Best comedy since SPY! The Naked Gun (2025) is a spectacular noir/detective-comedy that has it all: smart screenplay, sensational cast, and it clocks-in at just under 1.5hrs. This reboot/reimagining of the beloved classic tiptoes along a treacherous tightrope: how to honor a slapstick legacy while avoiding the hollow echo chamber of recycled gags. Remarkably, thanks to a razor-sharp script, a fully committed cast, and a surprisingly fresh narrative, it pulls it off with chutzpah and precision. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, The Naked Gun is a masterclass in tonal balance, threading the needle between absurdity and plot progression, all while leaving room for character beats that land harder than a collapsing filing cabinet. Every setup pays off, every non sequitur doubles as a stealth punchline, and, most critically, the story and characters matter.

At the center of the madness is Liam Neeson, weaponizing his deadpan gravitas in a way that would make Leslie Nielsen nod in approval from the great beyond. As Frank Drebin Jr., he’s not playing his father’s shadow—he’s illuminating a new one. His comedic chops are precision-engineered. Neeson doesn’t mug for the camera or chase punchlines; he commits, deadpanning his way through verbal landmines, visual gags, and escalating mayhem with the kind of straight-faced sincerity that made Leslie Nielsen legendary. The secret ingredient to his delivery? His restraint. Marrying glamour and goofiness is Pamela Anderson, fresh off her outstanding performance in The Last Showgirl. Her tone, cool gaze, and knowing glances lend a classic noir energy to the role, but it’s her self-awareness and comic precision that elevate the performance. She glides through scenes with old-Hollywood poise in the vein of Lauren Macall, only to puncture the atmosphere with a well-timed double entendre or whip-smart aside.

In a cinematic landscape where many reboots are content to wink at the audience and roll credits, The Naked Gun dares to be funny—consistently, inventively, and unapologetically so. It doesn’t just recapture the soul of the original; it gives it a new pair of shoes and sends it running headfirst into traffic. And you’ll be laughing all the way.

Ryan is the general manager for 90.7 WKGC Public Media in Panama City and host of the public radio show ReelTalk “where you can join the cinematic conversations frame by frame each week.” Additionally, he is the author of the upcoming film studies book titled Monsters, Madness, and Mayhem: Why People Love Horror. After teaching film studies for over eight years at the University of Tampa, he transitioned from the classroom to public media. He is a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida and Indie Film Critics of America. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Follow him on Twitter: RLTerry1 and LetterBoxd: RLTerry