Liam Neeson almost works as a Drebin for a new, coarser, meaner age, and he has no problem suggesting a surly, disgruntled son of the cop immortalized by Leslie Nielsen in the short-lived 1982 TV series “Police Squad!

Once again, a police procedural serves as the movie’s framework, complete with shadow-forming Venetian blinds and hardboiled monologuing. This time, though, thanks to Nielsen’s flinty presence (and all those “Taken” thrillers),

Liam Neeson is Leslie Nielsen's son in the new "The Naked Gun" movie, a safe and familiar but welcome throwback.