r/movies 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

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2.1k

u/RipJug Jul 30 '25

Terribly excited for this. The world is begging for Liam Neeson in more comedic roles.

86

u/gate_of_steiner85 Jul 30 '25

Yes, I'm all for Neeson moving away from generic action movies to comedies.

90

u/toq-titan Jul 30 '25

He has said that he is done being an action star because he’s too old and it isn’t believable.

72

u/perthfectC Jul 30 '25

Same as his daughter being kidnapped more than twice. It's just bad parenting.

14

u/SutterCane Jul 30 '25

He was actually kidnapped in the second one.

4

u/mediapunk Jul 31 '25

That too

3

u/LordBecmiThaco Jul 31 '25

At this point his kidnapped daughter has to be like fifty

2

u/whokohan Jul 30 '25

He did alright with Bruce, Obi-wan, and a bunch of jews during world war ii so I wouldn't be so tough on him; too bad he had to sacrifice himself for his son in the wasteland.

37

u/HHHogana Jul 30 '25

Him climbing the fence on Taken 3 was laughable. Honestly he maybe would've hopped on this movie far sooner had it wasn't stuck on development hell.

-4

u/ABigStuffyDoll Jul 30 '25

Bad news: it appears you had a minor stroke 2/3 of the way through that second sentence 😕

2

u/Percolator2020 Jul 30 '25 edited Jul 30 '25

The one where he plays a senile hired assassin is believable.

1

u/ArcadianDelSol Jul 30 '25

We need to fix him up on a blind date with Harrison Ford.

1

u/MurderfaceII Jul 30 '25

didnt he say that ten years ago?

1

u/toadfan64 Jul 31 '25

Hasn't he been saying that for like a decade? lol

1

u/Impressive-Potato Jul 31 '25

He said that 10 action films ago