The Naked Gun franchise returns after a 31-year hiatus! When the first movie came out back in 1988, the comedic strategy was clear: a dead serious delivery makes for some serious laughs. That hallowed tradition is carried on by this year’s reboot of the franchise, simply called The Naked Gun. The fact that Liam Neeson, the world’s most serious actor, is starring in The Naked Gun, the world’s most serious comedy, is proof positive that this film is performing some radical research in comedy. That raises a question, though: Why am I so keen about introducing readers to The Naked Gun (2025)? There’s one simple reason: A film this serious can’t help being funny.

Before we get into the film, there’s a bit of back story to unwrap. Trust me on this: Learning a little about the history of Hollywood comedy will make your encounter with the reboot and earlier entries in the franchise even better.

The first thing to talk about is the brothers David and Jerry Zucker and their friend Jim Abrahams — often referred to as Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, or ZAZ. This jolly trio is where the fun begins. Abrahams and the Zucker brothers grew up in the same Wisconsin neighborhood and attended highschool together. In college, they regaled audiences with comedy sketches at a small theater they dubbed the Kentucky Fried Theater. John Landis (a master of 1970 Hollywood comedy films) dropped by to see the show, after which Landis and ZAZ decided to work together on a movie. The movie version, called The Kentucky Fried Movie, was released in 1977. The trio were masters of cinematic parody — rather than simply offering sendups of random movie scenes, they had an almost preternatural knack for reinterpretation that bordered on recreation. The Kentucky Fried Movie has even been cited as an example of highbrow postmodernism, a theory that had begun to percolate around that time.

The Kentucky Fried Movie was also discovered by discerning viewers in the video rental market. That was when the Zucker brothers and Abrahams gained notoriety and brought their talent to the attention of the entertainment industry. The trio had wanted to direct their next movie, and now their moment had arrived. They debuted with Airplane in 1980, determined to show off their true talent.

The decision to cast Leslie Nielsen in Airplane was a master-stroke. Nielsen — who was better known for dignified roles with an occasional romantic line — is the straight man here amid an absolute maelstrom of ludicrous events. Whenever I see Neisen deliver one of his lines with a straight face, in apparent ignorance that he is in a comedy film, I can’t help but burst out laughing. Anybody who can watch Airplane without cracking a smile should probably give up watching comedy films altogether. When the film was first screened, one viewer is said to have remarked that the thunderous laughter and applause from the audience made it feel like being at a Led Zeppelin concert.

The most surprising thing about the original movie The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) is how it revives the traditions of slapstick comedy from the silent film era, which indulged in costumes and special effects, when comedies had relied on banter and wordplay ever since the first talkies were screened. The clever directors used deliberately cheap visual effects for big laughs and presented ridiculous disguises that somehow fooled the rest of the characters, if not the audience. This strategy provided a way to both present and resolve problems in the plot, but that wasn’t its biggest advantage. Because ZAZ could make their films on a low budget, they were free to explore their comic material without being at the mercy of box office pressures.

The trio had an amazing run of hits. They returned in 1991 with the sequel The Naked Gun 21⁄2: The Smell of Fear. (The “21⁄2” simply means the film is a sequel — the trio didn’t produce any films between the two.) Just as with the James Bond series, the outcome is never in doubt, and the filmmakers and audience alike know the plot itself is unimportant. The film had double the budget of the original, but viewers are divided on whether it actually improved on the original. The trio regrouped once more for a third stab at the series with Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994).

Hearing that The Naked Gun was getting a reboot three decades later reminded me of the sheer comedy of the franchise, of which (full disclosure) I’m an ardent fan. We’re whisked back into the cinematic universe of Frank Drebin (main character of the original Naked Gun movies from 1988, 1991, 1994) by his son, Frank Drebin Jr. An indisputably witty move saw Liam Neeson selected for the part of Frank Drebin Jr., son of the franchise’s former main character. Neeson is remembered by many for his role in the Taken series as a soft-spoken father with a hidden past as a special agent. Just as Leslie Nielsen was a delightfully unexpected choice for the role of Drebin in the original series, it’s hilarious just to imagine Liam Neeson’s metamorphosis for this movie.

In the reboot, LAPD officer Frank Drebin Jr. finds himself working on two seemingly unrelated cases: a bank robbery and a car accident involving a software engineer. But he soon learns that the cases are linked by a mind-boggling contraption called P.L.O.T. (Primordial Law of Toughness), which is capable of reverting humans to a primitive state. As Drebin Jr. bumbles through a series of slapstick gags, he tracks a cabal of billionaires intent on using the stolen P.L.O.T. device (get it?) to trigger people’s primitive instincts and sow chaos. The story is played straight despite the hilarious hijinks.

Liam Neeson’s participation in the reboot of The Naked Gun makes it more than a mere reboot — it’s the veritable resurrection of spoof comedy. By now, we’re familiar with the tropes of slapstick comedy, its winking parody and clever manipulation of awkwardness. As the comedic genre that ruled a generation prepares to make a comeback, we just need to sit back and get ready to laugh.

• Jung Sungil is a film critic and a director. He played a crucial role in shaping cinephile culture in South Korea in the 1990s by leading Kino, a magazine that transformed the landscape of film criticism.

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Top Secret! (1984)

An American rock star travels to East Germany (when the country was still divided) to perform at a festival and finds himself joining the resistance movement. Along the way, he faces all sorts of obstacles and dangers, dispatching them one by one while even finding time for love. Some scenes rank among the funniest in the ZAZ oeuvre, while others draw a laugh for their sheer zaniness. Hardcore ZAZ fans often proclaim it as the trio’s finest work.

Ruthless People (1986)

This film is about a millionaire couple where the wife is overbearing and hated by her husband. One day, the wife is kidnapped, and the abductors threaten to kill her unless they’re paid a ransom. That’s a welcome prospect for the husband, who begs them to do their worst. From there, everything unravels spectacularly, with one twist leading to another as the film somehow staggers toward a happy ending.

Police Academy (1984)

While not by ZAZ, this film was released around the same time, launching a long-running hit series that stretched to seven installments. The humor lies in the madcap antics of cadets at the Police Academy, their equally ridiculous instructors, and a revolving door of disputes with the citizenry and attempts to resolve them. Unlike the ZAZ films, however, a number of different people directed the films in the franchise.

Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)

After parting ways with David and Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams made his own films, some proving to be every bit as funny as the original ZAZ canon. The Hot Shots! series ended up being Abrahams’ biggest solo success. The genius move here was casting Charlie Sheen in the lead role. Abrahams and Sheen had already worked together in the original Hot Shots!, but this one was much funnier.

Superman

The dawn of a brand-new DC Universe begins here. Superman (David Corenswet) continues his fight for a better world, but he finds public opinion fiercely divided thanks to the efforts of Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and an army of trained monkeys working to discredit him on social media. Interestingly, the movie itself also became subject to sharply divided opinions voiced on social media.

This version of Superman is not the hero we’ve seen before; Corenswet’s performance shows a different, perhaps more human, side of the Man of Steel. Moving beyond the graceful flights and dignified action of the past, this Superman movie shows the difficulties our hero faces as an outsider and the actors bring fresh energy to these familiar characters. If you’re curious about this fresh take, don’t miss this new beginning for our classic hero.

Fantastic Four

Four brilliant astronauts embark on a mission to space, but when a freak accident exposes them to cosmic radiation, they return with extraordinary powers. Reed can stretch and reshape his body at will; Susan has the power of invisibility and can create powerful force fields; Johnny can engulf himself in flames and fly; and Ben possesses incredible strength and rock-hard skin. These rookie heroes must now learn to work together as a fantastic team to save the world from Doctor Doom.

You Gotta Believe

When Bobby (Luke Wilson), the beloved coach and father of one of the players, is suddenly sidelined by a serious illness, his friend and co-coach Jon (Greg Kinnear), along with a neighborhood coach named Mitch, steps in to lead the team. A surprising turn of events lands them a spot in the World Series and suddenly, all eyes are on these small players. Between despair and hope, the kids find strength in each other, becoming the heroes of their own story.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

The Earth is no longer a hospitable place for dinosaurs. Struggling to survive, the last remaining populations are confined to isolated regions near the equator. A massive pharmaceutical corporation, believing that the surviving dinosaurs’ DNA holds the key to a lifesaving drug, hires the brilliant and ruthless Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) to lead a special operation. But when an ordinary family gets caught in the middle of this greed-fueled mission, they find themselves thrust into a terrifying game of survival.

The Bad Guys 2

Once they were the “Bad Guys,” but now these five animal outlaws are trying their best to live on the straight and narrow. The problem is, the world doesn’t seem to believe they’ve changed, and their past is constantly nipping at their heels. To make matters worse, a new criminal organization known as the “Bad Girls” has appeared, pushing them to return to their old ways while posing a dangerous new threat.

The Old Woman With the Knife

Hornclaw (Lee Hyeyoung) is a legendary assassin in her 60s, now considered a relic of a bygone era. Bullfight (Kim Sungcheol), a young, ruthless killer who’s been tracking her, is closing in for the kill. After an accident lands her in a veterinary clinic, Hornclaw starts opening up to the gentle veterinarian who treats her and his daughter, giving her something to protect.

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

The monster family from the world’s most famous monster hotel is finally taking a vacation. Mavis surprises her dad, Dracula, with a luxury cruise. On the trip, Dracula finds himself falling for the ship’s charming human captain, Ericka, but she’s the descendant of a legendary vampire hunter. Ericka plans to deceive Dracula and destroy him, but unexpected feelings begin to get in the way of her sinister plot.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Lloyd (Matthew Rhys) is a cynical, world-weary journalist who doesn’t trust anyone. He’s assigned to write a profile of Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks), the beloved host of a children’s television show. Lloyd’s plan is to expose the “nice guy” persona and find the cracks in his perfect image. But he’s not prepared for Fred’s quiet, attentive way of listening and his warm acceptance of people just as they are. Slowly, Lloyd feels his hardened heart begin to change.

The Terminal

Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks) travels to New York City to fulfill the lifelong dream of his late father. But just before he lands, a coup breaks out in his home country, and overnight, he becomes a man without a nation. The U.S. government will not accept his passport, which means he can neither enter nor leave the United States. With nowhere else to go, Viktor finds himself making a new, and surprisingly appealing, life inside the airport terminal.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a salesman in San Francisco. Under the crushing weight of his unstable income, his marriage falls apart. Suddenly, Chris is a single father, solely responsible for his young son, Christopher (Jaden Smith). Even as he hits rock bottom, he lands a highly competitive, unpaid internship at a prestigious stock brokerage firm. Chris chases clients by day and takes care of his son by night, never giving up, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Little Forest

Tired of her exhausting life in Seoul, Hyewon (Kim Taeri) leaves the city and returns to her childhood home in the countryside. There, guided by the memory of her mother (Moon Sori), she begins to cook her way through the seasons. Hyewon slowly begins to reconnect with the senses and relationships she had lost in the city.

Big Deal

It’s 1997, and Gukbo Soju, a popular national soju producer, is on the brink of bankruptcy. The company is given a last-chance opportunity to survive. At that moment, Inbeom (Lee Jehoon) of Solquin, a global investment firm, swoops in, offering a strategic investment. But Inbeom’s true intention is to acquire the company for a fraction of its worth. A fierce battle begins, with the fate of the soju company hanging in the balance.

The Friend

Iris (Naomi Watts) is devastated by the sudden suicide of her longtime mentor and friend, Walter (Bill Murray). In his will, Walter leaves her his beloved Great Dane, Apollo. The dog becomes both a living reminder of Walter and an emotional bridge to his past. As Iris cares for the dog, she is forced to confront the parts of Walter’s life she never knew and reevaluate her own relationship with him.

Mean Girls

Cady (Lindsay Lohan), who grew up in Africa, gets a crash course in the wild, unfamiliar culture of an American high school. The school is ruled by the “Plastics,” a trio of queen bees led by the formidable Regina (Rachel McAdams). On a dare from her new friends, Cady infiltrates the group, planning to take Regina down. But soon, she finds herself getting sucked into their world of rules and power.

The Beauty Inside

Imagine a man who wakes up every morning in a different body. Age, nationality, gender — everything changes, every single day. Isolated from the world, Woojin lives a quiet, hidden life. Then one day, he meets Yisoo, a woman to whom he wants to reveal his secret to. Their story poses a gentle, thought-provoking question: What does it mean to have a true, unchanging identity?

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