The first trailer for the Naked Gun reboot has landed, and somehow, Liam Neeson is now playing Frank Drebin’s son.
Paramount’s revival casts Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr who is offspring of the original dead-eyed disaster cop played by Leslie Nielsen. The trailer shows him taking out a criminal disguised as a schoolgirl using a sharpened lollipop, before getting emotional over a photo of his late father. It’s truly as ridiculous as it sounds, and that’s entirely the point.
Directed by Lonely Island alum Akiva Schaffer and produced by Seth MacFarlane, the reboot doesn’t seem interested in reinventing the formula. Deadpan delivery, slow-motion explosions, and absolute nonsense dressed up like a cop drama. Neeson delivers every line with the same seriousness he used in Schindler’s List, which makes it funnier than it should be.
Pamela Anderson and Danny Huston also show up, and there’s a nod to other legacy characters—offspring of Captain Ed Hocken (George Kennedy) and Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) both get a look-in. Everyone else from the original run has since passed so this new version feels more like a tribute than a sequel.
Neeson, now 72, said years ago he was done with action roles, but clearly that didn’t stick. After Taken and the never-ending string of knock-offs, this feels like a pivot—but not one that takes itself too seriously.
The original Naked Gun trilogy pulled in over $160 million and became a cult fixture on DVD and late-night TV. Whether this new one lands or flops, it at least seems to get what made the original work: actors committing hard to absolute nonsense.
No word yet on an Australian release date. But if you’ve ever wanted to see Liam Neeson cry in front of a framed photo of Leslie Nielsen, this one’s for you.
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