Comedy’s on the Line. Here’s How to Buy a Ticket.
There are three ways to buy a ticket for the new ‘Naked Gun’ movie coming out in the tail-end of this summer.
- You can make a quick trip to your local movie theater (or a very long trip to your not-so-local movie theater) and politely inquire of the employee working the front desk what motion pictures are playing that day. And then, after about a minute of them staring at you agog by virtue of the fact that nobody has ever made an in-person ticket purchase request for the entire period of their employment. Not because they’re new, but because nobody has done that in years. Finally, after googling how to sell you a ticket in person, they will recommend ‘The Naked Gun’ (2025).
- You can buy your ticket online, on an app.
- You can go to www.savecomedy.com.
Things to do:
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Schaffer, MacFarlane, and the Sacred Stupid
In the grand tradition of the original ‘Naked Gun’ franchise, nothing is sacred. Not even the sanctity the mainstream assigns to quote-end-quote “classic” comedy. Or classic anything, really.
Akiva Schaffer, of Lonely Island notoriety, is directing the reboot. He reunites with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, who co-wrote his 2022 film ‘Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers.’ And the film’s marketing certainly doesn’t hide the executive producer credit of Seth MacFarlane, whose presence practically guarantees a certain brand of comedy- cutaways, parody, pop-culture gut-punches.
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Surely You Jest: ZAZ and the Birth of the Modern Spoof
The writing and directing trio of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker- collectively known as ZAZ– started lampooning pop culture long before Hollywood let them touch a camera.
At the University of Wisconsin in the late 1960s and early ’70s, they founded The Kentucky Fried Theater, a live sketch show dedicated to spoofing whatever media made them laugh– B-movies, TV news, kung fu flicks, women-in-prison melodramas, beer commercials, pharmaceutical ads. While their peers were protesting the war, they were dissecting the absurdities of trash TV.
Their first film, ‘The Kentucky Fried Movie,’ was directed by John Landis. It did well enough on a tiny budget to give ZAZ confidence in their own comedic voice. For their next film, they wrote and directed it themselves- parodying disaster films, specifically airplane disaster films.
That film was ‘Airplane,’ and it hit like a pie to the face. Budgeted at $3.5 million, it grossed $158 million worldwide and is still one of the most beloved comedies ever made.
ZAZ followed this with a short-lived series called ‘Police Squad!,’ starring Leslie Nielsen as Detective Frank Drebin. It mocked stiff cop procedurals like ‘Dragnet’ and ‘M Squad.’ Though only six episodes were made- and just four originally aired- it became a cult classic thanks to cable reruns and home video.
Six years later, the concept was resurrected on the big screen as ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!’ Nielsen returned, joined by George Kennedy, who had declined a role in ‘Airplane’ due to his ties to ‘Airport.’ ‘The Naked Gun’ became ZAZ’s most commercially successful work, spawning two sequels and redefining what a deadpan spoof could be.
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A Fool for All Seasons
These movies are certainly not deconstructions of Cinema traditions and comedy tropes like Seth Macfarlane has been doing for the past quarter of a century with ‘Family Guy’, but, rather, is more in line with Schaffer’s spoof work with Lonely Island.
‘Naked Gun’ movies are ultimately an exercise in humility for the audience. Where, as Roger Ebert put it so succinctly in his review of the original ‘Naked Gun’ film, “You laugh, and then you laugh at yourself for laughing.” It is dumb, silly, inane comedy. Not bad comedy. Just pointless comedy. And happy to be so.
Based solely on the trailer, the movie will hardly address anything within the realm of “important issues.” Of anything that has to do with anything outside of the circumstances of a story. Which is just how they like it. Because although the film takes place in the real world, none of the characters seem to be able to function within its confines. Nuance seems lost on them.
It’s encouraging to know that a movie like this can still exist. Like the Nathan’s hotdog eating contest, there’s this feeling that as long as the country is in a place where we can have a national hotdog eating contest and silly, stupid movies, then we’re probably gonna be just fine.
However, Tim Robinson’s ‘Friendship’ encourages a little more faith in the continuance of the genre, as it, unlike ‘Naked Gun’, has no association with an intellectual property. Obviously, the reported box-office gross of a mere 1 million dollars certainly doesn’t bode well, it at least shows there can be a clear-cut laugh-out-loud comedy featuring a fool. In the case of ‘Naked Gun’, like his English- though technically French- counterpart, Inspector Closeau, a seemingly karmically-privileged fool who succeeds because of his good heart, or simple naivety. ‘Friendship’ however accomplished one of the greatest character feats I’ve seen in years. Like in ‘Naked Gun’, the world of the film seems entirely populated by strange people. And yet the protagonist, portrayed by Tim Robinson, still manages to stand out as a weird guy.
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Why Is Liam Neeson in This Comedy?
It’s a question fans have been asking for years- especially since 2014, when Neeson began appearing in small, playful cameos that poked fun at the tough-guy persona he cemented with the ‘Taken’ franchise. From late-night show bits to roles in ‘The Lego Movie’ and several Seth MacFarlane projects, Neeson has gradually embraced a comedic side.
On an episode of the ‘Tonight Show,’ Neeson explained to Jimmy Fallon how his collaboration with MacFarlane began, eventually leading to his role in ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West.’ ‘Family Guy’ famously mocked Neeson’s signature Irish brogue in a Western setting with one of its trademark cutaways. So, when MacFarlane asked Neeson to appear in a Western comedy, Neeson insisted he be allowed to keep his thick Irish accent- a condition MacFarlane happily accepted.
In a featurette for the new ‘Naked Gun’ film, director Akiva Schaffer described the casting of Neeson as a choice based on his “gravitas.” This gravitas refers to Neeson’s effortless presence as a leading man- a quality praised by critics like Roger Ebert and Charles Isherwood across both film and stage.
That effortless gravitas is exactly what a ‘Naked Gun’ movie demands. Though the comedy is tongue-in-cheek, delivering absurd dialogue requires full, unwavering conviction- Neeson brings just that.
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Serious Actors in Silly Roles
Originally, the reboot planned to cast Ed Helms– known for ‘The Hangover’ and ‘The Office’– as “Detective Frank Drebin, no relation.” While Helms is a fantastic comedic actor (his gut-busting delivery in ‘The Lorax’ is a personal favorite), he ultimately wasn’t the right fit. Why? Because he’s a natural comedian. This film needed someone who isn’t primarily a comedy actor. That’s why Neeson is perfect.
Back in 2016, Vulture interviewed the original ‘Naked Gun’ creators, who highlighted how radical it was to cast “serious actors” in a comedy- a “comedy without comedians.” That bold approach is why Liam Neeson fits perfectly. Although he’s dabbled in comedy, as Neeson himself admits in the film’s first look featurette, comedy is a new genre for him.
From the trailers alone, Neeson, Pamela Anderson, and Paul Walter Hauser all appear to embody the role of “competent fools” with silly, absurd humor true to the ‘Naked Gun’ legacy. For example, Hauser delivers a punchline that feels straight out of the Zucker brothers’ joke notebooks: responding to the saying “You can’t fight city hall,” he deadpans, “No, it’s a building.”
By Joseph Tralongo
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc.
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Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
Joseph Tralongo is a playwright and screenwriter who approaches storytelling with a deep respect for film’s ability to distill human behavior into meaningful moments. His personal work- i.e. his plays, screenplays, and films- leans into semantic tension, moral ambiguity, and the quiet unraveling of social dynamics- not to preach, but to parse. For him, writing is a slow excavation of truth through craft. With a background in theatre and independent film, he brings a structural precision and dramatic instinct to every film he reviews. Hollywood Insider’s mission to champion substance over spectacle aligns with Joseph’s belief that storytelling should investigate, not dictate.
