The laughs land in 'The Naked Gun' reboot, but fall flat in 'Freakier Friday'

Justin Chang

August 08, 2025 / 6:45 am

Fewer and fewer mainstream comedies play in movie theaters these days, which is what I'd call a tragedy. In the post-pandemic era, the studios, figuring that audiences will only buy tickets to blockbusters and horror movies, have largely relegated laughter to the realms of TV and streaming.

It's heartening, then, that The Naked Gun , a long-in-development reboot of the Leslie Nielsen -starring Police Squad! spoofs of the late '80s and '90s, has made its way into theaters. Even more heartening: The new movie recaptures more of its predecessors' spirit — the rapid-fire gags, the goofy slapstick, the non-sequitur silliness — than I would have thought possible.

It s

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