From Action Hero to Comedy Gold: Neeson's Naked Gun Surprise

Olivia Bennett, 4/14/2025Liam Neeson surprises as Frank Drebin Jr. in the new Naked Gun, blending action and comedy with unexpected finesse. Meanwhile, The Last of Us continues to impress, and The Handmaid's Tale wraps up with emotional depth. Nostalgia may not be all bad when creators honor the originals.

Featured Story

Hollywood's recycling machine keeps churning — but wait, something's different this time. Three major franchise revivals are actually showing signs of life in early 2025, proving that sometimes lightning can strike twice. Or thrice.

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. When this casting news first dropped, collective groans echoed across social media. Yet somehow, impossibly, the first teaser for the new Naked Gun has managed to silence the skeptics. There's something delightfully absurd about watching the gravelly-voiced action star — now 71 — disguised as a schoolchild during a bank heist, delivering deadpan zingers with surprising finesse.

Director Akiva Schaffer (yeah, the Lonely Island guy) seems to get it. Really gets it. The original Naked Gun series wasn't just about slapstick and one-liners — it was lightning in a bottle, that perfect blend of Leslie Nielsen's stone-faced delivery and the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team's rapid-fire absurdity.

Meanwhile, over in the world of prestige television, The Last of Us continues to prove that the "video game curse" was always more myth than reality. Season 2's premiere (finally!) introduces Kaitlyn Dever's Abby, and... well. For those who've played the games, you know what's coming. For everyone else? Buckle up. The five-year time jump feels earned, and the evolved infected are genuinely terrifying. Strategic zombies? No thank you.

Speaking of evolution, The Handmaid's Tale is wrapping things up with a triple-episode final season premiere that sends June to Alaska. Because apparently even dystopian drama needs a change of scenery sometimes. Elisabeth Moss continues to prove she can convey more emotion with a single glare than most actors manage in an entire monologue.

What's fascinating about these three properties is how differently they're approaching their source material. The Naked Gun is going the legacy sequel route (though calling it that feels weird when Neeson's technically playing younger than his actual age). The Last of Us is showing remarkable restraint in its adaptation, proving that sometimes the best creative choice is knowing what not to change. And The Handmaid's Tale? It's been in uncharted waters since season 2, but somehow keeps finding its way back to Margaret Atwood's thematic north star.

Seth MacFarlane's involvement with the new Naked Gun initially raised eyebrows — his particular brand of referential humor seems miles away from the ZAZ team's style. But early signs suggest he understands the assignment. The decision to acknowledge the original cast while moving forward feels... right.

Look, nobody's saying Hollywood's nostalgia obsession is healthy. But when creators actually understand what made the original properties special — whether it's precise comic timing, emotional storytelling, or thematic resonance — maybe, just maybe, these revisits aren't the creative bankruptcy everyone assumes they are.

Then again, ask again in six months. The proof's always in the pudding — or in this case, the final product.

Hollywood's recycling machine keeps churning — but wait, something's different this time. Three major franchise revivals are actually showing signs of life in early 2025, proving that sometimes lightning can strike twice. Or thrice.Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Liam Neeson as Frank Drebin Jr. When this casting news first dropped, collective groans echoed across social media. Yet somehow, impossibly, the first teaser for the new Naked Gun has managed to silence the skeptics. There's something delightfully absurd about watching the gravelly-voiced action star — now 71 — disguised as a schoolchild during a bank heist, delivering deadpan zingers with surprising finesse.Director Akiva Schaffer (yeah, the Lonely Island guy) seems to get it. Really gets it. The original Naked Gun series wasn't just about slapstick and one-liners — it was lightning in a bottle, that perfect blend of Leslie Nielsen's stone-faced delivery and the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker team's rapid-fire absurdity.Meanwhile, over in the world of prestige television, The Last of Us continues to prove that the "video game curse" was always more myth than reality. Season 2's premiere (finally!) introduces Kaitlyn Dever's Abby, and... well. For those who've played the games, you know what's coming. For everyone else? Buckle up. The five-year time jump feels earned, and the evolved infected are genuinely terrifying. Strategic zombies? No thank you.Speaking of evolution, The Handmaid's Tale is wrapping things up with a triple-episode final season premiere that sends June to Alaska. Because apparently even dystopian drama needs a change of scenery sometimes. Elisabeth Moss continues to prove she can convey more emotion with a single glare than most actors manage in an entire monologue.What's fascinating about these three properties is how differently they're approaching their source material. The Naked Gun is going the legacy sequel route (though calling it that feels weird when Neeson's technically playing younger than his actual age). The Last of Us is showing remarkable restraint in its adaptation, proving that sometimes the best creative choice is knowing what not to change. And The Handmaid's Tale? It's been in uncharted waters since season 2, but somehow keeps finding its way back to Margaret Atwood's thematic north star.Seth MacFarlane's involvement with the new Naked Gun initially raised eyebrows — his particular brand of referential humor seems miles away from the ZAZ team's style. But early signs suggest he understands the assignment. The decision to acknowledge the original cast while moving forward feels... right.Look, nobody's saying Hollywood's nostalgia obsession is healthy. But when creators actually understand what made the original properties special — whether it's precise comic timing, emotional storytelling, or thematic resonance — maybe, just maybe, these revisits aren't the creative bankruptcy everyone assumes they are.Then again, ask again in six months. The proof's always in the pudding — or in this case, the final product.

© Daily Delli