Frank Drebin Junior (Liam Neeson) has to stop a rich techie dipshit (Danny Huston) from unleashing his deadly P.L.O.T. Device and bringing about the downfall of civilization. But Police Squad's in danger of being shut down for good - in no small part because of the shit Frank Jr. pulls - so he'll have to work fast, with the help of a murdered man's sister (Pamela Anderson.)
It feels like this movie only came out 5 minutes ago, but it was already on one of the movie channels my dad gets through his satellite TV package last month. I missed the beginning - we came in during the dash cam footage of Frank's desperate search for a bathroom - but it isn't exactly a difficult story to follow. Though I was confused by the appearance of Daddy Owl during the chase sequence, but my dad had apparently watched an earlier showing and explained it before we risked life and limb cleaning his chimney. Which is nice. Would have hated to die without understanding that joke.
Neeson is basically playing the steely-eyed bad ass he's played routinely since Taken (17 years ago?!) He talks more, and the things he says are more ridiculous, but he says them in the same gravely tone. Which is fine, Leslie Nielsen played Drebin as being completely serious about what he was saying and doing. That's kind of the point, they don't see that they're doing anything funny at all. Nielsen mugged for the camera more, especially with all the trip and fall gags, which Neeson didn't really seem to do. Maybe his face just isn't built for that after 20 years of cinematic scowling. Our mothers did always warn out faces could freeze that way.
I thought Pamela Anderson showed some good comedic chops and timing, and she also committed. The jazz club bit caught me by complete surprise. It didn't exactly make me laugh, but I was impressed by how hard she sold it.
I did laugh a lot, though. Probably more than any other movie I've watched this year (sorry, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story!) and at a variety of things. There are a lot of good sight gags, a few cameos that work well - the Dave Batista one cracked in particular - and a few scenes where the joke keeps building to a great climax. The sequential confessions, and the self-driving, evil electric car, were my two favorites.
I apologize for being vague, but I don't want to spoil them if you, dear reader, elect to watch this movie in the future. Which I think you ought to. The supporting cast don't get a lot to do, but Neeson and Anderson do good work as the focus of the film.
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