Review: The Naked Gun (2025) (with Nick Rogers)

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello, everyone. I'm Logan Soot. [00:00:02] Speaker B: And I'm Andy Carr. [00:00:03] Speaker A: And Nick, introduce yourself. [00:00:05] Speaker C: I'm Nick Rogers. [00:00:07] Speaker A: Yeah. We're here today with a special guest. [00:00:09] Speaker C: In the spirit of what we're talking about, say Nick Rogers. Me too. [00:00:16] Speaker A: Well, perfect timing, because in honor of the Naked Gun trilogy episode, which will be out this weekend, we decided to bring Nick along to talk about the reason why we're doing the trilogy, which is in honor of the return of Naked Gun through the new film starring Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Danny Houston. What a cast. Now that I'm saying it out loud, reminding myself and just full clarification. We have already done the episode recording for the Naked Gun trilogy. [00:00:54] Speaker B: We've seen all the classics. [00:00:55] Speaker A: We have. We have seen the Final Insult. We have smelled fear. And we, of course seen the cases, the files of the police squad itself, and in Andy's case, watched a whole television series, which is six episodes, do prep for it, but. So we will probably reference that episode a little bit here and there, but we'll more so have probably spoilers about the new film. But to get into it, um, let's start with our guest. Nick. How did you feel about 2025's the Naked Gun? [00:01:28] Speaker C: So one of the things that I appreciated most about it was that, and I think I mentioned this to andy, it was 75 minutes of movie and 10 minutes of credits, which the credits obviously have their own jokes and are worth staying for. But I was like, when was the last time a non children's film in major wide release, like, clocked in at like 75 minutes of actual movie? [00:01:55] Speaker A: Oh, gosh. [00:01:57] Speaker C: But I mean, you might feel like you're getting cheated, but it's absolutely perfect for this. Oh, yeah, yeah. So I'm. I'm probably not in the camp of feeling like this is like the savior for mainstream comedy films in the sense of, like, it's so damn funny that you, you know, that it's gonna, like, you know, create a wave of things in its wake. It's very funny. It's very solid. If anything, to me, it maybe felt a little bit front loaded. The two. The two things. The two things that made me laugh and snort out loud in the theater were almost within, like five minutes of each other, you know, kind of early on. But it's consistently funny. Liam Neeson totally gets it. Perfect casting. You know, Logan, you mentioned the supporting players. The supporting players, almost to a tee, have some fun bit to do, at least one, you know, so it's Maybe not as much of a wealth spreader as some of the original films were, you know, with George Kennedy, with O.J. simpson, with Robert Goulet, with Fred Ward, you know, on through the series. But it is. It is very solid, very funny. You know, my colleague Evan said it was kind of like the best case scenario for, like, a new Naked Gun. And I. And I agree with that. You know, I don't think it's. I don't think it's trying to outdo the original trilogy, which is wise. And I also don't think it's. It's also not necessarily in, like, the exact same mold either. Like, there's not a whole lot of jokes that will date this movie. Whereas one of the things that we talked about was, you know, if you. If you don't know who Michael Dukakis is, there's like a gag in the second movie that you're gonna be like, yeah, I don't get it. [00:04:00] Speaker A: You had to clarify that for me. [00:04:01] Speaker C: Yeah. You know, but that's. I mean, I think that the Zucker and Abrams movies were just. They were inherently more topical of the news of the time or the figures of the time. I mean, there are obvious and funny Elon Musk gags in this movie through Danny Houston's character, but they never. They're not asking you to analogize him specifically to Elon Musk. And there's stuff. There's stuff that's certainly a parallel to real life things, but not clocked as such. So, yeah, I mean, it was a solid 3.5 out of 5 for me. I mean, I had a really good time with it. There was one time where my wife and I were the only two people in the theater laughing at something. And it was the. What did he say? He was like. When I was younger, we only had only three things were electric eels, chairs, and Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago. No one else in the theater laughed at that, but my wife and I, which. We were like, okay. [00:05:07] Speaker A: Yeah. And I know when we had the conversation about the trilogy, like, one of the things that I think stand the test of time, ironically, is the fact that all the dated stuff is still funny just in its own microcosm. And I think even though the new one isn't fully trying to do that, there are some bits where I'm like. I'm sitting here and being like, there's a whole extended sequence in this movie that is just Liam Neeson being mad that his tivo was connected to the Internet. And I'm like. Like, that is like a 20 year old joke and it's 2025 and they are selling this so hard in a way that is like this kind of does feel like in the original when there's something that is just out of the blue. Like, is this really the 80s that we're talking about here? It's just much older. Like, you know how there's like a. There's a fucking Twilight Zone bit in Smell of Fear that we didn't even talk about where they. It's a cookbook where it's like they pull it different. Yeah. How to Serve Man. [00:06:09] Speaker C: Ye. [00:06:10] Speaker A: There's like all these. There's these moments and there's even. There's even funny things too where like there's even a Sex in the City joke where it's clearly just trying to show. What's funny though too is like it's still technically modern because the Sex and the City sequel series is like on season three or four. So it's like. But it's funny how. [00:06:28] Speaker C: I can tell you. I can tell you as someone watching it to the bitter end with my wife who's also bitterly watching it to the end. It's season three will be the end of. [00:06:40] Speaker A: I'm not surprised by that. I've heard because, yeah, it's not even the main four anymore because one of them left before they did the sequel series. [00:06:49] Speaker C: But one of the funniest jokes in the Naked Gun concerns his characterization of the character who's not on the sequel series. [00:06:56] Speaker A: And they're using that for ads for this movie. [00:07:01] Speaker C: Oh, really? I haven't seen that one. That's. [00:07:04] Speaker A: I saw a Facebook ad that uses his like, deconstruction of Sex and the City as like a selling point for the movie. And I was like, it is funny how there are still little bits here and there. I mean, there's even like, Danny Houston is an actor that I've always really appreciated to see in a movie. Not the, like, he doesn't sell seats, but it's always delightful to see him because he usually doesn't phone it in that often. [00:07:29] Speaker B: Well, 75% of the time he's in a terrible movie and he's like selling the shit out of his part in that terrible movie. [00:07:38] Speaker A: I was gonna say Andy, when we saw the screening, it ended and he went, he's good in the Crow. And that movie's not good. Like, that movie sucks. He's like not throwing it in. Like, he's just. But like, there is a Black Eyed Pease joke that is being built up and you know, exactly. Again, very classic. Naked Gun. You know exactly where that joke is going. And yet the way that Danny Houston delivers it in such seriousness, it is. I was cackling. I will say that I. I think this film in a theater that isn't willing to laugh consistently would probably make it a bit of a bummer, because with our advanced screening, we just. No one was not laughing. [00:08:25] Speaker B: Yeah, the crowd was pretty into it. Yeah. [00:08:27] Speaker A: Yeah. And even. Even when it was at the parts, I was like, I'm wondering if this is even going to hit many people. It's still. It's still kind of rocked in that. And, yeah, it. Andy, how did you feel about it before I get into more of it? [00:08:42] Speaker B: Well, I mean, I felt a lot of the same things as Nick. I probably feel a skosh warmer on it. And actually reflecting on the movie kind of reminded me of, like, the first Naked Gun film I watched, really enjoyed, but was kind of like. Like you said, Nick, about this one felt front loaded. [00:09:03] Speaker A: And the. [00:09:03] Speaker B: The ending of the original Naked Gun film, I was kind of like, lukewarm on. And so I came away kind of feeling like three and a half out of five for that original film. And then when we talked about it and I thought more about it, you know, and I was just thinking about, like, all the shit that really does sing in that movie. I ended up going back and bumping that movie up to a four because I'm like, you know, this is great. It's, you know, incredibly influential, funny, beginning to end, even with my warts. And I kind of had the same arc with the new one coming out of it. I was like, that was really funny. You know, again, kind of front loaded. There are. There were some gags that kind of went on for a while that I, like, didn't really get a whole lot of. Get a whole lot out of. But the more I sat with the movie and more I, like, thought about it and thought about the jokes that really did work. All the ones we've mentioned. The Owl, which I was not into at first, but was won over by it. You know, just a lot of things. [00:10:05] Speaker C: Like Iron man esque. [00:10:06] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:10:08] Speaker B: A lot of things like that. Where I was kind of like, you know, the more I just sat with it, the more I appreciated it. And I think especially just kind of in contrast to where, like, you know, big release comedies have been for a long time. It's certainly an oddity. And I think I would agree with you, Nick, that it's not. I wouldn't expect this to, like, Usher in some new wave. You know, even if it were really that, like, incredible of a movie, I just don't think it's gonna have the legs to have that much influence. So, yeah, I really enjoyed it. I haven't laughed that hard at a movie in theaters in a long time or as consistently. I mean, this is one of those that, like, you know, it's. Every 30 seconds to a minute is. Is a. They're cracking a new one. It's. [00:11:04] Speaker A: It's, like, the funniest film I've seen this summer. Yeah, I feel like it is. And again, it's not like there's a. There's a lot of competition to that, but, yeah, I do think it was kind of. Yeah, it was shocking how, like, the movie starts with the bit we've seen a thousand times in the trailer, which is the bank heist. Yeah, I was like. I was actually excited about. I was like, oh, thank God. We're just getting this out of the way. Know what this is? [00:11:28] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:11:28] Speaker A: And even with that in mind, there were still gags that they weren't like. They did what every trailer should do. They kind of cut the best gags out of the bank heist for the actual movie. So when we go in there, when he just bites that gun and just eats it, and then he does, like, that whole little move where he gets all the guys to shoot themselves and, like, kills 12 guys in one with it with a. [00:11:53] Speaker C: With a dummy, I was so glad. [00:11:55] Speaker A: I was like. [00:11:56] Speaker C: I was like, please remember me. And they did it right out of the gate. Like, there we go. [00:12:01] Speaker A: There's just so many things in this that are like, this shouldn't be funny still in 2025, it really shouldn't be funny. But thankfully, the consistency and the confidence in knowing that, you know things. Slapstick is funny when you commit. Like, when you genuinely feel like you have a good joke, you commit to it and you go for it. And it's funny how in 2025, it still. You can still get me, like, with Nick Said, like, you know, hi, I'm Frank Drebin. Me too. Like, shit like that just hits, you know, hey, that is, like. We just. There's so many. I was fun listening to you because we. Nick saw it a little bit after us, and he's texting us some of his favorite jokes. One of our favorite jokes to all three of us, both Andy, Andy and I, and our friend Adam, who saw the advanced screen with us. We all became a puddle of mush when he said, she's got A bottom that the toilet would beg for the. [00:13:01] Speaker B: Brown would make any toilet big for the brown. Yeah. [00:13:05] Speaker A: We were just losing. [00:13:08] Speaker C: I mean, and the thing is, I've. [00:13:10] Speaker A: Never heard a description of an ass like that. [00:13:12] Speaker C: It's so. Like, it's funny on its own, but, like, it's just like, when Liam Neeson intones it, it's just even. I mean, it's in the way that Leslie. It was the same thing with Leslie Nielsen, where it was like his. You know, his PI narration. [00:13:28] Speaker B: Yeah. His ability to tap into that kind of uber serious detective monologue Y sound. [00:13:36] Speaker C: Yes. So that was. Well, if I can jump in for a second, Logan. That was one of my favorite jokes, but my absolute favorite, in part because there's a sight gag with a naked guy getting his genitals blasted with red light therapy to increase his sperm count. And that whole bit is just a setup to Danny Houston telling Liam Neeson that sperm count is down across the board is what he says. And to that, Liam Neeson says, I've never thrown my sperm down across the board. I have an old Bon Jovi T shirt for that. And I like. I just. That was probably, like, the one where I was like, it's going to take me a few seconds to recover from that one because it was so good. [00:14:34] Speaker B: Because, again, such an elaborate setup. [00:14:36] Speaker C: Right. Like, that's the thing is, like, it's the combination of the sight gag set up to that. It's a combination of the specific verbiage that they used to set it up and just the Bon Jovi. I was like, okay, that is like a naked gun right there. [00:14:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:14:53] Speaker A: Because Naked Gun at its best is it sees the easy joke. It knows how it could make you laugh in the easiest way possible, and then elevates it just specifically enough that it only becomes funnier because it just. That's basically all he has to say is, I have an old sock for that. But to make it specifically an old Bon Jovi T shirt means there could be so many other questions that could be answered but will never get answered. I think it's very funny how many of those bits. I mean, again with the Devo bit, how he goes down the list of all the different Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes he will never be able to watch again. And it's like he's specifically saying things where it's like, now I know this is not Liam specifically, but he really is committing to just how much he's gonna miss the Doppelganger episode. [00:15:47] Speaker C: But, like, that's also funny, too. Like, if you. If you envision, like, Liam Neeson as a performer, not knowing what any of that. [00:15:55] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:15:55] Speaker C: Means. [00:15:56] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:15:56] Speaker C: Like, he's learned his lines, but he just. Like, he's not actually a Buffy person. I don't know. I thought that was, like, obviously, when you cast Liam Neeson, part of the joke is that it's Liam Neeson. But there were. I liked that there were only a few moments that they really leaned into that without the whole movie sort of coasting on that. There's the thing with the cameo that is kind of reliant on you knowing it's Liam Neeson. There's that bit with a cultural reference that's probably something he has no idea. You know, some of the action beats are, you know, are pretty similar to some of his other movies. Obviously exaggerated for comic effect. But I appreciated that they didn't just lazily, you know, let his career post taken just kind of be the guide for the jokes. [00:16:52] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, there were a lot of. I mean, obviously the jokes kind of COVID a lot of bases, but I appreciated that there were gags on, like, other franchises. I mean, they redo the whole Mission Impossible fallout sequence, which is like the. [00:17:06] Speaker A: Most extended, clear cut, like, movie split. [00:17:10] Speaker B: Yeah. In the whole movie. But. [00:17:13] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:17:13] Speaker B: I mean, I'm sure they had to know. Akiva Schaefer had to know that, like, as much as everybody knows Liam Neeson for shitty action movies, as of late, most people have not seen those shitty action movies to know the references. [00:17:27] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. And the fact that the film just looks like. Clearly is trying to look like what a gritty Naked Gun film should look like. [00:17:34] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:17:35] Speaker A: In the worst way possible. And then still has sight gags like the cold Case Room that just looks like coming out of a freezer. Or the fact that, like, you know, everything looks so flat. Like, all the. All the dark scenes are so dark and intense, but in the daytime, everything is so flat. Everything is like. It just like. Yeah. I think having. Whoever decided whether it was, like, Akiva hearing about the film being involved or Seth looking for Akiva to be a part of it, whoever thought that a, like, a Lonely island member would perfectly capture what the silliness of a Naked Gun film could be nowadays is, I think, a genius move. Because if you've seen Hot Rod MacGruber or even Pop Star Never. There's some shit in Pop Star Never Stop. Never Stopping that feels clearly like they are big fans of this. The goofiest, like, slapstick stuff. Like, there's, like, there. I mean, I remember it's funny because I just think of it now. Like, there's that whole funny bit in the original Naked Gun. It's. Is it Gorbachev? Is he the one that has the birthmark? [00:18:42] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:18:42] Speaker A: Drebin wipes off and then looks at the camera and goes, I knew it. [00:18:46] Speaker B: Right? [00:18:46] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:18:47] Speaker A: And, like, there's even a bit in Pop Star Never Stop, Never Stopping, where they have Seal at a wedding with a bunch of panthers or something. And then, like, the Jaguars go crazy, and then the jaguar, like, Seal protects Andy Samberg and his wife and says, I've had. I've done this before with Jaguars. Why do you think I have these scars? Referring to his lupus scars. And then Andy Sandberg's response is, I always knew it's stuff like that, where it's like, why is that the response to all of that? But I think it's the perfect kind of comedic balance in a modern age to kind of, like, in a modern day to. Yeah, like, I do agree with you all. Like, there's nothing in this is trying to. Or I think will inadvertently start a new. Like, now comedies are gonna be back in theaters immediately at this budget and, like, be pushed as hard as this one's. Like, this one's constantly pushing. Like, every hour, a comedy script gets, you know, thrown out the trash. You can change that by going to see Naked Gun. Like, they're making fun of that, but, like, it's pretty clear that it just wants to be a fun Naked Gun film that kind of can stand next to the other ones and not feel like it's trying to belittle them or be exactly like them, even though, like, this film basically has similar beats all the way up to, like, the second act. Like, Drebin kind of has, like, a downfall with his love interest in the police force. They even have the third act being during a sporting event, with this one being the. Not ufc. [00:20:22] Speaker C: Right. [00:20:23] Speaker A: Which I know the UFC is still popular. It's constantly been popular and getting growing probably every year. But, like, it feels dated to have it be the finale, be it a ufc. [00:20:33] Speaker B: Yeah. I was surprised even that they got the big UFC commentators to, like, comment. I was like, okay with the full bore on this. [00:20:44] Speaker A: And then that one UFC commentator who was like, I left, and she. My wife said goodbye, but she was wearing her makeup like she wasn't going to sleep. [00:20:51] Speaker C: What do you think's up with that? [00:20:53] Speaker B: Yeah, what do you think's up with that? [00:20:55] Speaker A: And the only time he becomes a commentator is when Drebben's dick is out. [00:20:58] Speaker C: Right. There was. There was one. There was one sight gag in that that when I rewatch it. And to your point, Andy, I mean, I do think, you know, I could go up on this on a rewatch. Like, I would not. I don't think I would go down at all because I think it's really solid. But there were a few things that I missed or that I'd be like, okay, maybe I just missed some setup bit of that or some pacing bit of that. Because it is. I mean, the joke density is pretty high, but I'm Fairly sure, like 70% sure there was an NPR logo on the apron of the Octagon. [00:21:41] Speaker A: Yes, there is. [00:21:42] Speaker B: I was actually about to bring that up because that Logan and I, at our screening were seated next to our IFJ colleague, Matt Sosi. [00:21:52] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:21:53] Speaker B: And I mean, he was pretty mellow the entire movie. I mean, I was hearing him laugh at some of the gags, but, like, Logan and Adam and I were clearly reacting a lot more expressively than. [00:22:05] Speaker A: Couldn't hide it if I tried. [00:22:06] Speaker B: Yeah. And then in that MMA fight scene, there's several sponsors, like on the floor of the Octagon and Around the Edge and things like that. There's like an energy Dr. Called Trauma or something. And I laughed at that. And then there's a top down aerial shot looking down on the octagon, zooming out, and you see the NPR logo. And I didn't catch it at first, but Sosi next to us just busted a gut laugh. Like, hardest laugh in the entire movie was him laughing at the NPR logo. And I had to ask him. [00:22:42] Speaker C: Glad it after. No, that wasn't a hallucination. Cause I was like, by the time I saw it too, I was like, well, they'll probably show it again. And then, of course they didn't. [00:22:50] Speaker A: But yeah, and again with the confidence, I am glad that the OJ joke is the only OJ joke. Yeah, the only one we got to see. Like, I was joking to Adam. I was like, wouldn't it be funny if they made it seem like Nordberg is still alive? But it's just Cuba Gooding Jr. They just went that fucking hard. Like, to reference his run as OJ On People versus OJ But I kind of just love the fact that you get the one joke that you'll probably get the biggest O.J. laugh. Like, laugh about O.J. out. And then you just continue. Like, you don't feel like you necessarily have to constantly reference the fact that OJ Is a prominent part of the Naked Gun. Franchise. [00:23:33] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:23:34] Speaker A: And, I mean, I think everyone in the supporting cast just is as committed to Liam as to not handle this in a goofy way. Like, I think Pam Pamela Anderson is just after last year. Yeah. With last Showgirl and being like, God, I'm glad that, like, we're at a point where she's feels more comfortable as an artist and wants to do more stuff. And then to go from that to fucking this, I think is just a delightful little one, two punch. And the fact that now she's dating Liam, that they're dating each other, and it's like, that's so sweet. [00:24:07] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:24:08] Speaker A: And Paul Walter Hauser, again, is the kind of guy where literally, he could find a way to drop change out of his wallet. And I'll bust out laughing because he'll just know how to say it or do it. Right. [00:24:20] Speaker C: The beer vending is, like, a weird little bit, but, like, his commitment to it is so good. Just take him bum. [00:24:31] Speaker A: Rushing a child into a vending machine was just so, like, out of nowhere. It was delightful. And then surprisingly too, like, you know, like I said, Danny Houston feels like he's just eating up the scenery every scene he's in in a delightful way all the way up to his fight scene. [00:24:49] Speaker C: Oh, God, that was really good, too. [00:24:51] Speaker A: That also made me just, like, start cracking up. And then, of course, you hit me. [00:24:56] Speaker C: In the soft part of my belly. [00:24:59] Speaker A: He's going. And then the whole bit about CCH Pounder's husband. Oh, yeah, like, really funny, you know? [00:25:08] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:25:08] Speaker C: Like that. [00:25:09] Speaker B: That felt like a recurring bit from the originals. Like, oh, we got to keep going back to the police chief whose husband is trying to get an injury. [00:25:18] Speaker A: And that hilariously, that also reminded me of, like, you know, more modern kind of comedies with, like, the other guys where they have, like, the whisper fight at the funeral. Like, it's stuff like that where it's like, it is this situation where, like, I am so glad we can have, like, Nick Sad, like, have a movie like this come out and be under 90 and know, like, we have gotten to the point that you should get a Naked Gun film where everything is resolved. Here comes the credits. Yeah. And then we hit those credits. We get. We get a police squad gag we didn't even get in the original trilogy, which is the freeze frame gag, which is wild to see again. To see that in 2025, take it as, like, straight as could be is great. And then to, like, yeah, I never thought I'd stay until the very end of the credits for a Naked Gun film until like, you know, the. The Frank Drebin song was. It is. It is just like. It. There is just so much that could have gone wrong with this movie. And I'm so glad that, like, we came in and, like, I'm. I guess I'm the. I guess I'm the warmest out of the three of us for this, where I think I like this one. Like, I would rate it the same as one and two, but I prefer two and one more. Like, I love Smell of Fear. Like, that was probably the most fun when I watched those movies. [00:26:38] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:26:39] Speaker B: I mean, I would probably put it shoulder to shoulder with the first two Naked Gun movies. I mean, I think, honestly, the three of us are like, gradations apart here. [00:26:48] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, Absolutely. [00:26:50] Speaker A: No, but it was great to just, like, you know, we. Like the last review we did where we talked about first steps, where we just, like, you know, we. We were on a bigger chasm between us in terms of what we liked and didn't like about the movie. But, like, we both agreed that there were things that we kind of wanted from that movie that we sadly didn't get and how we kind of responded to that show, the differences in there. And I think with this movie, we walked out being like, fuck. I kind of just want. I want to see this. I want to see this with a crowd again. I want to see this with my. My dad. [00:27:22] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:27:23] Speaker A: Like, this is the first time, I think, when it comes to the Naked Gun films, I think it's like, when it comes to people younger than us, I've always been like, I can probably get my brother into these movies, but, like, these movies are maybe just too silly for them for, like, someone younger than me. But then, like, watching this, I was like, fuck it. I could be in a theater with my dad, my grandpa, and my brother, and we would lose it. Like, I could see them loving this movie. It's like. It's just. It is so. It is the. It's delightfully silly in a world where it's like, I kind of just want more things like this. Like, this, you know, like, where it's just, like, go in. Like, just take the dumbest thing you can think possible and have it be in the joke the whole time. And just, like you say, yeah, gag a minute, gag a second is, like, perfect for, like, a gun film. And knowing when the story is supposed to be done, you finish it. And I think it's like, will this. Yeah, this will not be in our heads like, the. The change for studio comedies. But I. I Said something walking out of the theater. I never thought I'd say coming out of that theater, which is if they decide to do another one with Nissan, I'll be there. That is the wildest thing is just like being out of a Naked Gun Legacy sequel slash soft reboot, like 10 years after the Force Awakens and how much. I mean, we just got that. I think I know what you did last summer. [00:28:52] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:28:52] Speaker A: I mean, any of those. And then like to have this be like, yeah, this Naked Gun, it just commits to it really well and well. [00:29:02] Speaker B: And I. I mean, I think, you know, referencing Evan's comment again, I think best case scenario really feels like an appropriate way to describe it. Just because, like, yeah, I expected this movie to be fine. I was like, maybe it'll have some good gags that remind me of the original and then it'll probably be full of a bunch of like, I don't know, C tier Lonely island jokes. I don't know. You know, I was. I did not have high hopes. I was not like doomering about it. But for to come out and feel like, you know, I can give the movie what I think is probably the greatest compliment, that it feels like a naked, like, it feels like another Naked Gun movie, you know, right. Right there with the originals is really all I could have asked for. Yeah. And if it feels good to be able to say that, because I wasn't sure it was gonna be that. And honestly, the. The landscape with things like, you know what I did last or I know what you did last summer and all those other reboots and rebakewells and things like that are just, you know, they're so rarely up to snuff. [00:30:11] Speaker C: And I think too, what's really satisfying about this, to your point, Andy, in that it feels like another Naked Gun film, is that we talked about this a little bit in the proper trilogy episode that, you know, there were the scary movies, there was superhero movie, date movie, epic movie. There's been any number of spoof films outside of the Zucker Abrams mold that some of them worked, some of them didn't. But those in a lot of ways did not necessarily capture that specific feeling that the Zsasz movies had. And I think it's a tough assignment. Right. I mean, especially for someone like Akiva Schaefer, who has a storied successful career in his own right as part of Lonely Island. You know, two of the co writers on this did Crazy Ex Girlfriend, which was a highly acclaimed show. And you know, they kind of have their own Style. I think it's just. I think what. The toughest thing to thread the needle on with this was just nailing that without trying to so slavishly lean on what was done. I thought that the three of them did a really good job of, like, striking the balance between their own style and, you know, not subverting what made it work. Like, it's just. It seemed like a very thin, high tightrope to walk. And I thought that they did that really well, you know, whereas, you know, sure, anybody could have come in and done a Naked Gun movie, but it may not have felt like those other movies, to your point. And I thought that that was really part of what was impressive about this as well. [00:31:57] Speaker A: Well, I think he even said in our trilogy Episode, at one point, they wanted. There was rumors of, like, an Ed Helms where. [00:32:02] Speaker C: Yeah, come on. [00:32:04] Speaker A: Hangover. [00:32:05] Speaker B: Where it's. Yeah, we're. The Miller's Vein Naked Gun movie. [00:32:10] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:32:11] Speaker C: It probably would have been directed by that dude, too. The guy. [00:32:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:32:14] Speaker C: That did Red Notice. [00:32:16] Speaker A: And I thought you were about to say Todd Phillips, like, the Hangover director. Sorry, Joker, too. Fully a dude director. [00:32:28] Speaker C: Yes. [00:32:29] Speaker A: The best comedy of last year. [00:32:30] Speaker C: War Dogs. War Dogs director. [00:32:33] Speaker A: Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Old school director. Yeah, I think it is. It's delightful how the movie is, you know, testing the waters but not feeling like after they. They're able to get some new gags out there that they're not trying to overtake what makes those originals the way that they are. And because, like, you know, there's also, like, the. The montage, which in the original film is like the Herman's Hermits love montage. And then in this, there's a love montage in a winter cabin that just so happens to lead to a bunch of sinister things that is like a. [00:33:12] Speaker C: Little movie within the movie. [00:33:14] Speaker B: Yeah. I did appreciate how elaborate and off the rails that got. [00:33:18] Speaker A: It was one of those things where, like, could this have been an original one? Yes, maybe. But at the same time, I like how it feels like they're just being like. I don't know. They would have thought of how goofy it was just to put a ritual book in the love. And they. They do it, and then they just go back to the usual stuff and have a lot of fun. I just, again, it's. It's. I'm constantly just thinking about all the gags that, you know, were just really so funny and just really kept it going. And like I said, the Black Eyed Peas bit. I think I made a good point with that, too, Nick. That, like, they're in that bit. There is more Black Eyed Peas jokes right after that one joke. [00:34:00] Speaker B: Yeah, right. That's like, kind of the start of the jokes. Yeah, yeah. [00:34:05] Speaker A: I think Adam even said. I don't even think we heard the full joke. I think we just heard the start of it. Like, There was 3/4 more of a joke. [00:34:13] Speaker C: Right. Well. And then it then build up. Yeah, yeah. With the needle dropped at the. [00:34:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:34:18] Speaker C: Toward the end. Of course. Yeah. The. It's funny that, like, now thinking about that, like, since you mentioned that, Logan, like, the musical references are probably, like, some of the only dated things in it. And the other one. And I don't know if you caught this. Did you catch the. The. It was so. It was kind of like twofold, but Pamela Anderson was kind of joking at the expense of one of her previous relationships at one point when she was doing her scat singing. [00:34:48] Speaker A: No, I did not. [00:34:49] Speaker C: So when he. So when it. [00:34:51] Speaker A: Was it, like, soggy chicken in D minor or something? [00:34:55] Speaker C: Oh, God. What was it? Yeah, it was something chicken. And she's like, make it extra lumpy, boys. [00:35:01] Speaker A: And they're like. They're all just like, okay. [00:35:03] Speaker C: But. So when it cuts back to. So Liam Neeson is trying to access security footage, and he's in a back room, and it cuts. It cuts to him trying to access the security footage. You can hear her scatting, and she's doing Ba with Da Ba by Kid Rock. Oh, for like, two bars. And she's married to Kid Rock for, like, a year. [00:35:23] Speaker A: Yeah, I knew that. Yeah. [00:35:25] Speaker B: I did not hear that. [00:35:26] Speaker C: So I was like. When that happened, I was like, okay, that's good for her. Like, she, you know, I mean, it's like she's able to laugh at, you know, one of her. We looked this up at dinner after the fact. She's been married five times to four different men. So, like, good for her for being able to laugh at, you know, one of those, at least. [00:35:50] Speaker A: Well, I thought about it after we did our episode. But it's funny that we were talking about, you know, superhero movie and whatnot. Like, since Superhero Movie is one of the last films I believe Leslie Nielsen is in before he passes away. That film also has Pamela Anderson as the Invisible Woman. [00:36:05] Speaker B: Really? [00:36:06] Speaker A: Like, that's. That is the era where, like, that shows the crossover, where it's, like, this weird, like, funny to think that we're now at a point where, like, the old Frank Drebben, the love interest of the new Naked Gun, did a shitty spoof movie together in like the late 2000s. [00:36:21] Speaker C: Interesting. Yeah, I didn't know that. [00:36:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Because I think that film also has Tracy Morgan as Professor X. [00:36:29] Speaker C: Maybe I'll have to check that one out. I don't know. The more you talk about, like, it might be one of those where it's like what you. What you're talking about is inherently funny to me, but the movie itself is not. I don't know. We'll see. [00:36:39] Speaker A: Yeah, I just. Because I think the only bit I remember from that movie with Pamela is dubbed after is that they go to Professor X's school and they meet all the kids and whatnot. And I believe Professor X's wife, I believe, played by Regina hall, who is also bald and in a wheelchair. [00:36:56] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:36:59] Speaker A: Finds a pair of panties, accuses him of cheating on her, and then she slaps the heir. And then Pamela Anderson comes out of the invisible space. [00:37:07] Speaker B: And that's. [00:37:08] Speaker A: No, I think that's her old bit. I don't know if she shows. I've only seen clips. That's like. But it's insane. It's. Again, that's where we were like 15, 20 years ago. To see it go from that to just like this. Like, I love how the big cameo in the. I mean, if you're. If you're a big WWE person, probably Cody Rhodes popping up. I did not know Cody Rhodes is going be. To be in this. And it's fun and delightful to see him just get. Just shat on by Liam Neeson for a little bit. And then to have another Weird Al cameo in this franchise is incredible. And also a post credits scene with him in the bunker. [00:37:51] Speaker C: Well, Cody Rhodes also gets probably the. I would say maybe the only politically charged joke in this. Maybe. [00:38:00] Speaker B: Oh, what was that? [00:38:01] Speaker C: It was the one where he tells Frank that he shot his brother. And he's like, yeah, you're gonna have to narrow it down. And he's like, he was running away from you. He's like, yeah, that could be hundreds of people. [00:38:12] Speaker B: Oh, you're Tony's friend. [00:38:13] Speaker C: Yeah, right. And he gets down to the criteria that he gets down to. He's like, he was white. He goes, oh, yeah, Tony, whatever. [00:38:23] Speaker A: Again, there's a great moment towards the end of the film where it could have been a make or break in an early version of the script. It's not the right people where Frank turns his gun on to civilians because they all are now charged by this, the plot device. Sorry. [00:38:42] Speaker C: Right. Yes. [00:38:43] Speaker A: And you would think they could go so many ways with this. And to go In a way where. [00:38:48] Speaker C: He uses the magazines to. [00:38:51] Speaker A: The magazines to knock people out. And the only time he shoots his gun is what he shoots this tooth back into the guy's mouth. [00:38:58] Speaker C: Right. [00:39:01] Speaker A: It's just like, there you go. That's the best way to handle just. It is very smart in how it handles its goofy, dumb jokes. [00:39:12] Speaker C: Yeah. [00:39:13] Speaker A: I really appreciate that in a way that again, I think it's. This movie is like one of the biggest surprises of the summer for me. Because like you said, like I was thinking, it was like, I want to not have too high hopes. I'm gonna hope it's fine. I'm gonna hope it's like, if anything, even if it's the worst of the Naked Gun films, it's not like a bad. That's all I could ask for. [00:39:32] Speaker C: Right. [00:39:33] Speaker A: And to just immediately be like, I'm locked in. I'm an absolute sucker. This is just going to. This is gonna keep messing with me. Just. [00:39:41] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:39:42] Speaker A: Even seeing the trailer so many times, seeing Liam Neeson in like, those way too tight strawberry panties, Ruby is like, God damn it. Or like the coffee cup bit just being consistent the entire. All the way until it. The last time we get it is product placement for Speedway. When he's holding on to the owl and the hand comes out. It's a speedway cup. It's like the only time it is a Not normal, like generic. [00:40:10] Speaker B: Generic, right. [00:40:11] Speaker A: It's just like that is where the advertisements coming in when Liam Neeson is on an owl who is shitty Updates of Houston. [00:40:18] Speaker C: I like the. I liked too, like the. The kind of sloshing sound effects when they would throw down a full cup. [00:40:26] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. So excessive over the top. [00:40:29] Speaker A: Yeah, it had. It gave me energy of any time in wet hot American Summer. They would use the broken pot, right? They would use like the. The stock sound effect. [00:40:40] Speaker C: Right? [00:40:42] Speaker A: And just like. Yeah, they. They do have some bits that are very akin to like bits that were used to like before. Like, I think all the internal monologues crossing over to one another when, like, Pamela Anderson is leaving. And of course there's like the, you know, the miscommunication conversation stuff. We're like, yeah, Frank Drebin. Me too. I don't think there is a sex maybe later joke like in the original films. But like, there is. There's some there. I don't know. It really was just a fun time that I would highly recommend to just anyone who's looking for a funny comedy. Like, it's like a straightforward comedy that doesn't feel like it Is like, I think the common misconception, like, the common kind of thing that kind of brings some comedies down is being an action comedy. What's trying to be mostly on action and then sprinkle in that comedy here and there. Where I was thinking, yeah, like the Kevin Hart, the Rock films. [00:41:39] Speaker B: Yeah. Those are what I think of, too, when I'm thinking the contrast to this. Yeah. I mean, and not just, like, trying to be action comedies, but also, like, just relying too heavily on just actor charisma of just like, oh, everybody likes these people. So if we put them on screen and put them in a silly scenario, it'll be funny. And this is a movie where it's really. The joke comes first. Like, you know, it's all in service of crafting a really funny setup and payoff, you know, to the word and, you know, to the down to the second, to, like, just really refreshingly, like, old school in principle, like, of what comedy is. [00:42:25] Speaker C: And I. And I think to that point, Andy, too, to play off that and then go back to something Logan said. I mean, I think that you couldn't say this about, say, pop star, which I. I mean, that's a movie where, like, my face hurt when it was over because I had laughed so hard at it, but me, too. That's not something that I feel like is generational enough that if I watched it with my dad, he would appreciate it. You know, he. He might laugh at some of the broadest stuff, but, like, this movie feels maybe even given the general absence of, like, dated references, it feels maybe even a little bit more generationally broad than the first three, you know, and so to your point, Logan, like, yeah, you could watch it with your dad. You can watch it with. With your. Your grandpa. You can. You know, you can watch it with a younger brother. I mean, I think that they, you know, if there's any maybe improvement on what they did with the original trilogy, it's that they made it feel a little less pinned to an era. [00:43:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:43:34] Speaker C: Which is really, like, kind of the degree of difficulty on that seems even tougher now than it probably did back then. [00:43:42] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I mean, there's some kind of. I don't even know if I have the framework to describe it, but there's some kind of energy to this movie, like a higher energy. It's kind of operating at a little bit more hyperactive pace that I think is just, like, it'll keep a broader group of people more engaged. Whereas, you know, a lot of classic Zazz comedy is very, you know, it's it's constant, but it's low key and it's very straight faced and deadpan. And so, you know, it's kind of. This is not a movie, I don't think, where you would like, risk. As funny and as constantly funny as it is, you're not really running the risk of like missing jokes. [00:44:26] Speaker C: Right. [00:44:26] Speaker B: Because you didn't, you know, you weren't paying attention to that exact moment or whatever, you know. [00:44:31] Speaker C: Right. And maybe that energy, like, maybe like that's where Akiva Schaefer sort of brings his sensibility too. Like, you know, not that there's anything in this movie that's like, you know, trying to go viral or, you know, infused like Lonely island stuff, but it's like maybe his understanding of maybe more of that current, you know, contemporary comedy pacing. To your point, Andy, that energy, like, maybe that's also a distinction. And see, this is the kind of stuff, like, as we're talking about it, I'm like feeling like feeling warmer on it. Yeah, I mean, like, I was kind of at like a 3.75. Right. And it's just like I kind of rounded down. Cause I was like, oh, you know, I mean, it's like I laughed harder at some of Akiva Schaefer's other stuff. And like, you know, this could have been maybe a little funnier down the stretch, but like, thinking about it in different contexts, I'm probably gonna wind up like you were with the initial one. Which is to say to go up a little bit more on this, on reflect. [00:45:28] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Because I mean, it does. It is taking like it is not of all of all of them. Like, this one doesn't start with Frank Drevin beating up political leaders from other countries who are talking shit about America and be like, don't ever catch me. Yeah, talking about America like that again. But like, at the same time, it is making fun of Musk without constantly saying that it's Elon Musk esque. It's making fun of the manosphere. Because the whole thing about Houston's thing is that we're taking it back to the old days, man's man country. And then the first hit that guy takes, he cannot handle. Like, it is like, it is clearly making fun of, you know, stuff that's currently in our society and things that are pretty prominent, but like, not in a sense that feels like it's turning at you and trying to make a statement. It's just saying we're taking these elements that you're aware of and just making Them funny. Because I don't know if you know this, you're watching a Naked Gun film so like we're not gonna push too hard on that. But. Well, I mean it's, it's. Yeah. Cuz I feel like it's the way that they handle the. The big conspiracy. I will say it was kind of funny to watch the film and be like, this is probably the cheekiest start of any of them. Just to have a MacGuffin just called the plot device and then have a description as to why it's called plot. [00:46:51] Speaker C: The primordial law of toughness. Is that what it was? [00:46:55] Speaker A: Again, making fun of the manuscript manosphere shit? Clearly. And it's just like. It's very fun how it just. Yeah, there's a confidence there that I think that threw me off the most. And I. Because again, because I. You. It's hard to like see a film that's trying to be so broad to everyone be so confident and they're like, oh, this joke is going to probably hit very equally to most people. I mean, in terms of a Naked Gun. I don't know what else to ask for. Like, I think it is. I agree with Evan. This is the best case scenario for a modern day interpretation of it. I think I land on like a four out of five, which is where I kind of put the first two at. Where like, is that generous? Probably, depending on who you ask. But like I just had a blast going through those first two films. Like the third one, then going back to this one, it felt like all the positive stuff from those first two films kind of had the same energy in this movie. So. Yeah, that's where I'm at. [00:47:55] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, just a lot of needles. Several needles threaded. Like in what, you know, for a movie to thread one needle is always impressive. And this feels like, you know, things that I hadn't even. Hadn't even really occurred to me like that Nick brought up of just, you know, really precarious situations that it comes out on the other side better, you know. So. Yeah, very impressed. [00:48:21] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. [00:48:22] Speaker A: I think we're all. [00:48:23] Speaker B: That might be that. [00:48:25] Speaker C: And see at this, at this point, you know, like we're what, 50 minutes? It's like there's only like 25 minutes left of the actual movie we're discussing. Right, right. [00:48:36] Speaker B: This could almost be a commentary track. [00:48:38] Speaker A: Honestly with some of the technical difficulties in between. It'll probably be closer to 40. [00:48:45] Speaker C: All good, man. [00:48:46] Speaker A: It's all. Yeah. But yeah. Again, thank you so much for listening to this. We're all glad that this film is better than we had any right to see it. Think of it to be tune in on, I believe, August 9th. Yes, when our Naked Gun trilogy finally comes out with Nick. Nick, thank you so much again for joining us for another Frank Drebin adventure. [00:49:08] Speaker C: Thanks for having me on. [00:49:09] Speaker A: Thanks again. I'm Logan so. [00:49:12] Speaker B: And I'm Andy Carr. [00:49:14] Speaker A: Thank you so much for listening. Bye.