Knowledgeable’s Score
Our Verdict
Liam Neeson is a worthy successor to Leslie Nielsen on this reimagining of The Bare Gun, which is foolish, quick-witted and absurd. I solely want the villain’s scenes have been as stupidly humorous as the primary motion.
Finest Pricing At present
Leslie Nielsen’s type of comedy may be very onerous to duplicate. Whereas most followers of his work will keep in mind his iconic puns comparable to “Good Beaver!” and “I’m severe, and don’t name me Shirley”, they’re simply the tip of the iceberg.
Re-watching the unique The Bare Gun (1988), in addition to episodes of Police Squad!, the present that spawned the movie, a lot of the brilliance comes from the lightning-fast gags that come thick and quick. It’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it humour of the perfect variety.
…at many factors, it had me choking on my popcorn, laughing
So, going into the brand new model of The Bare Gun – which is extra of a sequel than a remake – I used to be very a lot looking out to see whether or not this fast, absurdist comedy was current all through.
Regardless of my doubts, I’m comfortable to report that 2025’s The Bare Gun did emulate its supply materials with aptitude, and at many factors, it had me choking on my popcorn, laughing.
Is it pretty much as good as the unique? No. However I nonetheless consider that followers of comedy classics comparable to Airplane! received’t remorse shopping for a ticket.
The primary third of the movie is onerous to fault, as that is the place these snappy jokes are packed in. In case you’ve watched the teaser trailer (linked above), you’ll already understand how that financial institution heist scene goes down, however relaxation assured, you’ve not been spoiled for the remainder of the scene.
That leads completely into the start of Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr.’s investigation right into a mysterious new case. We’re launched to his weird squad who deal with mugshots like modelling shoots and down about three million coffees per day, irrespective of the place they’re or what time it’s.
I don’t wish to spoil all of the gags, however this part jogs my memory completely of this bribery scene from the unique The Bare Gun, which may have you hooked proper from the beginning, together with the poor fisherman (pun very a lot meant):
Liam Neeson’s dedication to the function of Frank is clear. Whereas he takes inspiration from his ‘dad’ (all of the detectives are kids of the unique forged… and sure, that features Norbert), he additionally places his personal spin on this technology’s unlikely hero. He has no reservations about making a idiot of himself – a stark distinction from his work on the Taken collection.
Frank’s love curiosity is Beth Davenport, performed by former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson. She’s a real crime creator. Nicely, it’s true crime that she makes up – and all with a steamy twist. Having been the centre of a lot media scrutiny all through her profession, it’s sensible to see her having such a blast with this movie, alongside Neeson.
That being mentioned, there are areas wherein this technology’s The Bare Gun could possibly be stronger, and if it’s given the go-ahead for a sequel, I’d hope to see these parts rectified.
Whereas it’s a tad redundant to scrutinise the plot of a movie this foolish, I did really feel my consideration wane every time the movie’s focus was on its villain, Richard Cane, performed by Danny Huston. And that’s an affordable chunk of the operating time.
Paramount
This isn’t to discredit Huston, who actually offers it his all. Nevertheless, the dastardly scheme that Cane cooks up is a weaker model of the one seen in Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman, which has a way more fleshed-out antagonist in Samuel L. Jackson.
I usually discovered that the jokes on the villain’s aspect fell flat, relying as they did on outdated references (which made me query who the filmmakers have been concentrating on) and shedding the quips that so many viewers love. Plus, these type of jokes aren’t remoted to Cane’s plot – there are references to TiVo bins, and a visible gag sequence that appears to imitate ones within the Austin Powers movies.
Would that cease me from recommending it? Completely not. The viewers in my screening have been proven a tongue-in-cheek PSA led by Neeson about going out and supporting comedies within the cinemas, because it’s a style that will get much less love and a spotlight nowadays. Whereas this was very clearly a spoof, I believe there’s a sound level there.
Must you watch The Bare Gun (2025)?
The brand new model of Frank Drebin in The Bare Gun is a nice shock. The primary third, particularly, really emulates the humour and puns that made the unique Leslie Nielsen movies comedy gold.
It does undergo from a weak villain plot and outdated references, however I really hope that doesn’t cease former followers from seeing how Frank Drebin 2.0 takes down his enemies, one schoolgirl disguise at a time.
The Bare Gun is out in cinemas this Friday, 1 August 2025. UK readers should purchase tickets from Cineworld, Odeon and Vue, whereas US comedy followers should purchase them from AMC Theatres and Fandango.
Associated articles