A 2025 Film That Brings Back the Art of Laughter
Released on August 1, 2025, by Paramount Pictures, The Naked Gun (2025) is directed by Akiva Schaffer (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and co-written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Starring Liam Neeson as Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., Pamela Anderson as Beth Davenport, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, and CCH Pounder, this 2025 film revives the beloved Police Squad! parody franchise with fresh energy, fearless comedy, and relentless absurdity.
This movie review dives into a film that never takes itself seriously but knows exactly what makes audiences laugh. With Seth MacFarlane producing, and Schaffer’s gift for fast-paced humor, The Naked Gun is a laugh-a-minute spectacle that reminds us why big-screen comedies matter. Sitting in a packed theater, I realized something rare — everyone around me was laughing in unison again.
Genre:Comedy, Action, Crime
Plot and Setup – Frank Drebin Jr. Returns to the Madness
The plot — or rather the P.L.O.T. Device (literally, that’s what it’s called) — is gloriously nonsensical. Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. of the LAPD single-handedly foils a bank robbery while disguised as a schoolgirl. What he doesn’t know is that the crime was a cover for stealing a mysterious gadget capable of turning humanity into primal killers.
When Frank’s unorthodox policing gets him suspended, he crosses paths with Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson), a sultry novelist determined to solve her brother’s suspicious death. Their investigation leads to billionaire Richard Cane (Danny Huston), whose company plans to unleash the stolen device at a high-profile New Year’s Eve event.
From talking snowmen to jazz club scatting, the film gleefully defies logic. The story exists purely as scaffolding for gags, slapstick, and wordplay—and that’s the beauty of it.
Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. – Deadpan Perfection
Liam Neeson’s casting seemed like an impossible idea — until you see it in action. Known for grim action thrillers like Taken and The Grey, Neeson throws himself fully into the chaos, embracing self-parody without hesitation. His gravelly voice, grave expressions, and towering presence make the film even funnier.
Like Leslie Nielsen before him, Neeson plays it entirely straight. His comedic timing thrives on contrast — when he solemnly chews the barrel off a pistol or walks through explosions in a tutu, it’s hysterical precisely because he never cracks a smile.
What makes his performance brilliant is sincerity. Neeson doesn’t wink at the audience; he believes in every ridiculous moment. It’s the kind of performance that turns parody into art.
Pamela Anderson and the Supporting Cast – Comedy in Perfect Sync
Pamela Anderson is a revelation. Channeling both femme fatale mystique and comic fearlessness, she proves she’s far more than a nostalgic stunt casting. Whether she’s scatting onstage to distract a villain or sharing an absurdly romantic snowman montage with Neeson, Anderson’s comedic instincts are razor-sharp.
Paul Walter Hauser shines as Frank’s hapless partner Ed Hocken Jr., forever juggling coffee cups and bad timing. CCH Pounder delivers gravitas as Chief Davis, grounding the madness with authority — even when chaos erupts around her.
Danny Huston rounds out the cast as Richard Cane, a parody of tech-billionaire ego who’s half Elon Musk, half Bond villain. His dry delivery turns cartoonish evil into genuine comedy gold.
Direction and Tone – Akiva Schaffer Revives the Spoof
Director Akiva Schaffer understands that the magic of The Naked Gun lies in sincerity and stupidity working in perfect tandem. Every frame is filled with visual puns, background jokes, and physical absurdity.
From Brooklyn Nine-Nine to The Lonely Island projects, Schaffer has mastered the art of smart dumb comedy — jokes so perfectly constructed they feel spontaneous. He pays homage to the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker classics while keeping the rhythm modern.
The opening sequence alone — a Dark Knight-style bank heist scored like a Hans Zimmer epic — sets the tone: visually grand, narratively insane. Even the end credits are packed with hidden gags, proving that in this film, nothing is sacred, and everything is funny.
The Script – A Symphony of Absurdity
Co-writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand deliver a masterclass in comedic pacing. The screenplay fires off jokes faster than the human brain can process — puns, pratfalls, misheard dialogue, meta-humor, you name it.
Unlike many modern comedies that pause for sentiment, The Naked Gun (2025) keeps the energy relentless. It’s 85 minutes of pure laughter with no filler — a rare feat in an era of bloated blockbusters.
But beneath the gags, there’s structure. Every joke lands because the film respects its own internal logic — as ridiculous as that logic may be. It’s a throwback to when comedies were crafted with precision, not just improv and luck.
Visual Comedy and Action – Style Meets Slapstick
Cinematographer Brandon Trost shoots the film like an earnest cop thriller, which makes the humor explode harder. The action scenes — from high-speed chases to martial-arts melees — are staged with real energy, only to be undercut by surreal sight gags.
Composer Lorne Balfe scores every ridiculous moment as if it were an Oscar contender, amplifying the contrast. When Neeson dramatically leaps through slow motion to a triumphant orchestral cue, only to land in a kiddie pool, the joke works because it looks epic.
Even mundane visuals become punchlines — background extras falling over, “Cold Case Files” stored in a literal freezer, or cops juggling endless coffee cups. Schaffer’s attention to detail makes rewatching a reward in itself.
Themes – The Joy of Collective Laughter
While The Naked Gun has no grand message, it achieves something more valuable: communal joy. Watching it in a theater is a reminder of what cinema can be when it aims simply to entertain.
Amid superhero fatigue and algorithm-driven sequels, this film dares to be gloriously dumb — and that’s revolutionary. It satirizes everything from tech culture to masculinity to the film industry itself, yet it never feels mean-spirited. The humor is inclusive, the tone buoyant.
Comedy has long been sidelined by spectacle. Here, it is the spectacle.
Liam Neeson’s Reinvention – From Action Icon to Comedic Legend
It’s impossible to ignore the meta brilliance of Liam Neeson spoofing his own image. For years, he’s been Hollywood’s go-to man for vengeance and violence. Here, he weaponizes that gravitas for laughs.
His transformation mirrors Leslie Nielsen’s: from serious dramatic actor to deadpan comic genius. If Nielsen was the Olivier of spoofs, Neeson is the Branagh — authoritative, intense, and unexpectedly hilarious.
By the film’s end, Neeson has fully claimed the Drebin badge, proving that comedy, when done right, never truly gets old.
Final Verdict – The Funniest Movie of 2025
Leaving the theater after The Naked Gun (2025), I couldn’t remember every joke — there were too many — but I remembered the feeling: pure, unstoppable laughter.
In an industry oversaturated with safe nostalgia, Schaffer’s reboot feels audaciously alive. It doesn’t aim to modernize or deconstruct the original — it simply continues the mission: make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh, make ‘em laugh.
This isn’t just the funniest 2025 movie — it’s the kind of comedy we’ve been waiting for. One that invites audiences to laugh together again, loudly and without irony.
Final Rating: ★★★★½☆ (4.5/5)