The Naked Gun (2025)

Turns out Liam Neeson’s whole career of grim men with grim voices was one long setup, and The Naked Gun is the punchline. He plays Frank Drebin Jr. of Police Squad, a cop so confident and so wrong that every scene turns into a pileup of sight gags. The villain’s scheme hinges on a gadget known as the P.L.O.T. Device. That’s the level of seriousness. Danny Huston plays Richard Cane, a tech billionaire who bonds with Frank over the Black Eyed Peas, and Pamela Anderson plays Beth, a crime novelist who buys Frank time at a nightclub with emergency scat singing. Not every bit lands, and Neeson lacks a little of Leslie Nielsen’s wide-eyed innocence. At 85 minutes, though, the next gag is always seconds away. Critics went big, with an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 7.3 because it only wants to make you laugh, and it mostly does. $288.83 says you ask the universe for a sign this week and get very suspicious of the next bird you see.

What works: Neeson’s stone-faced delivery fits Drebin’s cluelessness perfectly, and the gag density keeps the laughs coming.

What doesn’t: A few bits fall flat, and Neeson lacks some of the wide-eyed innocence that made Leslie Nielsen’s version sing.

Who it’s for: Anyone who grew up quoting the original trilogy, and anyone who has waited years for Liam Neeson to be silly on purpose.