The Naked Gun hailed as ‘irresistible’ and ‘a masterclass in buffoonery’ by critics – with Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson showered in praise for ‘the funniest film of the year’

The long-awaited reboot of The Naked Gun franchise has landed with a bang, receiving a flood of glowing reviews ahead of its official release today with many critics calling it the ‘funniest film of the year’.

Starring Liam Neeson as the hapless detective and Pamela Anderson as the sultry blonde with a suspiciously criminal past, the spoof comedy has drawn praise for its ludicrous tone, gags and over-the-top set pieces.

Daily Mail reviewer Brian Viner gave the slapstick flick a contented four-star review, and sung the praises of leading man Neeson.

‘Some of the physical comedy has echoes of peak Inspector Clouseau, and it’s a lovely surprise to find that Neeson has it in him,’ he wrote.

Other reviewers have labelled the film ‘silly’, ‘ridiculous’, ‘outrageous’ and ‘stupid’ but in a tone of admiration rather than disdain. The absurdity, it seems, is what lends the flick its charm.

The punchy sequel is being hailed as a much-needed revival of a style of comedy that has all but disappeared from modern cinema – a broad, self-aware genre that doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

While some have quibbled over a slump in pacing towards the end, or questioned whether Neeson lives up to the late Leslie Nielsen, most have emerged from early screenings delighted.

Director Akiva Schaffer, best known for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, faced the daunting task of rebooting a beloved franchise with a fresh twist. 

And while not every critic was wholly convinced, the consensus is he has largely pulled it off.

Robbie Collin, chief film critic at The Telegraph, was particularly effusive. ‘The Naked Gun is the stupidest film I’ve ever seen,’ he wrote. ‘I loved it.’

He added that the film made him ‘physically crumple in my seat on multiple occasions’, calling it so funny that it rendered much of the rest of his review needless.

Writing in The Times, Ed Potton found Neeson and Anderson ‘irresistible’, noting that Neeson ‘has comic timing, presence, even spoof cops need to look and sound like cops, and chemistry with his femme fatale, Beth (a game Pamela Anderson).

‘Most importantly he has the ability to keep a straight face through an absolute cavalcade of sight gags, groan-worthy puns and weapons-grade buffoonery.’

Peter Bradshaw, reviewing for The Guardian, did acknowledge that Neeson may lack ‘Nielsen’s eerie innocence’, but insisted this did little to dampen the film’s appeal. 

He described it as ‘amiably ridiculous, refreshingly shallow, entirely pointless and guilelessly crass.’

At Variety, Owen Gleiberman struck a more measured tone. While he found ‘a handful of jokes that are delirious’, he felt the reboot didn’t quite live up to the comic heights of the original.

‘The new Naked Gun, by contrast, is amusing,’ he wrote. ‘What it won’t do the way these movies once used to is shock you into laughter.’

He was also less convinced by Neeson in the lead role, writing: ‘Neeson, game as he is to be used as a glowering found object, is not a natural comedian, and you can feel that. His Drebin doesn’t flow the way Nielsen’s did.’

But others were far more generous with their praise. Rachel Leishman at The Mary Sue called it ‘one of the funniest movies in recent history’, adding: ‘It is just what I have been missing with comedies. The Naked Gun is one of my favourite movies of 2025.’

David Gonzalez of The Cinematic Reel described it as ‘one of the most audacious comedies in years, one that evoked the biggest laughs of any press screening I’ve ever attended.’

Joey Magidson, writing for Awards Radar, agreed, saying: ‘It’s the funniest film of the year. The flick achieves what few comedies these days even attempt.’

Other critics were more cautious, but nonetheless appreciated the film’s presence in a barren comedic landscape. 

‘The big-screen comedy has grown almost nonexistent lately,’ said Jake Coyle at the Associated Press. 

‘So it would be easy to hail The Naked Gun as something better than it is, since it simply existing is cause for celebration.’

Attention was focused on whether director Akiva Schaffer had succeeded in staying true to the franchise’s roots.

‘Akiva Schaffer’s The Naked Gun really is The Naked Gun, not some halfhearted rehash or itemized nostalgia checklist,’ wrote William Bibbiani at TheWrap.

He also praised Pamela Anderson’s comic performance, adding: ‘Matching Neeson joke for joke is Pamela Anderson… reminding us that she is, and always was, a skilled comedian.’

Aidan Kelley at Collider declared it ‘arguably just as funny as the first three’, and ‘one of the most consistently funny films of 2025.’

But David Rooney, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, did express concerns over pacing, noting that ‘the movie kind of stalls midway as Schaffer struggles to balance the gags with the action of an overly elaborate crime plot.’

Nevertheless, he concluded that ‘there are enough laugh-out-loud moments to keep nostalgic fans of the earlier films happy and maybe make some new converts.’ 

Siddhant Adlakha at Inverse found the film’s attention to visual and background gags impressive.

‘The frame is filled with stealth jokes at every turn, extending far into the background, even out of focus,’ he wrote.

‘There’s barely a shot or line of dialogue that isn’t a joke, and the film has a stunning (and eye-watering) success rate.’

As for the film’s handling of heavier themes, he remarked: ‘The film’s approach to  heavy political themes is as serious as a whoopee cushion.’

David Ehrlich at IndieWire said: ‘While I wish the whole thing could have been even denser with throwaway sight gags and liminal ADR soundbites… every comic set piece is a total home run.

‘The Naked Gun is almost objectively the funniest movie of the year.’

Michael Balderston of What to Watch noted that ‘not every joke is going to land for everyone’, but praised the film’s consistency.

‘You won’t go more than a minute or two without some kind of joke or Easter egg, and a good majority of them will break through to at least earn a chuckle, while a solid number earned true laugh-out-loud moments for me.’ 

He was also among several reviewers to comment on the whopping task of replacing Leslie Nielsen.

‘It’s a near-impossible task for anyone to take the mantle from Nielsen, whose deadpan delivery and pseudo-seriousness were perfect for these movies,’ he acknowledged.

‘Neeson does about as good as anyone could, though.’

On the film’s final act, he added: ‘The jokes in the final act of the movie aren’t as consistently strong… as it puts a little more focus on action and making sure the thin plot gets wrapped up.’

While star Neeson was the subject of most reviews, leading lady Pamela Anderson caught the eye of critics.

Pete Hammond of Deadline praised Anderson’s performance in particular, saying she ‘matches [Neeson] line for line in reeling off the noirish dialogue.’

Allison Rose at FlickDirect, though, was less charmed, remarking: ‘There were times when the movie turned boring, even though it was only 85 minutes long.’

Even with its imperfections, the overall consensus suggests that The Naked Gun reboot may well be the comedy antidote cinema-goers didn’t know they needed.