Liam Neeson's The Naked Gun remake definitely flags in the middle. But it's admirable attempt to revitalize the comedy blockbuster does reliably lead to laughs.

Yet against all expectations, this belated sequel is a worthy successor – "a dumb comedy of the expert kind". Liam Neeson takes the role of Drebin's son, Frank Junior, who has followed in his father's footsteps and joined the same elite squad.

Five summers ago, we were told to wear masks, compelled to take vaccines, prohibited from looking at certain statues (which were helpfully torn down), and scolded for enjoying any movie or TV show that presented law enforcement officers empathetically or humanely.