The Naked Gun ending explained: Frank Drebin’s legacy lives on

Liam Neeson as a bumbling detective in The Naked Gun brings the iconic slapstick franchise back to life; with explosions, wordplay, and more laughs than logic. But as the credits roll and the gags keep coming, you might be wondering: what the ending actually meant. Liam Neeson’s Frank Drebin Jr. fumbles through his final mission with explosions, absurd villains, and visual gags flying at Mach speed, only to pause mid-credits and stare directly into your soul.

If you blinked, laughed too hard, or got distracted by weird AI cameo, don’t worry. Here’s exactly what The Naked Gun's bonkers ending meant, and why it somehow ties the chaos together.

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What is The Naked Gun about?

Frank Drebin Jr., a proudly overzealous LAPD officer, kicks things off by foiling a bank robbery while dressed as a schoolgirl, a stunt so over-the-top it lands him in hot water with his boss. Chief Davis, fearing lawsuits and bad press, pulls Drebin off active duty. Meanwhile, Drebin and his partner Ed Hocken Jr. wrestle with living in the shadow of their legendary fathers, both fallen heroes.

Frank even prays for a sign from beyond, something poetic, like an owl. What he doesn’t know is that the heist was merely a cover for a far more sinister theft: a mysterious gadget known as the P.L.O.T. Device, stolen from a safe deposit box.

His next case involves the suspicious death of software engineer Simon Davenport, officially ruled a suicide. Simon’s sister Beth, a sharp-tongued crime novelist, doesn’t buy it. Drebin, unimpressed by amateur sleuths, warns her not to play detective.

Clues eventually lead to Simon’s former employer, billionaire tech mogul Cane. After a strange bonding moment over their mutual appreciation for the Black Eyed Peas, Cane gifts the department a self-driving patrol car, which predictably goes rogue with Drebin inside. Among Simon’s belongings, Frank finds a nightclub matchbook, Cane’s, naturally.

Behind closed doors, Cane reveals his evil scheme: unleash the stolen P.L.O.T. Device to turn the public into mindless savages, leaving a few ultra-wealthy survivors to inherit the earth from the safety of a luxury bunker. Drebin starts to piece things together using bodycam footage, which unfortunately also revisits a deeply humiliating chili dog incident. Between all this, his romance with Beth also starts blossoming as Gustafson, Cane's sidekick constantly spies on them.

Drebin uncovers more, but Cane frames him for murder of a journalist. On the run, he survives a car assassination attempt thanks to Microsoft's Clippy. On the other hand, the police squad has been withdrawn, and converted into Spirit Halloween. Soon enough, after calling things off with Beth, Drebin is heartbroken, jobless, and TiVo-less.

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What happens in the ending of The Naked Gun?

In true The Naked Gun fashion, the ending to the 2025 reboot is less about logic and more about sheer, chaotic entertainment. With Gustafson singing like a canary after being psychologically terrorised by Drebin’s wildly specific threats of viral jail fame, the stage is set for a bizarre final act.

Cane’s evil plan? Unleashing chaos on the masses during an MMA New Year’s event via a doomsday gizmo ironically named the P.L.O.T. Device. Beth, dressed like her crime novel heroine, is out for blood. Cane, naturally, has already predicted her every move.

The arena becomes ground zero for absurdity. The mind-control device is lodged inside the glittering New Year’s balls. Drebin’s pants betray him at the worst possible moment, and his urgent warning to the crowd is entirely ignored. When the P.L.O.T. goes live, the crowd devolves into slapstick mayhem, like an influencer-fuelled purge. Drebin somehow weaponises spent gun clips and charges through the madness.

Just when Cane seems out of reach, divine intervention hits, literally. Drebin’s deceased father reappears as a colossal owl, bombards Cane with poop, and carries Drebin skyward. One gut punch later, Cane is neutralised.

Beth’s thirst for vengeance flares again, but Drebin persuades her to channel her rage productively. They reprogram the P.L.O.T. to pacify people instead. The two kiss, the crowd chills out, and the movie concludes things.

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The post credits scene of The Naked Gun

First up: the end credits launch with a triumphant shot of the newly reopened Police Squad headquarters. Earlier in the movie, the mayor had shut it down after Frank Drebin Jr. treated city property like a Grand Theft Auto speedrun. But now, thanks to his heroic and still highly illegal takedown of Richard Cane, Chief Davis announces at a press conference that the precinct is back in business. She also casually adds that Drebin is under Internal Affairs investigation, because of laws.

Smash cut to that investigation which turns out to be a full-blown beach party. Drebin and Beth chat while everyone else is frozen mid-celebration. When they notice the weirdness, the pair "unfreeze" and begin interacting with their frozen surroundings, breaking the fourth wall and chatting directly with the audience. Drebin even tries to poke his way out of the screen.

The second end-credits scene is pure nostalgia: a police siren’s POV zipping through the city, ending at a doughnut shop. Then there’s a final post-credits punch: “Weird Al” Yankovic, reprising his classic cameo, performs My Sweet Beth in front of empty chairs at the billionaire apocalypse party that never happened. He’s still going all out.

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How The Naked Gun pays tribute to the original franchise

The Naked Gun is designed as a heartfelt homage to the wacky genius of the Zucker‑Abrahams‑Zucker comedies while still forging its own path. Liam Neeson embodies Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., son of Nielsen’s original detective, a wink at legacy and lineage. Classic Drebin trademarks return, from pratfalls and ludicrous car sequences to sight gags like exploding windshield swaps and nightmare bathroom mishaps.

All in all, the film is a wonderful addition to the franchise, one that walks it's own walk while keeping the rhythm steady like it's predecessors. If anything, Neeson's comedic genius is one of the best things about the film. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and perfectly The Naked Gun.

The Naked Gun is now in theaters.