Emerald City Video

As of September 2, 2025, The Naked Gun (2025) is available to buy on digital platforms like Fandango To Go, iTunes, and Prime Video.

“There I was on a Saturday in August. Hot. Steamy. The day was also warm too.  I just gotten done making some lunch when I was assigned a case: to review the new The Naked Gun movie. My name is Allen. Writer Kevin Allen of Emerald City Video.”

Someone once posted on Tumblr that in order to properly write The Muppets, a creator should remember that they all share on collective braincell and 90% of the time Kermit has it. He isn’t always the sane man, as that role can be filled by others, but often it falls on him.

The same could be said of the original Naked Gun trilogy. Leslie Nielsen’s Frank Drebin often time is the buffoon; but he just as often is the straight man, dealing with a world that makes no sense. That is the delight of the original three films. It is less of an Inspector Clouseau who bumbles his way about while the world just watches in disbelief and more of reality where everything is slightly off and every character is aware of it but blind to their own insanity. Where one moment Drebin will blink in confusion when someone thinks he’s explaining what a cigarette is rather than offering it, only to be the one saying something silly and strange with an utterly straight face.

While many films have attempted to do spoof there have been more misses than hits.  David Zucker and Jim Abrahams of the original Naked Gun films produced movies like Scary Movie 4, where there was more interest in celebrity cameos and “topical” jokes. Mel Brooks’ Young Dracula seemed more concerned with simply retelling Dracula than producing the gut-busting jokes that made his early work classics. And Nielsen’s later films at times felt like soulless cash grabs that are only watchable because of the actor’s raw determination to take what little he was given and make it better. Austin Powers  transformed from a spoof of the Spy Genre into a chance for Michael Meyers to drew up in a new costume with a funny accent. The less said about the likes of Meet The Spartans, the better.

(Editor’s Note: Mr. Allen has demanded in his contract a clause that the films of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer can only be mentioned once per year)

Attempts to do a new Naked Gun film have been in the works since 2009, when a foruth film was scrapped after Paramount demanded Nielsen’s role be reduced to merely a cameo in the name of “‘”saving money.” Of course, Paramount killing popular content and insulting one of their talent would never happen in this day and age. A later attempt with Ed Helms, which would not have been a spoof film and his Drebin being unconnected to Nielsen’s, was considered before being shelved as well. Finally, in early 2021, Seth MacFarlane was announced to be producing the next Naked Gun movie.

The crowd went mild.

With MacFarlane’s Family Guy having become the very thing it mocked The Simpsons for and his film Ted appearing to be a one hit box office wonder, many were not interested in his brand of humor. Coupled with the Spoof Genre being seen as utterly tainted by Those-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, the new Naked Gun film looked to be headed towards being a flop.

But then something funny happened.

The Naked Gun turned out to be funny.

From the Files of Police Squad!

For those that have only seen the films via reruns on cable it might be surprising to learn that The Naked Gun series started off life as the TV Series Police Squad!. Airing for only six episodes (two of which were pushed to the summer), the show was canceled by then head of ABC Tony Thomopoulos (who later oversaw such classics films It Takes Two, Real Men, and Youngblood), who famously stated that the show was canceled because it was too smart and audiences “actually had to watch it”. ABC would never again cancel a series after only six episodes nor meddle with it in order to “dumb it down”.

It has been reported that MacFarlane is an avid fan of Police Squad! and it shows in The Naked Gun. Where others would have gone for topical jokes and crammed a thousand cameos into the film, writers Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, and Akiva Schaffer instead sought to go for old school wit, blink and you miss it sight gags, and running jokes that never truly draw attention to themselves. What we now call ‘Dad Jokes’ are the bread and butter of the Naked Gun series and this new addition to the franchise embraces that charm and wit.

As stated above, this is a world where everyone is both the straight man and the buffoon. Each character clearly believes they are the only one that is making sense and are never saying anything silly, strange, or confusing. More importantly, save for a scene at the very end of the film, the actors never look at the camera and wink. There is no nod to the audience that the likes of Drebin know they are being foolish. Rather, they live in this world, see something strange or hear something odd, briefly react, and then move on.

But it isn’t merely these double meaning jokes that bring the laughs. The script is utterly witty, with some truly clever comments, while also embracing some utterly outlandish humor as well. A moment in the second act that the film makers had to fight to keep is so out there silly that it shouldn’t work but, by that point, the film has earned the audience’s trust to go there and it is one of the most gut-busting moments of the film.

This is a movie that demands you pay attention, much like the TV show, and the reward is a constant stream of gags, jokes, and humor.

Tony Thomopoulos would hate it. 

 The Case for a Case

Where other films would care very little about the actual mystery The Naked Gun series has always worked hard to have an actual crime that needs to be solved. It is the bone that the comedic meat latches onto. Rather than merely being a film that is a series of skits that are loosely tied together, like the Zuckers’ previous film Kentucky Fried Movie, The Naked Gun works because there is a clear plot, moving from A to B to C, even if it dances its way to get there.

Liam Neeson’s Frank Drebin Jr, after using his unauthorized methods to foil a bank robbery, finds himself assigned to what at first appears to be a simple car accident. However, Drebin’s keen eye for crime, along with prodding from Pamala Anderson’s Beth Davenport, soon guide the detective into looking deeper into the case, uncovering a sinister scheme to change the world forever.

It is a plot that would feel right at home in a more serious movie. Danny Huston’s Richard Crane manages to at once feel like he is in the wrong movie while also being in the absolute right one. This is what gives the movie its solid base. Even if one joke doesn’t land, the plot continues on and the audience is willing to see it through to learn just how our hero will save the day.

Many of the staples of The Naked Gun series also return. Rather than being crammed full of rehashed bits and nudges to famous popular jokes this film does what it can to be its own thing while also keeping the elements that make The Naked Gun films their own unique thing. Drebin’s narration, feeling at once like it could be spoken by Sam Spade even as he makes odd metaphors, runs through the first half of the film. CCH Pounder turns in a wonderful performance as Drebin’s long suffering commander, the only character who treats everything going around her like a normal person would. Even the famous freeze frame joke from the original TV series makes its return. It is clear that the creators of this newest entry cared for what came before and wanted to honor it.

Understanding the Assignment

From top to bottom The Naked Gun is perfectly cast. Macfarlane stated back in 2015 he wanted to cast Neeson in such a film and his eye for talent was spot on. Neeson easily steps into Nielson’s shoes, delivering the same dry and serious performance that Nielson did in the original Trilogy. Even jokes that should not work, such as a reference to the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, earn laughter due to Neeson’s comedic timing.

Anderson has been working to reinvent herself in recent years, with films such as The Last Showgirl, but one has to hope that her turn as Drebin’s love interest will open the way for more high wit comedic roles. Presilla Presley’s spirit seems to overtake Anderson at times in the best possible way, while her sharp and steely delivery allow her to match Neeson line for line. Where other actresses would struggle to go toe to toe with some like Neeson, Anderson manages to do it with ease, showing she is built for these kind of comedic roles. She is not there to be a pretty face; indeed, Anderson goes with her recent less-is-more makeup choices for Davenport, choosing not to hide her aging but embrace it, and proves she is more than her looks.

Huston is another actor that understood just what was being done with his character. Rather than play up the role, hamming it up for laughs, his electronics developer and criminal mastermind is a sly yet also sinister villain who feels no need to end a scene on a joke. Indeed, where a weaker script would have crammed in one final laugh to end a scene Huston is allowed to play the role often very straight, giving threats before we return to Drebin. There is no comedy in these moments; when he hisses that the detective needs to be dealt with the threat is very much real.

The supporting cast does well for themselves. Pounder understands her role, at times channeling her Amanda Waller from Justice League to deal with Drebin, while Kevin Durand does a great job playing the stern and intimidating enforcer for Richard Crane. Cameos by Busta Rhymes and Cody Rhodes see them easily lose themselves in their characters; indeed, if one weren’t told that Rhodes was in the film they wouldn’t even realize it. If there is one negative it is Paul Walter Hauser’s Ed Hocken Jr, though not of any fault of the actor. He does well to work with Neeson, aiding him in the case while also delivering some stellar jokes The script simply doesn’t give Hauser enough to do like George Kennedy got in the originals and one hopes that any sequel will allow him to show off more of his acting chops.

Final Verdict: The Naked Gun is by far a worthy successor to the original trilogy. With a cast that understands perfectly the humor they need to bring and a script that manages to both be funny and respect the audience, one has to hope this will not be the last file from Police Squad that is brought to the big screen. Though do not watch it alone; this film was made for audiences.

4.5 out of 5