The Naked Gun – (15) |Close-Up Film Review

When you think of actor Liam Neeson, it’s as the Oscar winning serious actor of Schindler’s List or the now ageing hero, who saves the day for the less able among us in various action films.  But surprise, surprise.  Turns out he’s good at comedy too. 

The last Naked Gun movie in the franchise was back in 1994, starring the late Leslie Neilson as Frank Drebin, leader of Pollice Squad.   In this present sequel Neeson plays his son Frank Drebin Jnr, who has now taken over the job.   In fact the whole 21^st century squad seems to be staffed by the children of the previous, as we see in one glorious visual joke of the whole team paying tribute to their mummies and daddies. 

The plot, such as it is, is a lightweight device for a continuous stream of jokes, a lot of them very literal and all pretty much up to the standard of Police Squad and Airplane creators Jim Abrahams and the Zucker Brothers, whose comic genius used to make my ribs ache.    The gags are hung loosely onto the story of Frank Jnr’s investigation into the possible murder of a man found dead at the wheel of a hi-tech electric car.  The plutocrat who invented the vehicle and the obvious suspect is played with smarmy villainy by Danny Huston.  In a nod to the fact that time has moved on, Drebin’s boss Chief Davies, who is constantly bawling him out, is now a woman (CCH Pounder).   And there has of course to be “a broad” – Pamela Anderson as the  dead man’s sister and Drebin’s love interest.   Now in her 50s Anderson’s self-mocking sophistication and sense of fun is a neat and effective comic parody of the classic vamp as played by Lauren Bacall at the age of 19.

And as for Neeson as Drebin, coffee carton constantly in hand, his dead pan comic timing is just perfect, as he works his way through a forest of gags, both visual and verbal, with just enough plot to hold it all together.   This is no award winning masterpiece, nor does it pretend to be.   It’s just a load of jolly good laughs from start to finish.  Have fun watching it.    

Fans who purchase THE NAKED GUN on Digital*, DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD can go undercover with a full hour of hysterical bonus content, including deleted and extended scenes, uproarious outtakes, interviews with cast and crew, mock ads**, and more!

Bonus content is detailed below:

Featurettes:
A Legacy of Laughter—Join the cast and crew as they dive into what keeps the crime hard and the guns naked in this all-new installment of the Naked Gun franchise.

Son of a (Naked) Gun—Only one man has the particular set of skills to lead Police Squad! Find out what makes Liam Neeson the perfect Frank Drebin Jr. 

On Set of a Set Within a Set that’s in a Set—Take a look within a look for a look into the reality-bending hospital scene that takes practical effects to a whole new dimension.

The Funny Femme Fatale—Pamela Anderson embodies the perfect femme fatale in her role as Beth Davenport.

The Really Unusual Suspects—Get to know the cast who steal the show by playing it straight.

Dropping the Balls—Explore the production and stunt team behind the ball dropping finale sequence.

Outtakes:
Outtakes Montage—Breaking the law is easy. Playing it straight? Not so much. 
WWFC Outtakes—See the quips and digs beyond the punches at the WWFC match in these outtakes.

Deleted, Alternate, and Extended Scenes:
Bank Fight #1 – Extended
Bank Fight #2 – Extended
Noir Opening – Alternate
Last Year’s Incident Joke – Alternate
Cane’s Boardroom – Deleted
Beth Scat – Extended
Frank Sees Wolf – Deleted
Tivo – Alternate
Facade Moment – Extended
Frank and Ed See Balls – Deleted
Skybox – Deleted
Beth Weapons – Extended
Frank Rant in Octagon – Deleted
Frank and Cane Under Arena – Extended
Frank and Ed Under Arena – Deleted
Revenge Kill Speech – Extended

Mock Ads:**
Gorilla Nut—Try this enhanced drink supplement for men.
Muscle Slime—Want to get ripped? All you need is Muscle Slime.