The laugh lines are non-stop as the Easter Eggs from past episodes cascade a cross the screen. Liam Neeson shows deep deadpan monotone, revealing some cheeky peeks of himself as the outrageous Detective Sergeant Frank Drebin Jr. in this wacked out reboot. Neeson plays the son of Drebin Sr. played by Leslie Nielsen in this hilarious crime franchise that started with TV’s Police Squad! back in 1982. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) is also the son of late Frank’s partner and loyal, dimwitted sidekick.
Once again, it’s bit after hilarious bit with the same M.O., themes, punch lines, and misdirection created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker in their previous films. (The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear and Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult.) A running gag shows Frank and Ed always getting handed a cup of coffee letting the audience in on the joke over and over again. And bodily functions become part of the juvenile humor these adults revert to, especially when nature calls and Drebin Jr. will do anything to get into a bathroom.
Writer/Director Akiva Schaffer co wrote this clever script with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, who both worked on How I Met Your Mother and Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Akiva Schaffer’s nutty, goofy, outlandish sense of comedy (Poster: Never Stop Stopping and Palm Springs) is on full display as he puts Neeson into set pieces and scenes that would be total humiliation for any actor who isn’t totally willing to play along. Neeson, acting against type as the stone faced action star of movies like Taken, is all-in. He takes up the mantle calmly delivering literal humor, sometimes in disguise, even as a little girl in a short skirt. And he even bares his butt with decorative underwear and without.
Talking about skirts, Drebin’s head is turned by the very attractive blonde bombshell Beth Davenport (Pamela Anderson) looking for help, but who is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Anderson received rave reviews for her performance in The Last Showgirl, but shows she’s just as fearless combining deadpan comedy with sexy romance. She reminded us of Faye Dunaway in Chinatown with a little Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch. And Anderson surprises when she takes the stage, with confidence, to sing in this film. Anderson’s chemistry with Neeson is evident in this film. They play very well together, and also with an unexpected fluffy friend.
Schaffer’s Macguffin is called the P.L.O.T Device, created by nasty Elon Musk-like billionaire villain (Richard Crane). That, in itself, is a joke which is Schaffer’s point. And every line seems to be literal, from Drebin telling Beth to take and seat, which she does when she leaves the room, to remarks made during the stunt-filled fight scenes. You’ll definitely react to the scene where past Police Squad members are remembered by their former partners and sons. It gives writing team Dan Gregor, Doug Mand and Schaffer an opportunity to make some sly, snide references to past Police Squad actors, most notably O.J. Simpson who played a large part in the original movie.
The rye and dry, tongue-in-cheek humor Schaffer has Neeson and Anderson deliver had us in stitches. Neeson is a worthy successor to the character Leslie Nielsen created. And Anderson enhances with complete self-assurance. This Naked Gun is fully loaded.
Paramount Pictures 1 hour 25 minutes PG-13
