The Naked Gun 2025 Movie Review: Worthy Successor to The Naked Gun 1988

It's been quite a while since anyone has tried to fill the large floppy shoes of Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun Franchise, and Liam Neeson does not disappoint. The trailer promo seemed only slightly over the top, hinting at unpalatable jokes which only had shock value. But after watching the movie in the theater, I can say with confidence that The Naked Gun 2025 has retained the silly soul of the original and is relentless with its hilarity in the best way possible.

The Plot

When a wealthy yet maniacal Big Bad hatches a plan to end the world with technology that turns people violent, no one except Frank Drebin Jr. can stop him and his evil machinations.

Then again, this movie isn't about the plot, is it? The Naked Gun is about silly laughs about stupid and dumb jokes that are fired in such quick succession, with such accuracy and timing that the audience will be left breathless trying to catch up with the jokes.

The world needs movies like these that don't rely on shock value, unnecessary crudeness, or vulgarity. It's plain ( almost ) clean fun, with a heavy sprinkle of toilet humor and its relatives.

Major Gags in The Naked Gun 2025

1. Diarrhea Emergency

One of the more relatable gags in the movie is shown in the trailer, where Frank Drebin Jr. eats food of questionable quality, leading to a diarrhea emergency that he resolves in the most violent ways possible.

After eating chilli dogs, Frank Drebin Jr. goes through one hell of a rollercoaster ride, but after he is done with the emergency, he gets started on a new chilli dog like nothing happened at all.

2. High-Speed Coffee

You see Liam Neeson's Frank Drebin Jr. driving at what seems to be a respectable speed with a steely look in his eyes for a few seconds before someone miraculously hands him a coffee while he's still driving at highway speeds!

The coffee gag keeps on going with him and his partner receiving cups that get bigger each time someone offers the drink.

3. Emotional Breakdown En masse

The legacy of this franchise is addressed with the subtlety of an 18-wheeler, seeing every cop in the Police Squad taking a knee to talk to their late cop hero dads, except the one with Nordgreen, who was played by O.J. Simpson.

4. A Meme in Cinematic Real-time

You see, Busta Rhymes of all people being interrogated by Neeson's Drebin Jr., which looks like a straight-up meme with zero effort.

5. Trashing Tesla Clone

Then there's the dig at Tesla combined with the lack of awareness from the side of Frank Drebin Jr., who, in the process of test driving a car, ends up freeing hardened criminals from what looks like a maximum security prison. You also see a Hannibal Lecter type walking around free as a bird, moments later.

There is also an ESPN Promo that is worth a watch:

The Cast of The Naked Gun 2025 Movie

Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. was my first ever time seeing him in a comedic role in the movie, apart from A Million Ways to Die in the West ( he was actually the Big Bad ) and his cameo in Ted 2.

Pamela Anderson as Beth surprises us with her great comedic timing and deadpan delivery, and shares great onscreen chemistry with Liam Neeson, which spilled into real life, making them a couple off-screen as well, which I think is kinda sweet. I liked the scene where Pamela scats at a jazz club, which is hilarious, yet serves as just a background to more jokes that keep happening all around her.

I went in with a slightly negative outlook into the theater and lasted all of ten minutes before the jokes got to me, and I did not stop laughing until the end credits started rolling.

Cody Rhodes, the WWE professional wrestler, does a fantastic Bartender who gets slammed into three different faces by Frank Drebin Jr., serving as an homage to his profession while also being funny as hell.

Paul Walter Hauser plays Capt. Ed Hocken Jr., who gained fame playing the titular Richard Jewel, followed most recently by the role of Mole Man in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Liza Koshy as Detective Barnes has limited screen time but does a lot with the small amount of time she is given, adding to the jokes with her deadpan expression.

David Lengel plays Mr Ice Cream Agent in this movie, and if he seems familiar, it is because he was seen in WandaVision as Phil Jones and reprising the neighbourly role in Agatha All Along

Danny Huston plays Richard Cane, the big bad in this movie, as the rich douchebag who attempts to pull a Samuel L Jackson a la Kingsman: The Secret Service by messing with people's minds on a global scale. He has starred in several iconic roles, such as General Erich Ludendorff in Wonder Woman ( 2017 ), Poseidon in Clash of the Titans and Wrath of the Titans, and of course, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and General William Stryker.

Kevin Durand as Sig Gustafson plays Huston's henchman, helping him in his evil bid for world domination. He played a similar role in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Fred Duke, who later turns into The Blob.

Busta Rhymes plays a Bank Robber with a single scene and is funnier than most standups and professional comedians in the minute of screentime he is given.

CCH Pounder as Chief Davis has been in every pop culture-relevant movie from Urban Legend to Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. She is brilliant in this movie, and there was never a doubt in my mind that she could deliver a comedic performance with great ease

"Weird Al" Yankovic is featured and mentioned in this movie, in keeping with the 1988 version which is kinda cool as well.

Should You Watch It? Hell Yes!

This is a no-holds-barred laugh-fest that no one should miss out on, with Liam Neeson in the role of a lifetime, with a possible franchise deal in the works, going by his and Pamela's performance. Watch it!