Directed By: Akiva Schaffer
Written By: Akiva Schaffer, Dan Gregor and Doug Mand
Cinematography: Brandon Trost
Editor: Brian Scott Olds
Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Danny Huston, Kevin Durand, Busta Rhymes, Liza Koshy, Cody Rhodes. Eddie Yu
Following in his father’s footsteps, a detective works to solve a murder case and save his police department from closure.
This film comes off as no harm, no foul as it’s a remake but more in spirit and paying homage to the original naked gun and thus police squad movies. There’s nothing wrong with the film though of course it’s going to be more modern. It kind of loses itself as it feels like the character is more random.
Whereas in the original film, Frank Draben is the hero and kind of silly and very stupid, but it gets the job done. Seems to know what he’s doing enough in that universe that he’s a police detective in and feels like more of a full character with a steady history.
Here sometimes it just feels like they throw a lot of stuff at the wall to see what sticks, especially in characters where their history or personalities will change on a dime. So that even though this is a comedy, if there isn’t anything you can really hold onto you’re just throwing in the chaos. It’s a bit more scattershot. As one of the producers is Seth Mcfarlane of FAMILY GUY. It has that kind of random humor at times. That has nothing to with the story really. Eden write it, but it has his fingerprints on it.
Which is where some of the films weaknesses lie where it doesn’t feel like joke so much it feels like those spoof movies that used to come out of every year where they would just try to take down recent trends of the year, maybe television and movies reality stars and there’s a bit of that humor here more than was in the original naked gun. You could call it in evolution of humor, but it also kind of cheapens everything.
Now, while this film has inspired, casting, whereas Liam Neeson has always flirted with comedy. This is one of his first where he goes in the full blown leading character comedy and while he’s good at it, it doesn’t feel as strange or like the stunt casting that maybe it should it’s understandable. Maybe he’s trying to follow and Leslie Nielsen‘s shoes, whereas Leslie Nielsen was a dramatic character actor for most of his career until the airplane movies and then he started slowly going into more silly or spoof in comedy and that being pretty much most of the films he played in
Again, as being so used to seeing Liam Neeson, kind of do this before it doesn’t come across as shocking as maybe it was intended to be or as different, as it was intended to be speaking of stunt, casting not that there’s anything wrong with his performance Danny Huston. it would’ve been at least a little more notable if the villain was played by an actor who we had known previously more as a friendly face or someone who usually plays nice or good guys playing that villainous type of role as at least it would’ve brought something new to the table, but again maybe this is just an evolution of this type of film and franchise
It also would’ve been nice if the descendants of Nordberg originally played by O.J. Simpson had more to do than making an obvious joke in one scene. Then we never see that character again, but that’s more of a nitpick.
Pamela Anderson, Paul, Walter Hauser CCH Pounder all do really well with their roles they do what’s required. Even though they’re more secondary players and it’s nice to see Pamela Anderson on the big screen. As it now seems like she’s getting the movie roles she should have back when her career was red hot. Instead of just becoming a celebrity or more sex symbol who sometimes acted rather than being actress who just happened to be very voluptuous and sexy
The film is fine for what it is obviously you’re not supposed to take any of this too seriously so as long as you’re just looking for a laugh, I don’t think you’re gonna find much disappointment with this film, and it stays within the tradition of the franchise and makes an attempt at a nice reboot, but it just doesn’t feel the same even though it does have scenes of hilarity that will make some laugh hard especially the snowman seen personally
Though if this is your type of humor, I don’t think you’re gonna go wrong with this film.
Grade: C+
