The Naked Gun makes up for its lack of story with a complete commitment to the bit and uproarious performance from Liam Neeson and the cast.

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.

Neeson, who was nominated for an academy award in 1994 for his role in Shindler's List, stars as Frank Drebin Junior, the leader of the Police Squad, a special department of the police force and son of detective Frank Drebin, who was played by the late comedic icon Leslie Nielson, in the first three movies.