The brand new Bare Gun film, starring Liam Neeson, has overcome odds to please audiences. Nobody anticipated the film to be nearly as good because the outdated comedies starring Leslie Nielsen, however audiences had been pleasantly shocked. The 2025 Bare Gun film modernizes the misadventures of Detective Frank Drebin (or slightly, his son, Frank Drebin Jr.), but it surely nonetheless pays respect to the movies that got here earlier than it.
The Bare Gun (2025) continues most of the jokes from the primary three movies, together with Drebin’s incapability to drive with out inflicting a commotion, inside monologues, and extra. Nevertheless, the most effective reference comes within the form of musical comedy legend “Bizarre Al” Yankovic, who has now appeared in all 4 Bare Gun movies. His cameo within the new film is the funniest one but, and it helps reveal what makes the 2025 model so fashionable with audiences.
“Bizarre Al” Has Appeared in Each ‘Bare Gun’ Film
The Bare Gun has saved a convention of together with “Bizarre Al” Yankovic in each film. Within the first movie, The Bare Gun: From the Information of Police Squad!, Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) has simply returned from a mission to cease a terrorist plot in opposition to the USA. As he will get off the aircraft, he walks as much as a podium, which he thinks is for him to handle the press. Nevertheless, it is truly for “Bizarre Al,” who was on the identical aircraft as Drebin. He is greeted by adoring followers and paparazzi. Yankovic instructed The Paris Overview that when The Bare Gun got here out, he was nonetheless single, and he’d take dates to see the movie with him. He did not warn them forward of time that he would seem within the film, however he’d put on the identical Hawaiian shirt, in order that when he emerged from the aircraft within the movie, they’d get excited.
“Bizarre Al” exhibits up once more in The Bare Gun 2 1/2: The Odor of Concern with a a lot completely different cameo. He would not play himself however as an alternative performs a legal who’s holding officers within the Police Squad constructing hostage. He is shortly apprehended by Drebin, who swings the door open, unknowingly defeating the legal. The credit solely title the character by his line, which works, “You pigs … say your prayers.” “Bizarre Al” is hardly recognizable because the legal, since he is lacking his signature Hawaiian shirt and curly hair. “Bizarre Al” can be recognized for being one in every of Hollywood’s nicest celebrities, so to see him holding Police Squad hostage is out of the abnormal. Let’s simply hope he did not take any dates to see that film with the identical legal outfit he wears within the movie.
With The Bare Gun 33 1/3: The Last Insult, “Bizarre Al” is again to enjoying himself. The movie finds Drebin working on the Academy Awards, which is the goal of a serial bomber. On the pink carpet, “Bizarre Al” arrives in a limousine alongside Vanna White. On the identical time, Drebin and his spouse, Jane, are attempting to get into the ceremony, however they’re rejected as a result of they don’t seem to be celebrities. Drebin and his spouse knock out “Bizarre Al” and Vanna White and steal their garments to sneak into the ceremony. When “Bizarre Al” and Vanna White come to, they level out Drebin to safety, whereas he is backstage looking for the bomb.
The “Bizarre Al” Cameo in Liam Neeson’s ‘Bare Gun’ Is the Greatest
Within the 2025 continuation of The Bare Gun, “Bizarre Al” makes one other cameo look as himself. Within the film, a bunch of billionaires plan to cover in a bunker whereas the remainder of the world turns into chaos, due to the billionaires’ system. The chief of the billionaires, Richard Cane, tells the others that the bunker will embrace leisure. “Bizarre Al” then greets the room through video, saying that he’ll be able to carry out once they arrive. The billionaires by no means find yourself making it to the bunker, and a small mid-credits scene exhibits “Bizarre Al” within the bunker, questioning why they by no means confirmed up.
His cameo on this movie is especially humorous for a similar motive as his cameo within the second movie. “Bizarre Al” is usually an upbeat, foolish particular person in his film and TV appearances, so it is hilarious to see him aligned with the antagonists on this film. Though his look was by no means confirmed earlier than The Bare Gun was launched, it is not too shocking that he exhibits up. In spite of everything, the movie is directed by Akiva Schaffer, a member of the musical-comedy group The Lonely Island. As a fellow musical-comedian, “Bizarre Al” has collaborated with Schaffer a number of occasions, so it is solely pure he’d present up for Schaffer’s Bare Gun film as properly.
‘The Bare Gun’ Honors a Legacy of Comedy
For a second, it appeared like Liam Neeson’s The Bare Gun would not have the ability to stay as much as the unique Bare Gun movies. The Bare Gun‘s authentic writers, Jerry and David Zucker, didn’t return to the franchise for the brand new film. That left quite a lot of strain on Liam Neeson, Akiva Schaffer, and others to attempt to recreate the attraction of the unique with out the creators’ assist. Nevertheless, they remarkably overcame these odds, as they earned the very best Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating within the franchise, with 90%.
What works so properly for the brand new Bare Gun is that the film by no means strays too removed from the type of humor seen within the authentic. It is all up to date for a contemporary age the place know-how is in all places, however basic jokes stay, like Drebin’s horrible driving and his fixed miscommunications. “Bizarre Al” is a type of basic jokes, and the truth that he is even included exhibits how far the movie was prepared to go to honor the unique trilogy. With Leslie Nielsen and different Bare Gun actors now not with us, “Bizarre Al” and Priscilla Presley, who performs Jane Spencer-Drebin, are the one two actors from the unique trilogy to indicate up within the new movie.
The place To Watch ‘The Bare Gun’ Films
Audiences who need to revisit “Bizarre Al’s” cameos within the authentic three Bare Gun motion pictures are in luck, because the movies all have a number of streaming areas. The Bare Gun: From the Information of Police Squad and The Bare Gun 2 1/2: The Odor of Concern are each streaming on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video’s MGM+ add-on. Bare Gun 33 1/3: The Last Insult is streaming on Paramount+ in addition to Pluto TV. All three movies are additionally out there to hire or buy digitally on retail platforms like Apple TV and Fandango at Dwelling. The brand new Bare Gun film, which additionally options “Bizarre Al,” is now enjoying completely in theaters.
The Bare Gun
- Launch Date
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August 1, 2025
- Runtime
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85 minutes
- Writers
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Akiva Schaffer, Doug Mand, Dan Gregor, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
- Producers
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Erica Huggins