“Who’s gonna arrest me, another cop?” (Damn. That’s almost too accurate for laughs.)

Story: Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr. is on a brand new case; a bank robbery that saw the theft of an extremely important Plot Device. So Frank – and his trusty cup of coffee – decide to find out whodunnit, no matter what his Chief says. Oh, and across town, there’s a dead guy in a self-driving car, and his sister wants answers. One thing you’ll surely come to understand; don’t call Lt. Drebin Jr. Shirley.

Genre I’d put it in: Respectable Reboots
Release Date: 2025
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: A sequel/restart of the original The Naked Gun series of films, and the Police Squad TV show.

Gotta say: I’ve never seen any of the original Gun movies. Sure, I’ve seen clips, but I never sat down and watched the films themselves. Feels good to share this soul-baring honesty with you. I considered binging the film series last weekend before I hit the screening, I really did. But then I decided I’d walk in with no prior knowledge, like many of the Gen-Z folks may be doing. [NO I WASN’T LAZY, MOM.] And y’know what? It was silly, stupid, juvenile, and refreshing as hell. So yeah, if you haven’t seen the OG films, or don’t really know much about the whole Naked Gun backstory? You’ll be just fine sinking into this one.

This Gun opens with a cheeky jab at the Mission Impossible series and it’s surprise reveals. And I’m not just talking about seeing Liam Neeson in pink strawberry underwear, but that too. Neeson is similar to the original series’ lead, Leslie Nielsen, in his storied career in action thrillers. But like Nielsen, Neeson is a perfect fit. His deadpan line delivery makes the wordplay humor land perfectly, even when the puns veer a bit too close to dad-joke territory. As Drebin’s unwanted sidekick/wanted love interest Beth Davenport, Pamela Anderson does physical comedy extremely well, and I hope she gets more opportunities to goof around. After her brilliant dramatic performance in last year’s The Last Showgirl, we’re getting a look at levels of talent from this actress that Hollywood never seemed to be interested in until now. God bless Showgirl and Gun for finally giving Anderson wings.

The story is paper thin – and one you’ve seen in any number of “cell phones will end us” movies. But the story just an excuse for letting Liam Neeson off-leash, and he’s having the time of his life. Heck, Gun is packed with stellar performers, from the incredible CCH Pounder (The Shield) as Chief Davis to Kevin Durand as the loyal second-in-command bad guy. (Anyone else watch The Strain simply because Durand’s Vasiliy Fet was so compelling? Or love his himbo thief in Abigail?) Special shout-out to Danny Huston, who chews up scenery as baddie CEO Richard Cane. He handles comedic moments well, even when he’s supposed to be a hard-ass bad guy. And let’s just say his climactic battle with Neeson’s Drebin is a great spin on those action-packed throw-downs we’ve all seen a hundred times before.

Come for the curiosity over a reboot over 30 years in the making. Stay for the juvenile humor that sometimes goes a bit overboard, but ends up being effective as hell at making you smile. Hey, Neeson said we’re all fucked, so why not lighten the load a little and belly laugh? Fans of the original films will enjoy plenty of hark-backs to the earlier movies, including an early scene where we see how various members of Police Squad are related to the original cast…yeah, even that guy. There are also cameos I won’t spoil here, new spins on jokes you know from prior films, and even a bit of the original theme music. For me, a gal who never watched an entire Gun film prior to this one? Those crazy moments felt comforting, like I’d been transported to the 90s for just a moment or two. In 2025, that right there is worth the price of admission.

#Protip: Yes, there’s an end of credits tidbit for the folks who stay through the credits. But keep an eagle owl eye out as those credits pass by. You’ll catch a few gags typed in among the real cast and crew.