After being demoted to traffic accidents due to one to many ‘incidents’ – Police Squad Lt Frank Drebbin Jr, first case might be connected to a Bank Heist he’s been kicked off of.
Along with the victims sister, they investigate a tech billionaire, whose secret organisation has created a P.L.O.T device that will cause people to return to their most ‘animalistic’ and rid the world of the weak.
Direction
Akiva Schaffer directs, and while its no means a bad effort, it is what it is.
Cast/Characters
Liam Neeson takes the mantle of “Frank Drebbin” – playing the late great Leslie Nielsen’s characters son. It is fitting that their names are very similar, and they were both primarily known for their dramatic roles before going into comedy. He is genuinely great at the comedy chops, blending stupidity and action perfectly. I loved the moment he goes to O’Reilly apartment which is just so perfectly performed).
Pamela Anderson is seeing a well deserved career resurgence in her follow up to The Last Showgirl. She gets to show her comedic prowess here, and shines in many scenes.
Paul Walter Hauser who I have spoken highly about in the past doesn’t get too much to do as Drebbin’s partner, Ed Hocken Jr (the son of George Kennedy’s Capt Hocken).
Danny Huston seems to be having a blast as the big bad Richard Cane.
CCH Pounder is the new Chief getting plenty to do, and Kevin Durand plays one of Cane’s main henchmen.
Breakdown
Like the original films, there is either nothing off limits, or no joke too crude – and there are plenty of laughs to be had. The ongoing coffee drinking is one of the overlong gags that actually doesn’t wear out.
The “internal monologue” narrative by Drebbin is still present, and even has a comical “overlap” where about a dozen other people in the same room have theirs – which confuses Frank.
There are nods to the original cast (even Nordberg), and some blink and you’ll miss it nods to some original jokes (I saw that beaver again!)
Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson are a hoot, and they give off great chemistry together. I’m still upset that their “relationship” was just a hoax to sell the film!
At less than 90m this sadly does drag a little, but it is still enjoyable and I laughed out loud a lot. I loved the end credits with plenty of usual jokes, and an end credit “extra” scene with Weird Al.
Overall
You’re not going in expecting the next Shawshank Redemption or 5 star + extravaganza, but it delivers on what it promised. Ridiculous jokes, that work well, although some are a little aged or stolen (the shadows through the binoculars) or go on a little long (the snowman sequence).
Much weaker than Nielsen’s era of films, but still worth a watch for quite a few laughs.
3.5/5
Ryan's Movie Reviews 