The Naked Gun (dir. Akiva Shaffer)
By: Adam Freed
It takes a team of seriously intelligent writers to make a comedy about a cop this stupid. The Naked Gun stays true to its heritage, producing a laugh a minute, lovably comedic film centering on the fictional Los Angeles Police Squad, the same squadron of lunatic lawmen made famous by Leslie Nielson’s comedy cult classic The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988). Taking over for Nielsen is Liam Neeson (Schindler’s List, Taken), an interesting choice considering the gravity of many of the Northern Irishmen’s past roles. As it turns out, Neeson is a pitch perfect straight man to play Lieutenant Frank Dreben Jr., a senior officer so steeped in self seriousness and ignorant overconfidence that it takes an actor of Neeson’s ilk to pull off without betraying the silliness of the operation. The Naked Gun films have always played out far more successfully as a series of comedy sketches than cohesive plot driven stories. Enter writer, director, and Lonely Island co-founder Akiva Shaffer (Popstar: Never Stop Stopping, SNL), who is unquestionably the right man at the right time to helm the rebirth of the long dormant comedic franchise. Shaffer’s sensibility gravitates towards the absurdist, never rushing past an opportunity to allow for a scene to marinate in the pain of its own discomfort. As a writer, Shaffer vacillates between the rat-a-tat of machine gun dialogue to classic set-up, knock-down set pieces. The brilliance of his humor is in the well-timed balance of the two.
This iteration of The Naked Gun places Lieutenant Dreben, in the path of slimy tech billionaire Richard Cane, captured by a perfectly cast Danny Huston (The Aviator, 21 Grams). The film opens as Cane’s goons orchestrate an uproarious bank heist in order to steal what is framed as a “P.L.O.T. Device,” therefore erasing any misconceptions about the nature of the film’s tone. The Naked Gun is not a film to be taken seriously, which is exactly why, given the gravity of today’s social climate, the comedic throwback may seriously rekindle box office interest in short escapist comedy. The real revelation of Shaffer’s film is Neeson co-star, Pamela Anderson (The Last Showgirl, Baywatch) who plays Beth Davenport, an age-appropriate femme fatale of sorts to Dreben’s naïve gumshoe. Anderson, once one of the planet's most recognizable actresses, is a delightful foil to Neeson’s feeblemindedness. For a film reliant on nostalgic appeal, allowing Pamela Anderson to flex her comedic muscle is a pitch perfect note.
It is unclear if The Naked Gun, a deliberate gag parade of a film, will interest new audiences the same way that it will reinvigorate fans who imbibed repeat viewings of the late 80’s original on VHS. Like its title stars Neeson and Anderson, The Naked Gun feels like an honorable escapist throwback to a type of comedy that doesn’t get made anymore. Wisely, Shaffer’s film doesn’t overstay its welcome at a wire-thin 84 minutes, but pound for pound, is the funniest film of the year. While its box office impact is yet to be measured, The Naked Gun accomplishes exactly what it sets out to be.
Target Score 7/10 - Witty, silly and lovingly stupid, Akiva Shaffer’s The Naked Gun honors the spirit of the franchise, offering a joyful, lowbrow escapist comedy that keeps the laughs coming from start to finish.