Thirty-one years after the adventures of Lieutenant Frank Drebin, a new sheriff is in town. When I heard that The Naked Gun was going to be remade, I was initially quite skeptical. So-called spoof movies that deliberately parody other films and genres in a silly way, have gone somewhat out of fashion. In the 1980s, films like Airplane , Spaceballs , and The Naked Gun were all the rage, but by the early 2000s, with films like Meet the Spartans, they had completely lost their appeal.
So, no one can just come along, replace the great Leslie Nielsen, and pretend that absolutely nothing has changed culturally in the last 30 years. When it was confirmed that Saturday Night Live director and The Lonely Island cast member Akiva Schaffer would be directing, with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane producing, I wasn't particularly relieved. But I wanted to give it a chance, which turned out to be the right decision.
Is this funny or can it be removed?
The film uses the same infantile humor as the originals and mixes it with a hefty dose of slapstick. There were moments when I wanted to jump out of my seat with laughter
, and then others that left me completely cold. Some jokes were so stupid they were actually good, and others worked as well as a joke. In other words: I honestly didn't expect to be so entertained. Also worth mentioning is the music, which provided unforgettable moments in the original installments.
The perfect cast
Finally to the heart of the film, and that, as so often, is the cast. Liam Neeson had the almost impossible task of replacing Leslie Nielsen in one of his most iconic roles, and it works better than expected. Not perfectly but I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job. Pamela Anderson also takes on the female lead with the necessary wink but they still manage to surprise you in a positive way.
My Conclusion
The Naked Gun is a successful reinterpretation of a genre that was considered irredeemable. Anyone who is looking for fun and humor will be well served here.
