★★ out of 5 -- Rated: PG-13 -- Run time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
The anticipation was high as I sat down in the theater for a screening of “The Naked Gun,” a continuation of the popular movie series that starred the late and wonderful Leslie Nielsen. The 1988 film was the big-screen version of the original, short-lived 1982 TV series: “Police Squad!”
I was already excited about the casting of Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen’s character.
Although Neeson has been more of an action star the last few years, he’s ably demonstrated his comedy chops multiple times on “Saturday Night Live” and various talk shows.
As for the creative team, the original creators — ZAZ (Jerry & David Zucker and the late Jim Abrahams) — aren’t involved.
Plans to reboot/continue the series have been in the works for a number of years.
“The Office” actor Ed Helms was at one time pegged to play Drebin, but that didn’t work out. Then “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane wrote a script, and there was talk of him directing, but that too failed to happen.
MacFarlane did stay on as a producer, and the director reins were handed over to Akiva Schaffer, who made a name for himself as part of an SNL team making digital shorts like the famous “Dick in a Box” video, as well as theatrical films like “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers.”
Schaffer wrote the script for “The Naked Gun” with Dan Gregor (“How I Met Your Mother” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) as well as Doug Mand (“Dolittle” and “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers”).
The film kicks off with a decent bank robbery scene, which was featured prominently in the preview trailer. So far, so good. There’s some clever staging as Drebin shuts down the crooks and establishes the comedy tone for the film.
More characters are introduced. The late George Kennedy played Drebin’s police partner in the original films, and now his son is portrayed by “Richard Jewell” star Paul Walter Hauser. He has a very funny scene involving an electric car that demolishes a charging station.
The villain is a high-tech billionaire played by Danny Huston (“Children of Men,” “The Aviator”), who is suitably smarmy. As for the female lead, the producers demonstrated some noteworthy casting by enlisting former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson to play Drebin’s love interest and the sister of a murder victim. The 58-year-old actress has been enjoying quite a renaissance after delivering an excellent performance in last year’s “The Last Showgirl.”
Anderson and Neeson demonstrate great chemistry, particularly in a double entendre scene where they discuss their preferences for food preparation. Anderson plays it straight, managing to be silly and funny without going overboard.
The original “Naked Gun” movies featured rapid-fire jokes that came one after another, and the filmmakers attempted to do the same here. Some connect, like an “Austin Powers”-inspired scene involving silhouettes that aren’t what they appear to be, or the subtle renaming of the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as “Ponzi-Scheme Arena.”
But too often the jokes have no zing and fall flat. Example: In one scene, Neeson’s character breaks a cellphone in half to avoid being located, but then does it over again in a cab with the driver’s cell, and then with a regular telephone. It feels like weak writing.
Neeson gives it a good try and has his moments playing the character as a tougher guy, but I miss the lovable cluelessness that Leslie Nielsen gave his performance.
If you do see the film, look for original “Naked Gun” co-star Priscilla Presley’s three-second cameo, and stick around for the credits, which, like the previous movies, include some fictional names and job titles, and watch for the short clip that comes at the very end.