It’s a challenge to carry-on a successful comedy franchise. Loyal fans will have high expectations, and if it does not go well it can doom your career forever. In order to do it right you have to maintain the same pedigree of comedy from the original franchise and be poignant too. I’m happy to say,  the latest, not only does the franchise well, it is also the funniest film of the year so far! Yes, I mean it. They pulled it off.

Directed by Akiva Schaffer, who it seems always had ambition to do a “Naked Gun” film, and written by him along with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Gregor and Mand were the duo that were behind the charming “ Chip’n Dale Rescue Rangers”. Produced by Seth MarFarlane, who he himself isn’t afraid to go dark and offensive with his comedy. All seem to maintain the comedic flavor of the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams- the rapid onslaught of slap-stick, parody, farce, and satire. It even goes low, really low. The team behind this film knows the formula that behind one bad joke that doesn’t work there are three in succession that delivers. Just throw everything out there out, go high and low and maybe some with land. Well, they threw everything at it and it all stuck. 

What might be the most effective ingredient to its success is the time of its release. Audiences have been craving a loud, all out pure comedy  for years. A void greatly felt. This is just a subgenre of a certain comedy. It is just pure comedy. Much of its success  can be  attributed to its two main leads that are not known for comedy. Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson. Both seem to fully understand the element they are in and absolutely go with.  It also has a great supporting cast of Danny Huston,  Paul Walter Hauser, and Kevin Durand -with a special side note of CCH Pounder. Her one note of the angry police Captain played out  at the right temperature throughout is marvelous. 

There are some winks to the old films and surprise cameos that we should expect, but what is most endearing is that it  just plain works. The screening that I was at was booming with laughs. I’m expecting a sequel to this and no doubt will be getting one. And if they keep the same writing team and production, it is in the right hands for it and I hope they keep it that way. 8/10