Count them. Go ahead—I'll wait.
Eight fingers wrapped around Liam Neeson's pistol in the latest The Naked Gun poster, accompanied by the cheeky declaration: “No AI was used in the making of this poster.” It's brilliant. Stupid brilliant, which is exactly what Leslie Nielsen would've wanted from his franchise's first installment in over 30 years.
But here's what's fascinating—this isn't just comedy marketing. It's cultural commentary disguised as a sight gag, and it cuts deeper than most people realize.
The Joke That Isn't Really a Joke
The Naked Gun marketing team has been absolutely nailing it. First, Neeson doing an impossible split (because of course he can). Then him and Pamela Anderson tangled in an octopus embrace of limbs. Now this—a poster that simultaneously mocks AI's most obvious flaw while celebrating human craftsmanship.
Those extra digits aren't accidents. They're statements.
In an industry increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence for everything from scriptwriting to poster design, The Naked Gun is throwing shade at the lazy shortcut. AI-generated hands remain hilariously broken—six fingers here, three thumbs there, anatomical impossibilities that scream “I wasn't made by humans.” The poster's tagline isn't just marketing copy; it's a manifesto.
When Satire Meets Reality
The timing couldn't be more perfect. Hollywood's AI debate has reached a fever pitch, with writers and artists fighting for their livelihoods while studios explore cheaper alternatives. Meanwhile, audiences have become increasingly savvy at spotting artificial content—and they're not impressed by the uncanny valley aesthetic.
The Naked Gun poster does something clever: it takes AI's biggest weakness and transforms it into intentional comedy. Neeson's eight-fingered grip becomes part of the visual language, a deliberate choice that acknowledges the absurdity while celebrating the human touch that created it.
It's also a callback to the franchise's DNA. Police Squad! and the original Naked Gun trilogy thrived on visual gags that rewarded close observation. Remember the “Like a midget at a urinal, I was gonna have to stay on my toes” subtitle gag? This poster operates on the same wavelength—the longer you look, the funnier it gets.
The Weight of Legacy
Thirty years. That's how long fans have waited for Frank Drebin to return, and now it's his son stepping into those bumbling shoes. The pressure is immense, especially with series co-creator David Zucker publicly opposing the project and questioning whether spoof comedy still has an audience.
But these posters suggest something different. They show a marketing team that understands the assignment—honor the absurdist spirit while speaking to contemporary anxieties. The eight-finger joke works because it's simultaneously timeless Zucker-Abrams-Zucker visual comedy and pointed 2025 cultural criticism.
The Human Element
There's something oddly moving about that tagline. “No AI was used in the making of this poster.” In a world where authenticity feels increasingly rare, it's a small act of rebellion. It says: real people made this. Real people thought about every absurd detail. Real people decided that Liam Neeson needed exactly eight fingers for maximum comedic impact.
And that matters. Not just for comedy, but for cinema itself.
The poster works because it trusts its audience to get the joke on multiple levels. Surface level: haha, too many fingers. Deeper level: this is what happens when you let robots make art. Meta level: we're making fun of the very thing we're proudly avoiding.
The Naked Gun opens August 1st, carrying the weight of nostalgia and the challenge of proving that human-made comedy still matters. If the marketing is any indication—from impossible splits to impossible anatomy—they might just pull it off.
After all, the best jokes have always been the ones that make you think twice. Even if it takes eight fingers to point that out.
