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Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson revive the spoof action comedies with The Naked Gun (2025), the latest installment in the franchise that began in the 1980s. Neeson plays Detective Frank Drebin Jr., the son of the late Detective Frank Drebin.
The adventures of the Police Squad continue, as Drebin Jr. plunges into a murder case, with the department's future hanging in the balance, and chaos promptly ensues.
The movie, like its predecessors, upholds the art of spoofing serious situations with slapstick humor, deadpan dialogue delivery, and wordplay that makes fans groan and laugh out loud, simultaneously. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, The Naked Gun is locked and loaded with Liam Neeson's acting prowess, while paying homage to the silliness of the franchise.
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Fans looking for more can check out the original, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad, or similar humor in a new premise, like Wrongfully Accused, Get Smart and more.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong solely to the writer.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, Wrongfully Accused, and other movies for fans of The Naked Gun (2025)
1) The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Leslie Nielsen plays the airheaded but earnest Detective Frank Drebin, who is caught in a business tycoon's scheme to use hypnotism and convert people into assassins. His target is to take down the Queen of England. With his overt enthusiasm and inadequate skills, Drebin goes toe to toe with the villain, with the help of the businessman's assistant, Jane Spencer
To soak up the silliness of The Naked Gun and understand its references further, fans should check out where it all began. Drebin Jr. is essentially a reincarnation of his father, so the legacy continues in the most recent iteration.
Directed by David Zucker, the movie is a timeless classic with its unapologetically loud gags, laugh-out-loud puns, and crass jokes.
It was a critical and commercial success upon release, grossing $152.4 million worldwide and being hailed as one of the best comedy movies of all time by The New York Times.
Where to watch: Paramount+
2) Wrongfully Accused (1988)
This Pat Proft directorial turns the premise of The Naked Gun on its head, showing a police procedural action comedy from the accused's point of view. This time, Leslie Nielsen plays an accident-prone violinist named Ryan Harrison, an innocent man convicted of murder. He escapes from the bus en route to prison and tries to prove his innocence while Police Lieutenant Fergus Falls is hot on his trail.
Wrongfully Accused parodies The Fugitive and similar action movies in the genre. The rapid-fire jokes and gags mirror Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson's The Naked Gun. The film even features the same prosthetic arm falling off the socket in a running gag. While some reviews state that the writing fell flat, others consider it an underrated parody gem.
Where to watch: Tubi/Prime Video
3) Get Smart (2008)
Steve Carell's comedic timing precedes him, and Get Smart is one of those underrated action comedies that uses his presence to push the boundaries. Fans of The Naked Gun's Police Squad can transition to another comedic spy world. Here, an inexperienced but overly enthusiastic analyst, Maxwell Smart (Carell), is promoted to a field agent when a crime syndicate’s evil plans require all hands on deck.
Whether it's Max bickering with Anne Hathaway's Agent 99, the agents fumbling their way through their jobs, or the deadpan dialogue delivery, this Peter Segal directorial brings the laughs. Segal has been involved in the Naked Gun franchise, with The Final Insult (1994), so the humor is in a similar vein, with a relentless clash of dialogue between the ensemble cast.
Where to watch: Prime Video
4) Hot Shot! Part Deux (1993)
A parody of the Rambo movie franchise is bound to have an exaggerated premise: Charlie Sheen stars as Topper Harley, a retired war hero, and the United States' only hope at retrieving soldiers captured by Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Now, he is a Buddhist recluse and needs a bit of coaxing to parachute into enemy territory.
Pat Proft, one of the writers of the original The Naked Gun movies and other parody action comedies, is part of this Jim Abrahams directorial. So, it's safe to say that Hot Shot! Part Deux leans into the slapstick genre and delivers such believable performances that fans will laugh for ages. Watch out for the scene where Topper runs out of Ammo and starts flinging bullets with his bare hands.
Where to watch: Hulu
5) Top Secret! (1984)
David and Jerry Zucker, AKA 'ZAZ' of The Naked Gun franchise fame, created an action comedy with Hot Shot! Part Deux director Jim Abrahams. So, fans can imagine the laughter riot of Top Secret!, a movie about an American singer caught in an underground resistance movement in Germany, after falling in love with a local.
Val Kilmer embodies the multi-genre spoof aspect of the movie, effortlessly weaving between action, comedy, and the suave performances of a pop star. Visual comedy combined with zinger one-liners takes his World War II parody to another level, with a new layer of goofiness unveiled every time.
Where to watch: Prime Video
6) Loaded Weapon I (1993)
The late 80s and early 90s saw a boom in action comedies surrounding police officers. Instead of one bumbling detective like in The Naked Gun, Loaded Weapon I offers two Los Angeles Police Officers, Wes Luger (Samuel L. Jackson) and Jack Colt (Emilio Estevez). They are hunting down a criminal gang that wants to lace Girl Scout cookies with drugs.
A spoof of the Lethal Weapon movies, this buddy-cop film is stacked with big industry names and jokes for days. Directed by Gene Quintano, it flies under the radar when fans think of action comedy spoofs, but it manages to become everyone's favorite in no time. Who can forget L. Jackson rocking out to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen?
Where to watch: The Roku Channel/Prime Video
7) Airplane! (1980)
This action-packed movie enters disaster territory when a former pilot, Ted Striker, is forced to step up. He has a drinking problem and a fear of flying. Alongside his ex-girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson, he must land their plane safely when everyone aboard (crew included) is taken out of commission after food poisoning.
A 'ZAZ' and Jim Abrahams creation, this movie closely mimics the tone and feel of The Naked Gun. The literal humor woven into the non-stop wordplay makes it one of the most entertaining action comedy parodies. Moreover, it is a true writing success as it works even if the viewers aren't familiar with the source material, which is a collection of disaster movies like Zero Hour! and Airport 1985.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Fans can also watch Police Squad! (1982), the TV show that inspired the Naked Gun movie franchise.
