The new “Naked Gun,” starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, is the funniest movie to hit theaters in a long time.

The long-awaited legacy sequel turns Neeson’s whole career into one big joke — and it’s funny as hell Say what you will about Akiva Schaffer’s latest film — and I’m about to say some very nice stuff — but one thing is for sure: “The Naked Gun” is funny.

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.