'The Naked Gun' Review: Liam Neeson Has 'Taken' You To Watch the Smartest Stupid Comedy This Year

The Naked Gun

In Theatres now

Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston & more

Directed by: Akiva Schaffer

Rating - **** (4/5)

As I had only recently pointed out in one of my earlier pieces, it has been a bloody good week at the movies, discounting the local offerings for now. But the film we are about to dissect here? Oh boy, I did not see this one coming in the way it ultimately unraveled. Completely absurd, delightfully chaotic, and stupid fun in all the right places, The Naked Gun arrives with the force of a slapstick tornado and the audacity of a sugar-rushed child let loose in a costume store.

Starring Liam Neeson in a role that feels almost tailor-made to upend every image you have of him, The Naked Gun is the reboot you probably did not know existed, let alone needed. It is not just a random comedy release. It comes with a legacy, albeit one many may not be familiar with. The original Naked Gun trilogy from the late 80s and early 90s carved its place as a cult classic of spoofy absurdism. That this new take even exists is wild enough, but that it actually works is nothing short of a miracle. And the beauty is, you do not even need to know about the earlier films to enjoy this. The film welcomes you with a blank slate and proceeds to scribble all over it with crayon-level madness.

Laughing Every Minute Is Not an Exaggeration

There is funny, and then there is Naked Gun funny. I am not exaggerating when I say I do not recall the last time I laughed this consistently and this frequently. Every single minute of this lean 85-minute runtime is packed with one ridiculous situation after another. There is a relentless stream of ludicrous dialogue, perfectly timed visual gags, illogical moments that should make no sense and yet somehow do, and set pieces that redefine what it means to be hilariously stupid.

The film barrels forward like a comedy freight train with no brakes. One second a character is flying an owl, the next he is sipping coffee mid-air. There are explosions of comedy, literal and figurative, at every corner. There are moments where you are so taken by surprise that your only reaction is to cackle uncontrollably. It is rare to find something that has this kind of command over its own stupidity, and rarer still that it invites you to join in, without shame or apology.

The Art of Controlled Stupidity

To pull off a film like this requires not only comic precision but a masterful script. One might naïvely assume that writing dumb jokes is easy. On the contrary, scripting intelligent idiocy is among the toughest challenges in filmmaking. A suspense thriller can rely on tropes and techniques. But a screwball comedy like this must constantly flirt with the boundary of acceptable silliness while ensuring it never crosses into unbearable chaos.

Therein lies the genius of this film. Everything here is meant to be ridiculous and laughable, but there is a fine line between hysterical absurdity and alienating nonsense. The viewer is happy to suspend disbelief and roll with the film’s tomfoolery. But the moment the story loses grip on its own core or becomes too senseless to follow, the disconnect begins. That disconnect, once it sets in, is fatal for comedy. The Naked Gun understands this risk with uncanny clarity and never loses the plot. Every nonsensical thing that happens still obeys a strange internal logic. And that is what makes it all click.

The Reinvention of Liam Neeson

Director Akiva Schaffer’s biggest coup lies in casting Liam Neeson in the lead. A revered action hero, known for his gravelly voice and menacing stare, Neeson plays Frank in what can only be called a grand reinvention of his screen persona. He is seventy-three, yet you would believe he is a decade younger just by watching how effortlessly he moves, delivers punchlines, and throws himself into slapstick chaos with reckless abandon.

It is as though Neeson has tapped into a version of himself we never knew existed. His comic timing is sharp, his expressions pitch-perfect, and his natural gravitas makes even the most bovine gags feel curiously believable. When Frank earnestly declares something wildly implausible, Neeson makes you believe it with such conviction that it turns uproariously funny. His charm, physicality, and willingness to look silly combine into something unexpectedly glorious.

When Real Life Romance Meets Movie Meta

Adding another layer of flavour to this hilarity is Neeson’s onscreen romance with Beth Davenport, played by Pamela Anderson. Yes, that Pamela Anderson. Their chemistry is sparkling, but what makes it so intriguingly meta is the fact that the two recently made their real-life relationship public. So when Frank mournfully says, “After my wife’s death, I never really opened myself to love,” and then proceeds to fall for Beth, it is hard not to read between the lines.

Fiction and reality begin to blur. Neeson, who lost his wife in real life over fifteen years ago, now finds love again, both onscreen and off. Their dynamic in the film is tender, hilarious, and wonderfully over the top, but it feels just the right amount of indulgent. It adds unexpected depth to a film that otherwise dances in shallows by design.

This Is Not a Parody Film and That Is the Magic

One of the easiest traps this film could have fallen into is becoming a generic parody. You know the type. Meet The Spartans, Epic Movie, Date Movie and the rest. But this is where The Naked Gun pulls off a cinematic sleight of hand. It parodies all the tropes of action thrillers without ever becoming referential or derivative. It stays original, consistently, while nudging and winking at genre conventions with complete confidence.

From absurd car chases to exaggerated villain monologues, from outlandish gadgets to ludicrous shootouts, the film skewers everything while still managing to be its own creation. It is not a parody of Taken, or John Wick, or Lethal Weapon, even though it might remind you of them. It is simply The Naked Gun, existing in its own outrageous ecosystem.

Nuanced Nonsense, Carefully Layered

One of the more delightful aspects of the film is its attention to ridiculous detail. The running gag of cops holding coffee cups in all scenarios, even when airborne or mid-explosion, is hilarious on its own. But it becomes even funnier because it is treated as completely normal. Or when a villain and Frank begin bonding over how good The Black Eyed Peas used to be, you find yourself laughing not at the joke itself but at the absurdity of the situation.

There are moments involving arcade claw machines, vending mishaps, conversations with animals, and even a cop who uses a pencil as a microphone in high-tension moments. The humour is loaded with layers. Some are visual gags, some are brilliant bits of dialogue, and others are so deeply nested in American pop culture that not everyone may catch them. That is perhaps the film’s only minor hurdle. Some jokes may not land for audiences unfamiliar with these references. But even then, the sheer physical comedy and relentless timing keep things moving.

Cameos, Surprises, and Final Laughs

Sprinkled throughout the film are cameos that make the ride even more enjoyable. WWE star Cody Rhodes pops up in a role that is both unexpected and amusing. Dave Bautista, another action icon with comedy chops, makes a brief appearance that instantly lights up the screen. These appearances are not mere gimmicks. They blend into the film’s rhythm perfectly and add to the spectacle without distracting from the central madness.

And what madness it is. As the climax arrives, you are already exhausted from laughing, yet unwilling to see the film wrap up. There is a sense of satisfaction, of having witnessed something that managed to be irreverent and still emotionally precise. The final act does not resort to sentimental fluff. It ends exactly as it should, on a note of continued nonsense and one last laugh before the lights come on.

Final Verdict: Insanity Worth Submitting To

In conclusion, The Naked Gun is a masterclass in orchestrated chaos. It knows precisely what it wants to be and achieves it without hesitation. It is smart, stupid, self-aware, and endlessly entertaining. Despite a few jokes that might not travel across cultural lines, the film remains uproarious at its core. Whether it is Neeson’s transformation, Anderson’s surprising spark, or the endless supply of side gags, the film sticks to its central mission like a comic soldier on caffeine.

It is here for one thing only. To make you laugh your face off. And it succeeds spectacularly.