Detective Frank Drebin is back—sort of. Hollywood has rebooted 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! with Liam Neeson stepping into the trench coat, though now he’s technically Frank Drebin Jr., son of the original. Yes, that’s right—he’s inherited his father’s badge, his incompetence, and apparently, his franchise.
Naturally, people can’t stop comparing Neeson to Leslie Nielsen. Their names sound alike, they share initials, and both started out in serious roles. But let’s be honest: saying they’re the same is like saying a monster truck and a tricycle are the same because they both roll downhill.
Before Airplane! (1980) made him a household name, Nielsen’s career was a game of “Where’s Waldo?” in TV guest spots and second-banana movie roles. His most notable early credit was Forbidden Planet (1956), and even then, the robot got higher billing. Airplane! flipped his career on its head, giving him license to play every scene with stone-faced absurdity for the rest of his newfound career.
Neeson, on the other hand, has an actual Oscar nomination (for 1993s Schindler’s List) and a long career of playing men who could kill you with a glare—or a telephone. But now, at 73, he’s essentially parodying his own “angry man with a particular set of skills” persona. Watching him slip on banana peels feels like the ultimate retirement plan.
So, does this reboot fly? Only through turbulence. A few jokes land, but most circle the runway before crashing into a wall of awkward pauses. Neeson can work most of the deadpan angles, but his partner Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) doesn’t have the gravitas George Kennedy brought to the original. Kennedy was the straight man everyone recognized; Hauser feels like he wandered in from another movie and stayed for the catering.
The love interest this time is Beth Davenport, played by Pamela Anderson, who seems to be channeling Jessica Rabbit with a hint of self-parody. Meanwhile, Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley) from the original trilogy is almost nowhere to be found—probably because even Hollywood can’t explain how Neeson’s character has a mom only seven years older than he is.
And the jokes? They’re… fine. A handful of zingers hit the target, but far too many stretch on like a bad SNL skit. In fact, the biggest laughs come during the end credits, which is never the sign of a thriving comedy.
In the end, this new Naked Gun isn’t a total plane wreck, but it’s closer to a fender-bender. It’s funny enough to smirk at, but not enough to make you choke on your popcorn.
