I have made no secret of the fact that the 1980 spoof comedy Airplane is one of my all-time favourite movies, which featured a scene-stealing Leslie Nielsen, whose comedic talents were recognized late in his career by its writers and directors, the legendary trio of Jim Abrahams and brothers Jerry and David Zucker. This creative harmony eventually led to the short lived but highly regarded TV show Police Squad, and while it failed to draw a large audience at the time, Abrahams and the Zuckers understood the strength of the material – as well as Nielsen’s comedic gifts – ultimately deciding to turn the show into a movie, and in 1988 The Naked Gun franchise was born.
The first instalment, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad, was a milestone in slapstick that is rightfully considered one of the greatest comedies ever made, whilst solidifying Nielsen as one of the finest comedy actors in the world. It was followed by two commercially successful sequels, while the franchise inspired a slew spoof comedies in the years since, such as the Scary Movie franchise, and lesser imitations like Epic Movie and Meet the Spartans. In fact, the spoof genre as a whole has been on the decline since the 2010’s, both in quality and output, but the newly released legacy sequel, The Naked Gun, starring Irish actor Liam Neeson as the son of Nielsen’s Frank Drebin, might just be the shot in the arm the genre has needed for some time.
Although The Naked Gun is co-written and directed by Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island, as well as being co-produced by Family Guy’s Seth McFarlane, I nonetheless had my reservations about the franchise revival, not least because spoof comedy is a genre that is incredibly difficult to pull off successfully, but also because Schaffer has been hit and miss as a director. It also didn’t help that the full-length trailer for the movie gave me as much hope as it did cause for concern. Thankfully, however, my fears were largely unfounded as Schaffer’s The Naked Gun proves to be one of the best spoofs – and indeed slapstick comedies – to come around in some time.
That is not to say that this is the type of laugh-per-minute affair that Airplane is (as unfair as this comparison may be) given that not all the jokes and gags land to a noticeable degree, but Schaffer shoots so many shots that there are plenty of side-splitting moments to be found in The Naked Gun’s gleeful absurdity, which it wisely embraces with open arms. The opening scene is emblematic of this approach, as Neeson’s Frank Drebin Jr. skips into a bank that is in the process of being robbed while convincingly dressed as a schoolgirl with lollipop in hand, until hilariously revealing his disguise and beating the ever-living snot out of the armed thieves.
None of this would work, though, if the lead didn’t have the comedic chops and timing to pull off Frank Jr., but Neeson, known exclusively for his work in the drama and action genres, is outstanding in the role, proving the impressive vision of Schaffer and McFarlane as it was undoubtedly a risk to cast Neeson, talented as he is. Yet the actor is the beating heart of the movie, and a major reason why he works in the role is because, just like Nieslen before him, Neeson plays it straight, as he is utterly committed to Drebin’s endearing buffoonery and the insanity that it causes.
One scene that particularly impressed me was something I heavily criticized in my coverage of the full-length trailer, wherein Schaffer uses lower quality cameras for bodycam and inner cop car footage from Drebin. In the trailer, it came off as cheap because I understood the context to be that it was a shooting style they opted to use while Drebin is out policing. How wrong I was, though, as this footage was actually used in a different context, wherein they were showing it to a suspect (played by none other than Busta Rhymes) as evidence of a crime he committed, but before they can get to it they must endure Frank putting his bowels through the ringer. All the while, Drebin is in the interrogation room, visibly traumatized by the sheer memory of his prior taco consumption, played with a conviction from Neeson that is reminiscent of Schindler’s List (a sentence I never thought I would say), adding to what is already a hilarious scene.
Neeson is aided by an equally committed supporting cast that includes Paul Walter Houser, Danny Huston, and CCH Pounder, but Pamela Anderson is the standout here, who not only adds to her career renaissance by further proving her performative versatility, but she also pairs incredibly well with Neeson, their scintillating chemistry practically popping off the screen, leaving little wonder why there are persisting rumours of an off-screen relationship.
Although Akiva Schaffer’s The Naked Gun can infrequently veer into boredom during extended laughless periods, there is undeniable passion and craftsmanship poured into this revival, not to mention a level of commitment to its outrageous humour that is essential for it to work on a fundamental level. Inspired casting and Schaffer’s assured direction ultimately ties together what is one of the best spoof comedies in recent years, and who knows, it might even revitalize arguably the most underappreciated subgenre in comedy.
7/10