THE NAKED GUN (2025) – A Nostalgic Remake That Struggles to Escape Its Own Shadow

Hollywood’s penchant for recycling its past glories is once again on full display with The Naked Gun, the latest attempt to revive a beloved franchise. The industry’s creative well appears to be running dry, as evidenced by the relentless parade of sequels and remakes, and this new iteration of The Naked Gun is symptomatic of that trend. Drawing heavily from the original 1988 film and its two sequels, the remake offers much of the same—a hapless detective caught in a whirlwind of chaos, somehow managing to triumph against the odds while leaving mayhem in his wake. It’s a comedic formula that harkens back to classics like Peter Sellers’ The Pink Panther and Rowan Atkinson’s Johnny English, and while familiar, it begs the question: do we really need another?

This time, Liam Neeson steps into the oversized shoes once worn by Leslie Nielsen, bringing an unexpected twist to the central role. Known primarily for his stoic action heroes, Neeson’s venture into full-fledged comedy is a notable departure, and for the most part, he holds his own. His knack for comic timing comes to the fore, earning genuine laughs even if some of the gags miss their mark. His dynamic with Pamela Anderson, herself a pop culture icon from the Baywatch era, lends the film a playful energy. Anderson, still effortlessly charismatic, matches Neeson’s on-screen presence, and together they manage to spark moments of genuine chemistry amidst the slapstick chaos.

As a spoof comedy, The Naked Gun sticks closely to its roots, embracing a laugh-a-minute style that will feel comfortingly nostalgic to fans of the original series. There are knowing winks to modern spy thrillers—most noticeably the Mission: Impossible franchise—but these references feel more like borrowed punchlines than inspired satire. The remake’s biggest flaw is its lack of originality; instead of reimagining the classic for a new era, it merely mimics, resulting in a film that feels more like an echo than an evolution. The humor, while occasionally effective, is often predictable, and the storyline never strays far from the well-trodden path.