Ask yourself – when was the last time a major Hollywood studio went all in on a big theatrical comedy movie, complete with major stars, a massive budget and a hefty marketing campaign? It’s been almost an age since big studio comedies like Anchorman, The Hangover or Austin Powers ruled the box office, and the sad fact is that comedy blockbusters have become something of a rarity over the last few years. What has become the norm is the legacy sequel to a long-dormant franchise from yesteryear. How apt then that the current trend in movies for nostalgia bait may well be the thing that resurrects the comedy genre and elevates it to heights it hasn’t reached in years. Patient zero in this regard? The Naked Gun.

The weight of expectation was always going to be colossal. The Naked Gun films are bonafide classics that have crossed the generational divide for decades, and have a permanent, well-deserved spot atop almost every best comedy film list. That this new installment succeeds despite this is miraculous, and whilst it’s way too early to label it as a classic, it is rollicking good comedy entertainment, which in itself is a testament to the care and talent of the creative team involved, whose love and affection for the original films is apparent from the get-go.

What’s also apparent with this legacy sequel though, is that, beyond a couple of little nods to the original trilogy, this latest Naked Gun film is very much its own beast and all the better for it. Director Akiva Schaffer (who previously helmed 2016’s hilarious Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) and producer Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted) successfully nail the spirit and tone of the previous films, but never rest on cheap nostalgia or lazy callbacks, instead relying on new and inventive jokes which remarkably feel modern, yet wouldn’t be out of place in any of the original films.

To that end, The Naked Gun contains a healthy mix of puns, background sight gags, toilet humour, meta gags and pure slapstick – the full comedic works. Some gags inevitably fail to hit the mark, but these few misfires matter not when there are so many jokes peppered throughout. At a rough average, there’s around 1-2 gags per minute, which means the ratio of good to bad falls pretty square in the positive camp. One moment in particular had this reviewer crying tears of laughter at one point (though I won’t say which so as to preserve the surprise for yourself).

Casting was always going to make or break such a cinematic return, especially one with such big clown shoes to fill. The late great Leslie Nielsen‘s Frank Drebin is a beloved comedy character that felt almost symbiotic between actor and character – anyone daring to try and take on that legacy is frankly nuts. And yet Liam Neeson proves himself to be a worthy successor to the Drebin heritage almost immediately. His comic timing is masterful, his commitment to the bit awe-inspiring, and his sense of fun infectious. There’s no lazy attempts at impression either – Neeson plays Drebin Jr. his own way, therefore sending up his action movie persona in the process. It feels apt, especially since Nielsen and Neeson are cut from the same cloth, having both made a name for themselves in dramatic roles earlier in their careers before seizing upon comedy roles in their later years.

What ultimately works about Neeson’s performance (and that of the entire cast too for that matter) is how he plays the comedic moments completely straight. There’s no gurning to camera, no knowing winks to the audience, no over-the-top ad-libbing that goes on and on. All of this is invaluable to the humour and helps make everything so much funnier. Pamela Anderson is particularly brilliant in this regard too, playing up her femme fatale persona whilst simultaneously poking fun at it (her attempt at jazz scatting is priceless), whilst co-stars CCH Pounder and Paul Walter Hauser provide excellent comedic support throughout in their respective roles.

The Naked Gun is that rare beast – a legacy sequel that strives forwards instead of simply looking back. In many ways it is a delightful throwback to a comedy classic of yesteryear, and yet it manages to be it’s own thing entirely, delivering knockout gags by the bowlful. Bolstered by a strong lead performance from Liam Neeson, confident and breezy direction from Akiva Schaffer, and a brilliant script bought to life by a fine comedic ensemble, this is hopefully not the last we’ll see of Frank Drebin Jr. nor the last big blockbuster comedy on the big screen either!

The Naked Gun is in UK and Irish cinemas