUN
Starring: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Danny Huston, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Liza Koshy and Kevin Durand
Director: Akiva Schaffer
NICK
By my account, the original The Naked Gun is one of the greatest comedies of all time, so needless to say, this had big shoes to fill. Well, we ended up with probably the best modern version of this film you could make. The spirit of the original is there, but Liam Neeson (Frank Drebin Jr.) has added a hint of anger to the aloofness Leslie Nielsen brought as Drebin Sr. Although some jokes are overplayed or don’t hit, the ones that work outweigh the ones that don’t, including a few that brought on tears. It’s not perfect, but I’ll gladly take more of Neeson’s Drebin Jr.
ADRIANO
Going into The Naked Gun, I only wanted to laugh at utter stupidity, which I got in spades. Director/co-writer Akiva Schaffer delivers on the type of satirical humour that would make the spoof comedy legends The Zucker Brothers blush, with all the ridiculous visual gags, bits, and misinterpretations you could ask for. Liam Neeson fills the large shoes of Leslie Nielsen's deadpan delivery flawlessly, complete with hilarious chemistry with an equally funny Pamela Anderson. The entire crew's commitment to this bizarro universe made this a film I regularly cried laughing at. I don't know what else to say: it's perfect.
AMARÚ
The Naked Gun remake has the right cast for the job. Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, and Danny Huston understood the balance of serious and silly to deliver on what director Akiva Schaffer wanted to do. It’s too bad that whatever it is he wanted to do isn’t remotely funny. Even in the tremendously short 85-minute runtime, I was ready to escape the half-hearted pity chuckles heard throughout my theater within 15 minutes. Now, the jokes may land for some, and I’m happy for you if that’s the case, but aside from three references I personally smiled at, this remake beat their comedy to an unfunny death.
QUENTIN
I’ll be the first to admit that trailers for The Naked Gun have been painfully unfunny. That said, once you’re in it, and you’ve recalibrated your sense of humor to the wavelength at play, it surprisingly works. Gun delivers jokes at breakneck speed, and while they don’t all hit, even a 50 percent success rate provides enough legit giggles to make this rebootquel worth a watch. I admit this is a bold comparison, but Gun could easily be the next Anchorman or Zoolander, where every initially dumb joke gets funnier during every rewatch. This was genuinely a pleasant surprise (pre-show beers helped, to be fair).
ROBERT
In the realm of internet comedy clips, Liam Neeson’s stint on Life’s Too Short is legendary; he blends absurdity with stoicism as well as anyone. As such, it wasn’t overly shocking to hear him be tapped for the lead in The Naked Gun reboot. When you combine that with the comedy instincts of Akiva Schaffer and Seth MacFarlane, the design was there for a rare success in the laughter department. I was chuckling more than not, especially at sight gags and long-running joke bits, but I was expecting more consistency. Pamela Anderson, at least, was a real shot of caffeine that kept the film energized.
BODE
Perhaps it’s ironic to root for a reboot of The Naked Gun to revive theatrical comedies, but when the state is so dire, you take what you can get. It certainly helps that this new edition is very funny. Director Akiva Schaffer gets close to the absurdist spirit of the original movies without being overly referential, with plenty of jokes and gags that had me consistently laughing (or chuckling, at least). Liam Neeson fills Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan shoes quite comfortably, and Pamela Anderson, Danny Huston, and Paul Walter Hauser are game scene partners. It’s a genuine delight from start to finish.
KATIE
I love the kind of humour typified in the original Naked Gun films, and I was worried this new reboot wouldn't do it justice. Like other recent comedies, I was concerned it’d rely too heavily on nostalgia and modern references, but my worries were quickly quelled as I was able to sit back and enjoy one of the funniest films I’ve seen in ages. Director and co-writer Akiva Schaffer clearly understood the absurd, spoofy tone he needed to emulate, providing gags that never let up, whilst Liam Neeson is completely perfect in the leading role, masterfully balancing silliness with deadpan delivery.
Want to hear even more of our thoughts? Nick, Amarú, and guest Harrison Martin join Matt to take A Bigger Bite out of The Naked Gun HERE.