For those of you living under a rock (or who weren’t around in the late ’80s and early ’90s), the original Naked Gun trilogy, starring the incomparable Leslie Nielsen as the clueless but somehow effective Lieutenant Frank Drebin, is a masterclass in deadpan humor and slapstick absurdity. It’s a comedy gold standard, a series that still holds up remarkably well, and trying to recapture that magic is a seriously risky business.
So when it was announced the franchise was getting rebooted, there were tons of skeptics who thought this could go sideways. Then...the trailer dropped:
Let’s be honest, there are about a million ways this reboot could have gone horribly wrong. Replacing Leslie Nielsen is a monumental task in itself; his delivery and comedic timing were absolute perfection. The original films were lightning in a bottle, a perfect storm of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker genius.
But... there’s a glimmer of hope here, and that hope comes in the form of Seth MacFarlane. Known for his own brand of irreverent and often rapid-fire comedy with Family Guy and Ted, MacFarlane is producing this reboot, and that gives me a sliver of optimism. The trailer, starring Liam Neeson in the Frank Drebin role (a casting choice that initially raised eyebrows but actually looks promising in action), seems to be leaning into that same kind of silly, joke-a-second spirit.
Pamela Anderson also pops up, adding to the comedic chaos. While no one can truly be Leslie Nielsen, the trailer hints that Neeson might just pull off the straight-man routine with his own brand of bewildered charm. Maybe, just maybe, they’ve managed to capture some of that beautiful, dumb magic.
Ultimately, the legacy of The Naked Gun is a tough act to follow, but based on this first look, it seems like the reboot is at least aiming for the same brand of ridiculousness that made the originals so beloved. Whether it can live up to that legacy remains to be seen, but for now, I’m cautiously optimistic.
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