The highly-anticipated reboot to The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson hits theaters this weekend. Already rated fresh with a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score, the Akiva Schaffer-directed action comedy is the new must-watch hit of the summer, but fans hoping to revisit the original films are in for a surprise!
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The trio of original The Naked Gun movies released throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s is streaming, and you don’t need to shell out the money for a subscription to watch them. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991), and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) are all streaming on Pluto TV, Paramount’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, just in time for the reboot’s premiere!
The Naked Gun film series has its roots in the ‘80s crime parody Police Squad!, created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. Leslie Nielsen originated the role of Franklin “Frank” Drebin in the show, which ran for just a single season on ABC in 1982. More than five years later, Nielsen reprised his role as the clueless police detective who finds himself causing more trouble than good as he attempts to foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II in a film that earned plenty of praise, and laughs, for its fast-paced slapstick comedy filled with both visual and verbal gags.
The movie, which proved to be a hit among critics and fans alike with a respective 88% and 84% Rotten Tomatoes score, spawned a sequel, The Smell of Fear, three years later. A third film followed in 1994.
Despite the franchise’s success and lasting pop culture legacy, The Naked Gun franchise remained untouched until it was announced that a fourth film was confirmed to be in the works. The Naked Gun hit theaters on Friday and sees Neeson starring as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Nielsen’s character. Following in his father’s footsteps, Frank attempts to prevent the police department from shuttering by solving a new murder case in a film that is being praised by critics and audience members alike for the strong cast performances and managing to match the humor of the original movies.
New on Pluto TV
The original Naked Gun films are just a handful of more than 200 movies that joined the Pluto TV catalog on Friday. You can check out highlights from Pluto TV’s August 1st additions below.
Airplane!
Airplane II: The Sequel
Basic Instinct
Beowulf (2007)
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Bill & Ted Face The Music
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
Christine (1983)
The Craft
Dreamgirls
Escape From Alcatraz
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Finding Neverland
Freedom Writers
The Green Hornet
Interstellar
The Longest Yard (2005)
The Mask Of Zorro
Nacho Libre
Pretty in Pink
Pulp Fiction
Saving Private Ryan
This Is Spinal Tap
Waynes World
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm
