Reboot of 'The Naked Gun' delivers chuckles, while 'Freakier Friday' fails to elicit laughter
In the post-pandemic era, the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun has proven to be a triumphant return for the beloved spoof comedy franchise. Starring Liam Neeson as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the film has been met with critical acclaim and commercial success, making it Neeson's highest-grossing film since 2020.
Directed by Akiva Schaffer and produced by Seth MacFarlane, the reboot finds a perfect balance between legacy callbacks and contemporary humor. The film, set in Los Angeles, features a next-generation cast alongside familiar character archetypes, appealing to both long-time fans and new audiences.
Liam Neeson's portrayal of Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen's Lt. Frank Drebin Sr., has been praised for its faithful recreation of the original character's spirit. The film's plot, involving a bank robbery, a dead body, and a sinister billionaire who owns an electric-car company, played by Danny Huston, is as convoluted and hilarious as ever.
Meanwhile, in a different L.A.-set farce, Nisha Ganatra directs "Freakier Friday", a sequel to the 2003 "Freaky Friday". Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan reprise their roles in this new instalment, where Anna and Harper swap bodies, while Tess swaps with Lily. Curtis' performance in "Freakier Friday" has been compared to her recent role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once", with critics noting her impressive range and comedic timing.
Pamela Anderson fills the role of Priscilla Presley, playing a crime novelist named Beth Davenport in "Freakier Friday". Julia Butters plays Anna's strong-willed teenage daughter, Harper, and Sophia Hammons plays Anna's fiancé's teenage daughter, Lily. Lohan's return to "Freaky Friday" is noted as a comeback to one of the films that made her a young star, with her performance in "Freakier Friday" being praised despite some issues with the movie.
The reception of both "The Naked Gun" reboot and "Freakier Friday" indicates a positive appetite for studio comedies in theaters again after the pandemic disruptions, positioning these films as a bellwether for post-pandemic comedy viability. As audiences continue to crave laughter and nostalgia, it seems that classic comedy franchises are set to make a strong comeback.
Movies-and-TV enthusiasts are eagerly anticipating the reboot of the beloved spoof comedy franchise, "The Naked Gun", as it showcases both legacy callbacks and contemporary humor. The entertainment industry has seen a resurgence of comedy with the successful release of "The Naked Gun" and the recently released "Freakier Friday".
