MOVIE REVIEW: THE NAKED GUN

 

Following in the footsteps of his bumbling father, Detective Frank Drebin Jr. must solve a murder case to prevent the police department from shutting down.

Director: Akiva Schaffer

Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, CCH Pounder, Danny Huston

Release Date: August 1, 2025

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime

Rated PG-13 for crude/sexual material, violence/bloody images and brief partial nudity.

Runtime: 1h 25m

Review:

The Naked Gun series springs back to life with a barrage of visual gags and word play jokes that recapture the comedic energy of the original Abrahams/Zucker productions starring Leslie Nielsen.  Director Akiva Schaffer does a strong job of recreating the goofy energy that permeated the older film right from the start and he rarely lets the foot off the gas.  The throw everything at the wall approach works incredibly well as jokes and gags fly at such a fast pace that it never lets the audience linger too long on anything.  The jokes that land and those that don't are thrown onscreen in steady succession with the cast being more than game to roll with it.  Liam Neeson is the linchpin to it all as he takes the reins of the legendary Leslie Nielsen with incredible ease.  Neeson extended stay as onscreen tough guy works wonderfully here as he's clearly having a blast embracing the absurdity of the script and action playing out in front of him.  There’s something about his gravelly voice delivering some of the most inherently silly lines of dialogue that recalls Nielsen's pitch perfect deadpan delivery.  It helps that he shares strong comedic chemistry with Pamela Anderson who displays some impressive timing.  They clearly are having a ball onscreen together and that energy comes through the screen.  The supporting players don't get as much time to shine with Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand, CCH Pounder and Danny Huston doing the most with their limited screentime.  Huston in particular seems to be channeling Ricardo Montalban from the 1988 film which the film should have used to a greater extent.  His character's masterplan seems lifted from the original Kingsman film which makes the last act a bit clunkier than what came before it.  Still, it’s hard not to appreciate how well 2025’s The Naked Gun revives this particular style of comedy.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE LAST SHOWGIRL

 

A seasoned showgirl must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.

Director: Gia Coppola

Cast: Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Billie Lourd, Jason Schwartzman

Release Date: January 8, 2025

Genre: Drama

Rated R for violence, some sexual content, graphic nudity and language.

Runtime: 1h 29m

Review:

Gia Coppola's The Last Showgirl stripped down tale of a fading showgirl is powered by a reflective, sorrowful turn from Pamela Anderson that propels the film's straightforward narrative.  Coppola style is naturalistic with moments that capture an almost dreamlike quality to the setting and subjects.  There are echoes of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler on multiple occasions although the script lacks that film's depth in terms of character development.  This works more as a pensive piece that takes advantage of Anderson's lived experiences.  Anderson's wispy voice vacillates between inspired by nostalgia and sadness as the present collapses on her.  She's given a handful of moments where she channels her own experiences to deliver some of the film's more powerful moments, particularly in the film's latter half.  It’s an impressive performance that gives the character a level of realistic humanity as she tries to keep up a brave face while she's slowly cracking underneath.  The supporting cast is solid even though they all suffer from being terribly underwritten which mostly wastes the talents of Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, Dave Bautista and Billie Lourd.  Jamie Lee Curtis though manages to make the most of her screentime as an over tanned, well past her prime cocktail waitress.  Anderson and Curtis make for a strong pair onscreen, but the film never takes full advantage of it to really flesh out their relationship.  It’s a similar situation with her much younger coworkers, played dutifully by Song and Shipka, as the film gives us only the most simplistic version of their relationships.  The Last Showgirl provides Anderson a perfect showcase to shine but once the credits roll you are left feeling there was a better film in there somewhere.

B