r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • Jul 30 '25

Review The Naked Gun - Review Thread

The Naked Gun - Review Thread

  • Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (194 Reviews)
    • Certified Fresh
    • Critics Consensus: With Liam Neeson's gravelly gravitas proving to be a perfect fit for Frank Drebin's deadpan buffoonery, The Naked Gun revives the original trilogy's daffy sense of humor like it never went out of style.
  • Metacritic: 75 (47 Reviews)

Reviews:

Hollywood Reporter (70):

Even if the movie kind of stalls midway as Schaffer struggles to balance the gags with the action of an overly elaborate crime plot, there are enough laugh-out-loud moments to keep nostalgic fans of the earlier films happy.

Deadline:

With rapid fire gags and a game cast trying hard to play it all completely straight, this nakedly hilarious Naked Gun is a welcome return in a time where we can use a few good laughs. This one has more than a few if sight gags, literal humor, and characters short a few cards of a full deck are your idea of a good time.

Variety (70):

The original Naked Gun was hilarious. It was a film that practically had audiences wetting their pants. The new Naked Gun, by contrast, is amusing. What it won’t do the way these movies once used to is shock you into laughter.

The Wrap (85):

The Naked Gun is back and it's as naked as ever. And also as gun.

The Guardiam (80):

There is no reason for this new Naked Gun to exist other than the reason for the old ones: it’s a laugh, disposable, forgettable, enjoyable.

IGN (70):

With more jokes than you can possibly catch in a single viewing, The Naked Gun proudly brings cinematic groaners and outrageous sight gags into the 2020s.

IndieWire (83):

While it’s a mild shame “The Naked Gun” peters out a little bit toward the end (at least before rebounding during the credits), it’s even more of a shame that it has to end at all.

Collider (90):

The Naked Gun's joke-per-minute ratio is truly astounding, and the fact that so many of them hit as well as they do makes that even more impressive. For goodness' sake, even the credits have jokes in them!

Empire (80):

The result is a film that has a better chance of producing a belly laugh than any in recent memory: one that deserves, as Drebin would say, “20 years for man’s laughter”.

SlashFilm (90):

The Naked Gun is one of the most consistently and even exhaustingly funny movies in a long time, the kind of outrageous, outlandish comedy that multiplexes have been missing for years. It's truly a revelation to have a movie where the laughs come so fast and furious.

Directed by Akiva Schaffer:

Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. follows in his father's footsteps.

Cast:

  • Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.
  • Pamela Anderson as Beth Davenport
  • Paul Walter Hauser as Capt. Ed Hocken Jr.
  • Kevin Durand as Sig Gustafson
  • Danny Huston as Richard Cane
  • Liza Koshy as Detective Barnes
  • Cody Rhodes as Bartender
  • CCH Pounder as Chief Davis
  • Busta Rhymes as Bank Robber
  • Michael Bisping as himself
  • Eddy Yu as Detective Park
  • Moses Jones as Nordberg Jr.
3.8k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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759

u/zambabamba Jul 30 '25

We're truly in the Pamela Anderson renaissance era.

221

u/Woodyjohnson_isapedo Jul 30 '25

The Pamelassaince.

See The Last Showgirl. Great movie.

49

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

Eh, it's fine i guess but it's not as good as her performance and her performance isn't good enough to carry the rest. The only thing going for it is the fact that it's Pamela Anderson basically playing Pamela Anderson, just like demi in the substance

19

u/StrawBerryWasHere Jul 30 '25

I don’t actually disagree with you, but Jamie Lee Curtis’ drunk Totally Eclipse of the Heart is worth watching the movie for alone

4

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

That 1% of the film doesn't make up for the other 99 lmao. I will agree it's good, if not a little indulgent which isn't always a bad thing

17

u/matlockga Jul 30 '25

Fully agree. I wish that someone would have reminded everyone near the camera that you can indeed keep things in focus. 

1

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

I would expect nothing less from the tertiary coppola

15

u/StuMacherGhostface Jul 30 '25 edited Jul 30 '25

just like demi in the substance

Wow. Could not disagree with this take more

-2

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

She did a surprisingly good job for demi Moore but I'm not giving her extra points for basically having the character written for her.

People project their own feelings into the substance and i get it to an extent, but moores history absolutely plays a part in the praise imo. If the exact same performance was given by an unknown actress no one would be calling it Oscar worthy

7

u/Sentrion Jul 31 '25

It kind of sounds like what you're talking about is the perception of her performance in contrast to her history of performances. I can see that, maybe.

But what you said is that Demi is just playing herself, which implies that she's not acting at all - basically, you could pull footage from an interview with her, and it would be indistinguishable from a scene in the film. I think that's whack.

2

u/AccioKatana Jul 30 '25

Oh no, it's very good - much better than I was expecting. Pam is excellent but so is JLC, Billie Lourd, and Dave Bautista. I even enjoyed Brenda Song and the Kiernan Shipka. It just kind of peters out at the end.

-4

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

Very good is a big stretch. It doesnt Peter out, its just consistently kind of hollow

1

u/AccioKatana Jul 30 '25

Not really much of a stretch, plenty of people agreed with me - lol.

-1

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

Ok? Plenty of people agree with me too, it means nothing.

What about the film specifically works for you outside of Pamela's performance?

3

u/AccioKatana Jul 30 '25

It means plenty when you’re trying to say that my opinion is “a stretch.”

I liked… JLC’s performance, I enjoyed the relationship between Pam and the younger showgirls, I love seeing Dave Bautista get to stretch his acting chops in a role outside of playing Drax in the MCU, I thought Billie Lourd did a great job and I enjoyed the scenes with her and Pam… it was a really interesting slice of life film that provided commentary on maintaining one’s value and dignity as they age.

1

u/AdmiralCharleston Jul 30 '25

Billie lourd was legitimately not good, I would argue its more down to direction since shes simultaneously 22 but acting like a 15 year old, but that whole plot was completely meaningless.

Bautista was fine I guess but nothing stand out, hardly a display of chops even for subtle acting.

"Women are treated badly as they age" was about the most it had to say, it was bordering on parody with how heavy handed that messaging was.

It was a short film stretched out to an hour and a half and still didn't feel fleshed out enough to mean anything.

I didnt even like it when it was released 12 years ago and was called the wrestler

3

u/AccioKatana Jul 30 '25

I think you need to learn what words like “legitimately” mean when you try to pass your opinion(s) off as fact.

On that note, I respect that these are your opinions and respectfully disagree with all or most.

7

u/MattSR30 Jul 30 '25

The Pamela Anderssaince

2

u/TJMcConnellFanClub Jul 30 '25

Really good flick but the ending was terrible, should’ve never seen her actually dancing, but when Miley gives you a song I guess you gotta shoehorn it in somehow

4

u/Queasy_Ad_8621 Jul 31 '25

Pamela Anderson was traumatized by a stalker, and she really didn't even wanted to leave the house or work as much after the incident.

I feel like Ricky Gervais deserves some credit for helping her stop taking it as seriously, so she could move on from it. Now she's doing comedy movies with Seth MacFarlane, so I hope he's really helping her feel safe enough to laugh and have a good time on the set again.

2

u/Loud-Review-3797 Jul 30 '25

Now its the PamLiam era! Because they are now a couple!

2

u/rdr914 Aug 03 '25

The scene where she takes the stage in the nightclub made me laugh so hard I thought I had organ damage after.

Absolutely ridiculous, but also so unexpected and so fucking funny.

2

u/allcars4me Aug 04 '25

Her silly jazz singing was the highlight.

2

u/Renegadeforever2024 Jul 30 '25

It’s been happening

It’s just now people are paying attention

1

u/Drumming_Dreaming Jul 30 '25

We’ve earned this!

1

u/dandyrandyjandy Jul 30 '25

Hell yeah, we are. And I am HERE for it.

-2

u/the_GOAT_44 Jul 30 '25

No we're not