At 72, Liam Neeson stands at a fascinating crossroads in his career. The man who turned “I will find you, and I will kill you” into a cultural phenomenon is now wielding that same gravelly menace in service of something entirely different: comedy. THE NAKED GUN, hitting theaters this Friday, represents more than just another reboot—it’s a potential pivot point for one of cinema’s most unlikely action stars.
Neeson’s journey from dramatic heavyweight to geriatric action hero has been one of Hollywood’s most surprising second acts. After establishing himself as a serious actor in films like SCHINDLER’S LIST, the Irish performer found unexpected late-career gold in TAKEN, transforming himself into an unlikely action star well past the age when most actors retire their leather jackets. But THE NAKED GUN suggests Neeson might be ready for his third act, following in the footsteps of Leslie Nielsen, who famously abandoned dramatic roles to become comedy royalty.
Playing Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr., son of Nielsen’s iconic character, Neeson delivers what can only be described as his silliest performance yet—and that’s saying something for an actor who recently battled wolves on ice and taken on entire crime syndicates single-handedly. His voice, that rumbly instrument of threat that has launched a thousand memes, now serves punchlines instead of ultimatums. The transition is both jarring and oddly natural, as if all those years of deadpan intensity in increasingly ridiculous action scenarios were merely preparation for this moment.
The film itself, directed by Akiva Schaffer and written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, exists in that peculiar space of being a spoof of a spoof, paying homage to the original while updating its targets for contemporary audiences. Where the original NAKED GUN films lampooned the crime dramas and action films of their era, this iteration takes aim at the slick, tech-obsessed thrillers that have dominated the past two decades. Neeson’s Drebin Jr. investigates a death involving a high-tech electric car and its Musk-like inventor, played with appropriate menace by Danny Huston.
But it’s Neeson’s chemistry with Pamela Anderson, playing true-crime novelist Beth, that provides the film’s most surprising element. Their romance unfolds with the kind of absurdist logic that made the original films classics, complete with an extended winter-sports pop video sequence that feels like a fever dream collaboration between Wham! and the Zucker brothers. Anderson, making her own unexpected career pivot, proves a capable comedy partner, matching Neeson’s deadpan delivery with her own perfectly timed reactions.
The most intriguing aspect of Neeson’s performance is how it plays with audience expectations. We’ve become so accustomed to his particular brand of middle-aged vengeance that hearing him deliver ridiculous one-liners while maintaining that same intensity creates an almost surreal viewing experience. It’s method acting applied to parody, and the results are both hilarious and slightly unnerving.
Whether Neeson will follow Nielsen’s path and commit fully to comedy remains to be seen. He certainly has more dramatic credibility to potentially sacrifice than Nielsen did when he made his own transition from FORBIDDEN PLANET to AIRPLANE! But there’s something liberating about watching a performer of Neeson’s stature embrace the ridiculous so completely. In an industry increasingly obsessed with franchise building and cinematic universes, THE NAKED GUN offers something refreshingly simple: an excuse to watch a legendary actor have fun with his own image.
The film may be, as one observer noted, “amiably ridiculous, refreshingly shallow, entirely pointless and guilelessly crass,” but in our current cultural moment, perhaps that’s exactly what we need. Sometimes the most radical thing an actor can do is stop taking themselves so seriously, and Neeson’s willingness to trade gravitas for gags suggests a performer still willing to surprise us, even five decades into his career.
Gothic drama LIES WE TELL is now on Netflix.
With powerful performances by Agnes O`Casey and David Wilmot, the Irish drama takes Sheridan Le Fanu`s classic novel UNCLE SILAS and transforms it into something urgent and vital for our moment.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
When Colin Farrell and Jessie Buckley finally sat down together, they were strangers—but within moments, the conversation became profound.
Both Irish actors are carrying the weight of devastating roles this year: Farrell as a gambling addict spiraling in Macau in BALLAD OF A SMALL PLAYER, Buckley as Agnes Shakespeare grieving her son in HAMNET.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
From FAIR CITY to KNIVES OUT! Daryl McCormack shines in the new #netflix film WAKE UP DEAD MAN.
McCormack just wrapped Netflix`s PRIDE AND PREJUDICE opposite Jack Lowden, Emma Corrin, and Olivia Colman. Talk about range: trading viral grift for Jane Austen elegance. Same actor, different century, wildly different moral compass.
More Daryl at irishfilmtv.com.
Eve Hewson brings ghosts to life in Noah Baumbach`s JAY KELLY.
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More Eve at irishfilmtv.com.
When the past catches up with you in Amsterdam 🌊
Ciarán Hinds and Lesley Manville star in MIDWINTER BREAK—a retired couple`s winter getaway becomes a reckoning with memories they`ve tried to outrun for decades, in theatres Feb 20.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
James Nesbitt is back in Harlan Coben`s twisted universe. 🔍
RUN AWAY drops January 1st on #Netflix — and this one`s personal.
When Simon (Nesbitt) finally finds his missing daughter strung out in a city park, it`s supposed to be a second chance. Instead, it`s the beginning of a nightmare.
New trailer at irishfilmtv.com.
Are you loving STEVE on #Netflix?
Legendary war photographer Sir Don McCullin spent days on set capturing behind-the-scenes magic from this raw Netflix drama starring Cillian Murphy about a head teacher fighting to save his reform school while battling his own demons.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
🏆 RIVALS just scooped the International Emmy for Best Drama Series!
The Disney+ hit starring Irish talents Aidan Turner and Victoria Smurfit brought home the gold for this deliciously scandalous 1980s romp through the world of wealthy media types.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From THE COMMITMENTS to THE TUDORS to KIN, @mariadoylekennedy has built a career that defies categories.
In a brand new interview with The Irish Examiner, Maria opens up about the artists and art that shaped her creative journey—from her Dublin roots to international screens and stages.
Watch now at irishfilmtv.com.
🎭 From Shakespeare to a Beatle: Paul Mescal is doing the impossible!
Oscar-nominated Irish actor Paul Mescal is taking on TWO iconic roles that prove he`s one of the most fearless actors working today.
Watch Paul`s latest interview at irishfilmtv.com.
Kerry Condon`s brief but powerful performance in TRAIN DREAMS is pitch perfect.
She inhabits her character with quiet competence, moving through a male-dominated world with both caution and grace.
Watch now on @netflix!
🎬 HAMNET stars to receive Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards!
A stunning meditation on love`s fragility and art`s power to transform suffering into transcendence. This is Irish talent at its absolute finest on the world stage.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Netflix just quietly dropped a crime thriller you`ve been sleeping on, and Brendan Gleeson`s performance alone makes it mandatory viewing.
MR MERCEDES, Stephen King`s dark detective series that somehow flew under the radar, is finally streaming – and it`s everything fans of slow-burn psychological thrillers have been craving.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
Andrew Scott is about to steal another movie and we`re absolutely here for it! 🔍
The trailer for WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY has dropped, and our beloved Irish actor is joining Daniel Craig`s Benoit Blanc for what looks like the most deliciously twisted instalment yet.
Scott plays bestselling author Lee Ross, one of several suspects in a seemingly impossible murder that rocks a small town`s religious community.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
From GLADIATOR II`s arena to the quiet forests of Maine collecting folk songs on wax cylinders—Paul Mescal`s latest role in THE HISTORY OF SOUND might be his most vulnerable yet.
Now on @amazonprime, the film follows Lionel, a shy musician from a Kentucky farm in the 1910s, who meets David White (Josh O`Connor) at the New England Conservatory.
More at irishfilmtv.com.
