In 1996, Liam Neeson starred in the historical drama Michael Collins; likewise, Pamela Anderson was in Barb Wire. If you had told me at the time that they’d reboot The Naked Gun franchise together, I’d have laughed at you.

In this reboot of a franchise that first started in 1982 with the six-episode Police Squad!, Neeson’s Frank Drebin Jr. takes on Danny Heuston’s reverse effective altruist green technology billionaire. Anderson’s crime writer has a family connection and a score to settle, which brings her into Drebin’s life.

Surprising 1996 me they are good together on screen. Neeson is in his comfortable growling mode while Anderson is upbeat but worldly. As a pair they seem ready to tackle whatever jokes the writers can imagine. There’s a romantic sequence in a ski lodge that’s unexpected and great. To write more about it would be to rob you of some wonderful jokes.

The issue with this movie? It isn’t as cinematic as the first Naked Gun film. This is a streaming series pilot in writing and cinematography. It feels small and TV-like when you’re looking at it. There is no enormous set-piece event where Frank Drebin saves the day while being oblivious to the absolute destruction he’s caused. At 85 minutes, the running time is perfect for a spoof comedy, but I lost focus as time passed.

As a spoof, you expect physical comedy, celebrity cameos, sexual innuendo/double entendres and sight gags playing in the background as an actor delivers lines like it was a drama. It does all these well, but it’s careful. You can tell this movie wants to turn a decent profit from a modest budget. Which is the type of comedy movies we had back in the Michael Collins/Barb Wire era, so this movie is more retro than I thought.

This is an okay comedy that you’ll get some laughs from. It appeals most to people who remember Leslie Nielsen’s glory days, but even back then the first movie was the best one. I suspect this movie will struggle to bring in a younger audience. If you’re new to the franchise and this brand of spoof procedural cop show you could start with this one and enjoy it. But watch the original movie; it still holds up today.