It seemed like all the right ingredients were in place. You have a film trilogy that I loved. You have a style of absurd comedy that I’ve always been drawn to. And you have a lead actor in Liam Neeson who I’ve always enjoyed watching regardless of what film he’s in. But here’s the thing – you don’t just recreate something as hilariously absurd as 1988’s “The Naked Gun”. And you don’t just step into the Oxfords of a comedy legend like Leslie Nielsen.

Yet that’s the attempt we get in “The Naked Gun”, a 2025 legacy sequel that follows that goofy trend of using the exact same title as a previous series installment. Perhaps it’s my unwavering love for the original three movies. Perhaps it’s my concern from seeing Seth MacFarlane attached. But from its very first trailer, I was resistant to the idea of a sequel, reboot, or remake. The earlier films were built upon such a distinct brand of humor that since has all but disappeared. And the late, great Nielsen had a flawless knack for it.

To director Akiva Schaffer’s credit, his sequel certainly makes an effort to honor the original films, at least early on. It’s sets itself up well through some really good gags that feels fairly in-tune with David Zucker’s gems. But “The Naked Gun” 2025 runs out of steam around the midway mark. The laughs become noticeably more scarce. And as much as I like Neeson, he just doesn’t have the imbecilic innocence and irresistible charm that Leslie Nielsen effortlessly brought to the role.

Amid its slew of movie-defining early jokes, the story is initially set up as a classic film noir, complete with a hard-boiled detective, cynical voiceover, moody music, and even a femme fatale. But either intentionally or not (it’s hard to tell), Schaffer tosses it aside for a more conventional structure. Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen’s Frank Drebin, who has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps and join LA’s Police Squad.

After stopping a downtown bank robbery, Frank finds himself in hot water with his chief (CCH Pounder) over his use of excessive force. As punishment, he and his partner Ed Hocken, Jr. (a woefully underused Paul Walter Hauser) are moved off the bank case and assigned to investigate a suspicious car accident. Killed in the wreck is a man named Simon Davenport. After interviewing the deceased’s sultry sister Beth (Pamela Anderson), Frank makes a surprising discovery.

It turns out the car wreck and the bank heist are connected. And that connection is Edentech, a big tech corporation ran by the shady Richard Cane (Danny Huston). In truth, the story is pretty preposterous to the point of being mostly inconsequential. Things like coherence, a compelling narrative, character development, etc. are nowhere to be found. There’s nothing about the story to latch onto or to even bother caring about.

But frankly, that’s okay in a joke-a-minute movie where the main focus is on quickly shuttling us from one gag to the next. The problems come when the jokes stop landing, and sadly that happens too much in the second half. It takes some late swings that are simply too ridiculous. A few other swings come off as just lazy. Meanwhile some of the running jokes run out of gas yet Schaffer keeps going back to them.

While I’ve made a point to praise Nielsen for his tremendous comic work in the original films, I don’t want to shortchange Neeson’s efforts here. He and Schaffer attempt to recreate Nielsen’s Frank Drebin but the results are noticeably different. But it has more to do with the material than Neeson. The 73-year-old screen veteran fully commits to the cornball humor and is a key reason why the film works as well as it does. Throw in some good callbacks and a keen self-awareness, and you have just enough to keep this wobbly legacy sequel on its feet.

VERDICT – 3 STARS