Liam Neeson Compares Late Comedy Legend to Shakespeare: ‘He’s a Genius’ originally appeared on Parade. Liam Neeson recalls a touching encounter with the late actor Robin Williams that left a lasting impact on him. During an interview with The Naked Gun co-star Pamela Anderson, the pair spoke about their favorite comedy films.

On paper, a Naked Gun reboot seemed a bad idea. For one, the three-film franchise spawned from the silly TV series Police Squad relied heavily on the straight-faced buffoonery of Leslie Nielsen, who died 15 years ago.

That is the great gift of director and co-writer Akiva Schaffer ’s The Naked Gun (August 1), a continuation of the beloved 1980s and ’90s police spoof film series. At its best, this new Naked Gun is a dumb, loopy delight, a return to the kind of comedy that was woefully taken for granted in its heyday and now barely exists at all.