dragnet is by no means a great film. but it is a funny, goofy light hearted film that both actors play well. i thought it was unusual to see christopher plummer in such a movie but he was good as the founder of "mama". this wont go down as the best film of either tom hanks or dan akroyd.dan has the jack webb impersonation down well though. it still is entertaining and if you want a decent laugh it's worth renting.
92 Reviews
It's A Fun Bit Of Nostalgia For Those Who've Seen The Old TV Series
sddavis636 November 2010
It's Saturday, November 6. 9:21 a.m. I've just watched "Dragnet."
A lot of old television shows have been made into movies. Most of them, frankly, have been disappointments. I have to say that the movie version of "Dragnet" is one of the better ones. Based on the cast, it should be. I'm not sure you could do any better than casting Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks in the lead roles, respectively, of Sgt. Joe Friday (supposedly the great-nephew of the Joe Friday from the series) and Tom Hanks as his new partner Pep Streebek. Both played their roles perfectly. Aykroyd was a great satirical take on Jack Webb's character, and Hanks was the perfect balance. The supporting cast - with names like Christopher Plummer and Dabney Coleman and Harry Morgan (reprising his character of Gannon from a 1969 "Dragnet" movie, who's now the police captain) - also made this worth watching.
The story has Friday and Streebek investigating some type of pagan cult that's been causing havoc on the streets of the city. Their undercover encounter with the cult at one of its gatherings was hilarious. Overall, mind you, this isn't an outrageously funny movie. It's more humorous than anything, with appeal mostly to those who've seen the original series. If you've never seen the original series a lot of the subtle humour (which revolves around Aykroyd's parody of Webb's character) will be lost. However, for those who do know the original series, it's a fun nostalgia trip with a good cast.
A lot of old television shows have been made into movies. Most of them, frankly, have been disappointments. I have to say that the movie version of "Dragnet" is one of the better ones. Based on the cast, it should be. I'm not sure you could do any better than casting Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks in the lead roles, respectively, of Sgt. Joe Friday (supposedly the great-nephew of the Joe Friday from the series) and Tom Hanks as his new partner Pep Streebek. Both played their roles perfectly. Aykroyd was a great satirical take on Jack Webb's character, and Hanks was the perfect balance. The supporting cast - with names like Christopher Plummer and Dabney Coleman and Harry Morgan (reprising his character of Gannon from a 1969 "Dragnet" movie, who's now the police captain) - also made this worth watching.
The story has Friday and Streebek investigating some type of pagan cult that's been causing havoc on the streets of the city. Their undercover encounter with the cult at one of its gatherings was hilarious. Overall, mind you, this isn't an outrageously funny movie. It's more humorous than anything, with appeal mostly to those who've seen the original series. If you've never seen the original series a lot of the subtle humour (which revolves around Aykroyd's parody of Webb's character) will be lost. However, for those who do know the original series, it's a fun nostalgia trip with a good cast.
classic 80s film - eminently quotable and hilarious
HelenMary21 July 2013
Dragnet is one of those films from the 80s that you just love. It's laugh out loud funny, and the jokes - mainly the deadpan stuff - never get old. So many of the lines are incredibly familiar, and like films like Top Gun, Princess Bride, Dirty Dancing many people can quote you large chunks of the script. Dan Aykroyd is brilliant as the policing by numbers monologue play by the books guy; similar role to his character in Gross Pointe Blank and there's a little of the Blues Brothers in there too. His comedic genius is playing everything so straight against Tom Hanks' enjoyable over the top, very physical slapstick sort of comedy. Together they are comedy genius both against the foil of Christopher Plummer playing a rather similar bad-guy-but-charming character to a lot of his films - Pink Panther (whichever one it was), Dreamscape etc. Some of the best lines come from Harry Morgan (famed for M*A*S*H) as their Captain.
Saddled together as an unlikely pair of partners in the Police Hanks and Aykroyd stumble upon a LA-wide conspiracy involving a prominent man of the church and the Police Commissioner and a group calling themselves PAGANs - people against goodness and normalcy - and there's Connie Swail (Alexandra Paul) the hapless virgin who will be sacrificed in on of the PAGAN's rituals... and Friday and Streebeck (Aykroyd and Hanks) have to get to the bottom of it. Hilarious police procedural, witty one liners, unforgettable scenes, great stunts and car chases and great performances make up this 80s remake and homage to the original 60s series. It's not aged that well and is a little clichéd in terms of 80s films but that is the charm. Love this film - it always really makes me smile.
Saddled together as an unlikely pair of partners in the Police Hanks and Aykroyd stumble upon a LA-wide conspiracy involving a prominent man of the church and the Police Commissioner and a group calling themselves PAGANs - people against goodness and normalcy - and there's Connie Swail (Alexandra Paul) the hapless virgin who will be sacrificed in on of the PAGAN's rituals... and Friday and Streebeck (Aykroyd and Hanks) have to get to the bottom of it. Hilarious police procedural, witty one liners, unforgettable scenes, great stunts and car chases and great performances make up this 80s remake and homage to the original 60s series. It's not aged that well and is a little clichéd in terms of 80s films but that is the charm. Love this film - it always really makes me smile.
Impressive, Bordering on Spectacular
deapod6 July 2001
I noticed that many of the comments on this film were negative. Those people need to loosen up and get "just the facts." Maybe I see more of the humor because I am a law enforcement officer, but this film is a scream. It takes everything that the original series did, and does it with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Dan Ackroyd's deadpan Jack Webb impersonation is a riot, as are the remarks he makes to Hanks' Pep Streebeck. A typical example would be after Joe ignores Sylvia Wiss' advances, and Pep calls him on it. Joe looks him dead in the eye and says, "Streebeck, there are two things that separate us from the animals. One, we use cutlery. Two, we can control our sexual urges. I don't know about you, but don't drag ME into your private HELL!" That line is so Jack Webb-DRAGNET that I'm surprised it never showed up in the 1960's version. Like the Austin Powers films, DRAGNET spoofs a cultural icon in such a way as to evoke the original. Ignore the silly plot, and just enjoy the ride.**PS**I have actually used the line I quoted above in the line of duty!
If you are reading this. Then you know.
dissaid16 May 2019
Not bad
tripwires4 September 2001
Wow, Tom Hanks can be funny! Who would've thought? Dan Akyord (sp?) is hilarious, and I love it when Joe starts reciting all that numbers. A funny movie that featured a funny Tom Hanks, "Dragnet" is worth seeing when you're in the mood for a light-hearted comedy. The jokes aren't overdone or under-done, the acting is spot-on, and I guess its only flaw is that it drags on for too long. I don't think its plot needed an hour and 45 minutes worth of screen time, but whatever, I'm not the expert here. This movie requires its viewer to switch off his/her brains, and is really just harmless fun that costs only an hour and 45 minutes of your life. I mean, Tom Hanks was funny! Enough said!
Bad sex and good drugs are the cornerstone of democracy.
hitchcockthelegend6 December 2013
Dragnet is directed by Tom Mankiewicz and he also co-writes the screenplay with Dan Aykroyd and Alan Zweibel. It stars Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan and Alexandra Paul. Music is by Ira Newborn and cinematography by Matthew F. Leonetti.
A parody and homage to the much loved TV show of the same name from the 60s, Dragnet works hard to bring 1980s chic to the formula but ultimately has to rely on the two stars to keep its head above water. Plot pitches Aykroyd and Hanks together as mismatched cops trying to decipher the nefarious workings of cult outfit PAGAN (People Against Goodness And Normalcy).
Aykroyd's Sgt. Joe Friday is a by the book copper with a stick up his backside, Hanks' Det. Pep Streebeck is the unconventional sloth who doesn't mind fracturing laws to get a result. Naturally Friday will have to loosen up for the plot machinations to work, so enter Connie Swail (Paul) as the love interest who smooths Friday's rough edges. Plummer is scraping the bottom of the barrel but seems to be having fun doing so, and Morgan just looks bemused.
Thankfully the script is ripe with dialogue tailor made for Aykroyd, ensuring his fans get good value out of the picture. The pairing of Hanks and Aykroyd is a good one, their polar opposite dynamics spicy, and many lines become ever quotable. The action sequences aren't up to much, the direction equally so, while the soundtrack is just plane bad. So for enjoyment purpose it's best just to buy into Aykroyd's deadpan take on the Joe Friday character and kinda ignore the rest. It has moments, but the material isn't worthy of being stretched to over an hour and forty minutes of film. 6/10
A parody and homage to the much loved TV show of the same name from the 60s, Dragnet works hard to bring 1980s chic to the formula but ultimately has to rely on the two stars to keep its head above water. Plot pitches Aykroyd and Hanks together as mismatched cops trying to decipher the nefarious workings of cult outfit PAGAN (People Against Goodness And Normalcy).
Aykroyd's Sgt. Joe Friday is a by the book copper with a stick up his backside, Hanks' Det. Pep Streebeck is the unconventional sloth who doesn't mind fracturing laws to get a result. Naturally Friday will have to loosen up for the plot machinations to work, so enter Connie Swail (Paul) as the love interest who smooths Friday's rough edges. Plummer is scraping the bottom of the barrel but seems to be having fun doing so, and Morgan just looks bemused.
Thankfully the script is ripe with dialogue tailor made for Aykroyd, ensuring his fans get good value out of the picture. The pairing of Hanks and Aykroyd is a good one, their polar opposite dynamics spicy, and many lines become ever quotable. The action sequences aren't up to much, the direction equally so, while the soundtrack is just plane bad. So for enjoyment purpose it's best just to buy into Aykroyd's deadpan take on the Joe Friday character and kinda ignore the rest. It has moments, but the material isn't worthy of being stretched to over an hour and forty minutes of film. 6/10
Uneven at best when I saw it in the 1980s, hasn't improved with time
terrywatt37514 November 2021
This is a flick that has always left me more puzzled at the creative choices that went into the making of it then a sense of amusement at the end result.
I'll start with Tom Hanks as the co-lead and comic foil of Detective Pep Streebeck. Back in the mid-1980s, I had pretty much enjoyed what Hanks had done up until that point. From Bosom Buddies (an admittedly dumb sitcom elevated by then-newcomer Hanks and his charm) to Bachelor Party to The Man With One Red Shoe to The Money Pit, Tom Hanks came across as a funny guy you wanted to like. With Dragnet, the character Hanks played and the performance he gave...it all seemed very forced and mildly obnoxious rather than naturally funny. And, I must say, the scenes where Streebeck is depicted as a tough-guy cop lothario, bedding hot babes night after night...hey, Tom Hanks can be many things onscreen, but a sexy tough guy simply isn't two of them.
With the other co-lead Dan Aykroyd, I will say his very overused schtick of "I'm speaking technical jargon very very fast and this in and of itself is funny" actually isn't as grating as it usually is, because I do think it serves the Aykroyd Friday character well here, in the spirit of the 'just the facts, ma'am' vibe re: the original Dragnet tv series. This does prompt a question as to why anyone thought the then decades-old Dragnet tv series circa 1987 was a good choice for a movie remake, and, if so, why anybody would want to try and remake it as a dumb comedy (which the original tv series certainly wasn't).
Rounding out the rest of the Dragnet 1987 cast, really only Dabney Coleman provides much in the way of several lowbrow laughs as a Hugh Hefneresque smut peddler. Christopher Plummer's deviate televangelist minister bad guy character is doubtless one Plummer would go on to forget. Harry Morgan just looks old, tired, bored and disinterested reprising his character from the original tv series. Alexandra Paul is fetching and pleasant enough as the virgin damsel in distress, I suppose.
I think ultimately it was the plot and comedic situations Dragnet 1987 chose to depict that left me cold. Just a series of mildly outlandish scenes slammed together, none of which were particularly funny, and all the near-constant mugging Tom Hanks did for the cameras weren't going to make up for the shortcomings in the script and dialogue. Rather than craft a simple story and craft funny lines for the characters to say, Dragnet 1987 instead opted to go more and more over-the-top as the film plodded on...sort of "let's throw everything and the kitchen sink at the screen and hopefully enough will stick"...unfortunately, not enough did. This failed approach also makes the 115 minute running time seem much longer than it is: 90 minutes was more than enough time for a flick such as Dragnet 1987 to tell the story it needed to tell and sell the jokes if they were present from the get-go.
I'll start with Tom Hanks as the co-lead and comic foil of Detective Pep Streebeck. Back in the mid-1980s, I had pretty much enjoyed what Hanks had done up until that point. From Bosom Buddies (an admittedly dumb sitcom elevated by then-newcomer Hanks and his charm) to Bachelor Party to The Man With One Red Shoe to The Money Pit, Tom Hanks came across as a funny guy you wanted to like. With Dragnet, the character Hanks played and the performance he gave...it all seemed very forced and mildly obnoxious rather than naturally funny. And, I must say, the scenes where Streebeck is depicted as a tough-guy cop lothario, bedding hot babes night after night...hey, Tom Hanks can be many things onscreen, but a sexy tough guy simply isn't two of them.
With the other co-lead Dan Aykroyd, I will say his very overused schtick of "I'm speaking technical jargon very very fast and this in and of itself is funny" actually isn't as grating as it usually is, because I do think it serves the Aykroyd Friday character well here, in the spirit of the 'just the facts, ma'am' vibe re: the original Dragnet tv series. This does prompt a question as to why anyone thought the then decades-old Dragnet tv series circa 1987 was a good choice for a movie remake, and, if so, why anybody would want to try and remake it as a dumb comedy (which the original tv series certainly wasn't).
Rounding out the rest of the Dragnet 1987 cast, really only Dabney Coleman provides much in the way of several lowbrow laughs as a Hugh Hefneresque smut peddler. Christopher Plummer's deviate televangelist minister bad guy character is doubtless one Plummer would go on to forget. Harry Morgan just looks old, tired, bored and disinterested reprising his character from the original tv series. Alexandra Paul is fetching and pleasant enough as the virgin damsel in distress, I suppose.
I think ultimately it was the plot and comedic situations Dragnet 1987 chose to depict that left me cold. Just a series of mildly outlandish scenes slammed together, none of which were particularly funny, and all the near-constant mugging Tom Hanks did for the cameras weren't going to make up for the shortcomings in the script and dialogue. Rather than craft a simple story and craft funny lines for the characters to say, Dragnet 1987 instead opted to go more and more over-the-top as the film plodded on...sort of "let's throw everything and the kitchen sink at the screen and hopefully enough will stick"...unfortunately, not enough did. This failed approach also makes the 115 minute running time seem much longer than it is: 90 minutes was more than enough time for a flick such as Dragnet 1987 to tell the story it needed to tell and sell the jokes if they were present from the get-go.
Funny spoof of the original series
BobbyT2420 August 2015
I watched this many times years ago in college when it first came out (and thereafter). Tom Hanks was always a fabulous funnyman with impeccable timing. Dan Ackroyd was Jack Webb reincarnated with a comedy flare. It was funny in 1987, it was funny in the years following, it was funny last night while watching with my teenage son who had neither heard of the original series nor really had much experience with a young Tom Hanks circa-"Splash" era. The movie hasn't aged perfectly (how many mid-80s movies have?). However, the originality and genuine caring by the two stars to add some sensibility and joy into a classic dramatic series makes it worth watching. I enjoyed it then. I enjoyed it last night.
Tom Hanks is an American treasure as an actor. He's just that special. I'm so thankful he's stretched out into drama, but his physical comedy and timing are some of the best ever. Dan Ackroyd can spout the dictionary in his monotone "Joe Friday" tone and make it sound funny. He was awesome as the Los Angeles detective with the heart of gold and ethics above reproach. Pairing him with a lovely, innocent Alexandra Paul was a stroke of genius for the screenplay. It allowed these gifted comedians even more fodder for comic gold.
Some people mention this is an "unrealistic" movie. Of course it is. Just like the "Airplane" series is unrealistic. With spoofs, you will need to suspend reality a little to understand the point. "Dragnet" not only sticks close to reality, but even it's silly parts are joyous because the main characters and the character actors playing the minor parts are working so hard to make it believable. To have Dabney Coleman doing his impression of Hugh Hefner with a lisp is inspired lunacy. And naming Joe Friday's grandmother, "Granny Monday"... The jokes go on.
If you're looking for "Schindler's List" or even the Harrison Ford remake, "The Fugitive", you will be disappointed with "Dragnet". But if you love "Airplane", "Spaceballs" and other odd, clever, classic "banana peel" humor, pick up this movie. If you are in the mood for a silly memoir about a classic police show from the 1960s, you won't find much better. I would recommend watching just to watch Tom Hanks as a young comedian. He's worth the time. The rest of the movie is worth your time. Recommended for a night of lunacy. :-)
Tom Hanks is an American treasure as an actor. He's just that special. I'm so thankful he's stretched out into drama, but his physical comedy and timing are some of the best ever. Dan Ackroyd can spout the dictionary in his monotone "Joe Friday" tone and make it sound funny. He was awesome as the Los Angeles detective with the heart of gold and ethics above reproach. Pairing him with a lovely, innocent Alexandra Paul was a stroke of genius for the screenplay. It allowed these gifted comedians even more fodder for comic gold.
Some people mention this is an "unrealistic" movie. Of course it is. Just like the "Airplane" series is unrealistic. With spoofs, you will need to suspend reality a little to understand the point. "Dragnet" not only sticks close to reality, but even it's silly parts are joyous because the main characters and the character actors playing the minor parts are working so hard to make it believable. To have Dabney Coleman doing his impression of Hugh Hefner with a lisp is inspired lunacy. And naming Joe Friday's grandmother, "Granny Monday"... The jokes go on.
If you're looking for "Schindler's List" or even the Harrison Ford remake, "The Fugitive", you will be disappointed with "Dragnet". But if you love "Airplane", "Spaceballs" and other odd, clever, classic "banana peel" humor, pick up this movie. If you are in the mood for a silly memoir about a classic police show from the 1960s, you won't find much better. I would recommend watching just to watch Tom Hanks as a young comedian. He's worth the time. The rest of the movie is worth your time. Recommended for a night of lunacy. :-)
A Lame, Directionless Parody, Despite its Inspired Casting
drqshadow-reviews16 July 2014
A big budget effort to revive the long-dormant TV series with a snarkier, more wise-cracking slant. Dan Aykroyd is in his element as the super stiff, by-the-books Joe Friday (nephew of the original protagonist), while Tom Hanks often feels like he tries too hard as the detective's wacky, off-kilter new partner. The two play their roles well, but oddly don't have much of a rapport and feel like they're more wrapped up in the eccentricities of the characters than what's going on around them. I can't really blame them - the plot doesn't seem appropriate, or even all that interesting. Why stick to the guidelines of a basic detective story when you can dive into the overcomplicated saga of an evil pagan minister with deep political ties and a weakness for sacrificial virgins, I guess? It's a terrible match for the cast, who seem as puzzled by it as I was, and sets the film up for failure before it's even found its legs. Amusing at times, for the most part it's helplessly contradictory, clumsy and often downright grating.
One Of My Guilty Pleasures
bkoganbing2 September 2007
Although Tom Hanks and Christopher Plummer and Dan Ackroyd have certainly done better work than Dragnet, I can't think of a movie where any of them would have had better fun making it. Dragnet is one of the guilty pleasures I have, a film that will never be rated as one of the greatest of all time, but a film that I split a gut laughing at even though I know all the jokes coming.
Dragnet is a satirical version of the famous documentary style police show from the Fifties and the later color version from the sixties. Dan Ackroyd's dead-on impersonation of the no-nonsense monotone Jack Webb that a generation of Americans grew up remembering is excellent. Like Webb he plays it completely straight or maybe I should say straight man.
Because he's got a new partner fresh from undercover narcotics in Tom Hanks. Ackroyd's not quite used to the girl chasing, motorcycle loving partner that he's been assigned to. He's been brought up in the strict traditions of his Uncle Joe and he has a photograph of Jack Webb on his desk. He's even got Harry Morgan as his captain and we well remember that Harry Morgan was Jack Webb's partner in the sixties version of Dragnet.
Anyway the two of them are assigned to investigate an assortment of crimes that a motorcycle gang called the PAGANS are responsible for. I can't explain any more because the plot gets positively surreal from here. All I can say is the laughs never stop.
Look for some good supporting performances in addition to those mentioned from Elizabeth Ashley as the new police commissioner, Alexandra Paul as 'the virgin Connie Swale', Jack O'Halloran as a Pagan member, Kathleen Freeman as a foulmouthed landlady, and Dabney Coleman as a Hugh Hefner type publisher.
But most of all this film belongs to Christopher Plummer in every scene he's in. He plays the whole thing with a twinkle in his eye when he's being the most sanctimonious as the Reverend Jonathan Whirley. I can't think of a film where Plummer is funnier in or one where it looks like he's having such a good time.
The good time is positively infectious. The most hidebound stuffed shirt will love this film as I did.
Dragnet is a satirical version of the famous documentary style police show from the Fifties and the later color version from the sixties. Dan Ackroyd's dead-on impersonation of the no-nonsense monotone Jack Webb that a generation of Americans grew up remembering is excellent. Like Webb he plays it completely straight or maybe I should say straight man.
Because he's got a new partner fresh from undercover narcotics in Tom Hanks. Ackroyd's not quite used to the girl chasing, motorcycle loving partner that he's been assigned to. He's been brought up in the strict traditions of his Uncle Joe and he has a photograph of Jack Webb on his desk. He's even got Harry Morgan as his captain and we well remember that Harry Morgan was Jack Webb's partner in the sixties version of Dragnet.
Anyway the two of them are assigned to investigate an assortment of crimes that a motorcycle gang called the PAGANS are responsible for. I can't explain any more because the plot gets positively surreal from here. All I can say is the laughs never stop.
Look for some good supporting performances in addition to those mentioned from Elizabeth Ashley as the new police commissioner, Alexandra Paul as 'the virgin Connie Swale', Jack O'Halloran as a Pagan member, Kathleen Freeman as a foulmouthed landlady, and Dabney Coleman as a Hugh Hefner type publisher.
But most of all this film belongs to Christopher Plummer in every scene he's in. He plays the whole thing with a twinkle in his eye when he's being the most sanctimonious as the Reverend Jonathan Whirley. I can't think of a film where Plummer is funnier in or one where it looks like he's having such a good time.
The good time is positively infectious. The most hidebound stuffed shirt will love this film as I did.
Guilty of not being funny.
BA_Harrison10 February 2019
Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks play a pair of mismatched L.A. cops whose first case together involves a secret society, P.A.G.A.N., which has committed a series of crimes all over the city.
Dan Aykroyd, you are charged with a joyless and irritating central performance as by-the-books Los Angeles detective Joe Friday.
Tom Hanks, you are charged with the wilful participation in a crime against comedy, as Friday's mismatched partner, loose-cannon cop Pep.
Tom Mankiewicz, you are charged with the direction of a dismal parody that completely fails to deliver laughs.
When the comedy highlight of the film is our two heroes wearing furry goat leggings and doing a silly dance, I know I'm in for a rough ride.
2/10. An embarrassment for all concerned.
Dan Aykroyd, you are charged with a joyless and irritating central performance as by-the-books Los Angeles detective Joe Friday.
Tom Hanks, you are charged with the wilful participation in a crime against comedy, as Friday's mismatched partner, loose-cannon cop Pep.
Tom Mankiewicz, you are charged with the direction of a dismal parody that completely fails to deliver laughs.
When the comedy highlight of the film is our two heroes wearing furry goat leggings and doing a silly dance, I know I'm in for a rough ride.
2/10. An embarrassment for all concerned.
A comic gem!
tanzimhusain28 October 2007
I managed to catch Dragnet on one boring late night on HBO and how glad I am to have done that! Without going into the small details, this is a must see.
The chemistry between Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks is just awesome. Both Dan and Tom manages to play their respective characters with sheer conviction. The plot is simple and the dialog hilarious: just the sort you need for straight unadulterated fun.
Best of all, the move has some of the most brilliant comic moments from 1980's.
I'm not giving anything away, you'll need to watch to find out ;-)
The chemistry between Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks is just awesome. Both Dan and Tom manages to play their respective characters with sheer conviction. The plot is simple and the dialog hilarious: just the sort you need for straight unadulterated fun.
Best of all, the move has some of the most brilliant comic moments from 1980's.
I'm not giving anything away, you'll need to watch to find out ;-)
Hilariously funny, dem d dur dem durr !!!
smcken9 October 2002
I'm wondering whether all the other IMDb users saw the sam movie. This films hilarious especially Joe's fast talking whilst arresting the priest. It must of took him ages to perfect that scene and remember everything. I never saw the original series but I believe captain Gannon (Harry Morgan) played the same character of a officer in the 60's version.
An affectionate parody
justbob19822 November 2015
Version I saw: UK DVD release
Actors: 7/10
Plot/script: 7/10
Photography/visual style: 6/10
Music/score: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
Dragnet is a reboot/sequel/remake of the 50s TV series of the same name, although it blurs the boundaries. To be honest, I know very little about the series, but I get the impression that it is essentially a straight police procedural with a single central character, Sgt. Joe Friday. Originally played by Jack Webb, the role is taken by Dan Aykroyd for this version. In addition, a partner has been inserted in the form of Det. Pep Streebek (Tom Hanks).
Although at first Hanks' role as the young, cool one slightly threw me, so used am I to seeing him as an older, more patriarchal figure, he plays it well. The contrast between him and the uptight, by-the-book Friday is and was an utterly hackneyed one, but it is implemented in an entertaining way that left me feeling forgiving.
This is really Aykroyd's film, though. He co-wrote the script, and delivers most of the funniest lines. In an odd contrast to Hanks, who plays his part more-or-less straight, Aykroyd's Friday is almost clownish. In fact, characters in this film have a very varied relationship to the jokes: some are clueless, others are totally in on the joke, and yet others react with more human bemusement.
It's all very 80s. The fashion, the music (including an ultra-80s synth opening sequence version of the iconic Dragnet theme), even the plot: I detected definite echoes of Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop and Police Squad, all very 80s products. In some ways, this is as much a parody of 80s cool as it is of Friday and his rigid world. Crucially though, if this is a parody, it is an affectionate one, with a warmth for its subject that I found myself reciprocating.
Actors: 7/10
Plot/script: 7/10
Photography/visual style: 6/10
Music/score: 6/10
Overall: 7/10
Dragnet is a reboot/sequel/remake of the 50s TV series of the same name, although it blurs the boundaries. To be honest, I know very little about the series, but I get the impression that it is essentially a straight police procedural with a single central character, Sgt. Joe Friday. Originally played by Jack Webb, the role is taken by Dan Aykroyd for this version. In addition, a partner has been inserted in the form of Det. Pep Streebek (Tom Hanks).
Although at first Hanks' role as the young, cool one slightly threw me, so used am I to seeing him as an older, more patriarchal figure, he plays it well. The contrast between him and the uptight, by-the-book Friday is and was an utterly hackneyed one, but it is implemented in an entertaining way that left me feeling forgiving.
This is really Aykroyd's film, though. He co-wrote the script, and delivers most of the funniest lines. In an odd contrast to Hanks, who plays his part more-or-less straight, Aykroyd's Friday is almost clownish. In fact, characters in this film have a very varied relationship to the jokes: some are clueless, others are totally in on the joke, and yet others react with more human bemusement.
It's all very 80s. The fashion, the music (including an ultra-80s synth opening sequence version of the iconic Dragnet theme), even the plot: I detected definite echoes of Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop and Police Squad, all very 80s products. In some ways, this is as much a parody of 80s cool as it is of Friday and his rigid world. Crucially though, if this is a parody, it is an affectionate one, with a warmth for its subject that I found myself reciprocating.
from two kings of comedy
ksf-215 September 2023
The 1980s... prime time for tom hanks and dan akroyd. Akroyd had just done "spies like us", one of my favorite films. Hanks did this between money pit and big. The best part of this film is the opening scene, where akroyd describes los angeles perfectly. Those who already have it, and those who want it. So when crimes start happening all over town, the perps are leaving cards that say "pagan" at the scene. Their first clue! Some fun faces appear here and there. Christopher plummer, dabney coleman, and harry morgan, from the original dragnet television series.. and the first full length dragnet film in 1969. You'll also enjoy seeing dirty mouth kathleen freeman....she was sister mary stigmata with akroyd in blue brothers! And 24 minutes in, we see a couple of pay phones.. remember those? It's all silly and fun. A goofy do-over of the very serious tv series. Directed by tom mankiewicz, the mankiewicz family history of working in hollywood! He had also worked on several james bond films. It's fun and entertaining... not to be taken too seriously.
just the fracas, ma'am
lee_eisenberg13 December 2009
I've never seen the TV series "Dragnet", and I've heard that it was little more than an excuse to glorify the police, lionizing them for going after hippies. Therefore, I'm perfectly content only knowing the 1980s movie starring Dan Aykroyd as the no-nonsense Joe Friday and Tom Hanks as his hip new sidekick. While the plot focuses on their investigation of a shady televangelist (Christopher Plummer), it's mostly an excuse for both men to be just plain old funny. Both guys easily succeed in that respect. It's the most hilarious - let alone the best - movie for either, but truly a nice bit of entertainment for its running length. Worth seeing for that.
Also starring Alexandra Paul, Jack O'Halloran, Kathleen Freeman and Dabney Coleman.
Also starring Alexandra Paul, Jack O'Halloran, Kathleen Freeman and Dabney Coleman.
No humor in this brainless film
SimonJack3 September 2017
Satire is a wonderful, but small genre, of movies. The most difficult to make truly funny is satire of movies or of TV programs. That's because they are hard to come up with originality. When the audience knows the original source so well, the writers have to create comedy that we can't see coming. It's the surprise that's needed to put the dialog across as humorous.
Unfortunately, "Dragnet" missed on this big time. It was so predictable throughout, that it's almost devoid of any original humor. That means no laughs. Then, with its combination of crude and crud, this film comes off as a big turd. It's too bad Tom Hanks picked this and a couple other stinker films as his career was taking off. And, Dan Aykroyd is capable of great comedy, not dumb, humorless garbage like this.
This "Dragnet" has one piece of biting satire that seems befitting for the home of Tinseltown. In a TV program within the movie, the mayor of Los Angeles, Jane Kirkpatrick (played by Elizabeth Ashley), is thanking the Rev. Whirley (played by Christopher Plummer) on his selection of L. A. for his new program.
Mayor Kirkpatrick, "What a deep honor it is for this city that you have chosen Los Angeles to be the new focal point for the Moral Advancement Movement of America (MAMA)." Rev. Whirley, "Oh, it's quite simple, uh, really, uh, Jane. If one wishes to effect a financial upheaval in this country, one should set his or her sights on Wall Street. If one wishes to revolutionize the, uh, political system, he or she would naturally go to Washington, heh, heh. But, uh, when dealing with, uh, pornography, filth, crime, degradation, what better place is there to begin with than Los Angeles, the current capital of depravity in what sadly passes for the modern world?"
Unfortunately, "Dragnet" missed on this big time. It was so predictable throughout, that it's almost devoid of any original humor. That means no laughs. Then, with its combination of crude and crud, this film comes off as a big turd. It's too bad Tom Hanks picked this and a couple other stinker films as his career was taking off. And, Dan Aykroyd is capable of great comedy, not dumb, humorless garbage like this.
This "Dragnet" has one piece of biting satire that seems befitting for the home of Tinseltown. In a TV program within the movie, the mayor of Los Angeles, Jane Kirkpatrick (played by Elizabeth Ashley), is thanking the Rev. Whirley (played by Christopher Plummer) on his selection of L. A. for his new program.
Mayor Kirkpatrick, "What a deep honor it is for this city that you have chosen Los Angeles to be the new focal point for the Moral Advancement Movement of America (MAMA)." Rev. Whirley, "Oh, it's quite simple, uh, really, uh, Jane. If one wishes to effect a financial upheaval in this country, one should set his or her sights on Wall Street. If one wishes to revolutionize the, uh, political system, he or she would naturally go to Washington, heh, heh. But, uh, when dealing with, uh, pornography, filth, crime, degradation, what better place is there to begin with than Los Angeles, the current capital of depravity in what sadly passes for the modern world?"
Funny in patches
no-skyline7 June 2006
Dragnet is a product of Tom Hanks 80's comedy period and teamed with Dan Akroyd hot off the Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters this must have seemed a hot ticket back in 1986.
Unfortunately it doesn't quite work, don't get me wrong it's hilarious in places and Akroyd nails the dead pan delivery but there are spells in the film where it just isn't funny enough. Not an outright spoof but more of a buddy comedy it just cant match the gag count of The Naked Gun or Airplane.
It's still nice though to see Tom Hanks in his earlier incarnation as a mainly comedic actor and you can have some fun with this but don't expect anything to match Big or Ghostbusters.
A solid and fun 6/10
Unfortunately it doesn't quite work, don't get me wrong it's hilarious in places and Akroyd nails the dead pan delivery but there are spells in the film where it just isn't funny enough. Not an outright spoof but more of a buddy comedy it just cant match the gag count of The Naked Gun or Airplane.
It's still nice though to see Tom Hanks in his earlier incarnation as a mainly comedic actor and you can have some fun with this but don't expect anything to match Big or Ghostbusters.
A solid and fun 6/10
Lacking in any laughs
blott2319-11 December 2020
When translating a TV show into a movie I have found that there are 2 main roads you can take. The first is trying to create a faithful homage to the show that matches the tone and style of the original, even if some ideas are adapted to fit modern sensibilities. The second is to lampoon the original and make a comedy that pokes fun at all the flaws in it, while still showing some reverence for what made the show popular. Dragnet tries hard to be the latter, but has one fatal flaw...it's not funny. They are making an utter mockery of a decent TV police drama from the 1960s, but don't seem to know how to be funny. Half the time it feels like we're just supposed to laugh because Tom Hanks is there with his buffoonery to contrast with Dan Aykroyd's portrayal of Friday. Yet it doesn't seem like Hanks is doing anything all that humorous, he's just being a relatively normal guy for the late 80s.
There are moments where it feels like Dragnet is pushing the boundaries and might spill over into being a complete spoof, and that's when I was most hopeful that they had figured it out. I would have laughed much more if it were pure screwball nonsense that's happening around Aykroyd's completely straight performance (and someone got the idea to make that movie a year later and call it "The Naked Gun.") It feels like they're counting on the mystery in Dragnet to provide a solid story to work alongside the comedy, but even that didn't work. All the clues were obvious, and it was not a great mystery who was behind the evil plans. I remember seeing this movie decades ago and thinking it would be a treat since I was a fan of the TV series (thanks to Nick at Nite.) I'm sad to say my original disappointment with what I saw was warranted. Dragnet is a lame film that probably shouldn't have been made.
There are moments where it feels like Dragnet is pushing the boundaries and might spill over into being a complete spoof, and that's when I was most hopeful that they had figured it out. I would have laughed much more if it were pure screwball nonsense that's happening around Aykroyd's completely straight performance (and someone got the idea to make that movie a year later and call it "The Naked Gun.") It feels like they're counting on the mystery in Dragnet to provide a solid story to work alongside the comedy, but even that didn't work. All the clues were obvious, and it was not a great mystery who was behind the evil plans. I remember seeing this movie decades ago and thinking it would be a treat since I was a fan of the TV series (thanks to Nick at Nite.) I'm sad to say my original disappointment with what I saw was warranted. Dragnet is a lame film that probably shouldn't have been made.
Absolutely hilarious!
HangEmHi29 June 1999
Tom Hanks reminds us of just how good a comic actor he is, and Dan Ackroyd just "becomes" his character! I found the movie to be part dead-on parody, part slapstick, part cop movie (with a twist). Christopher Plummer and Dabney Coleman have a ball with their supporting roles, and Alexandra Paul adds just a dash of sex appeal. I was smiling from start to finish, and could watch it over and over.
Disappointing, but had it's moments
tbkbabb6 August 2001
Dragnet was one of those movies that had a good cast but was at least somewhat disappointing. I gave it a slightly more than average rating mainly because of Dan Aykroyd's spot-on tribute (of sorts) to Jack Webb who of course, was the actor who was the focal point of the TV series. Some of the dialogue for Dan's character, who if I remember correctly is supposed to be the grandson of Jack's character, is quite funny the majority of the time. It's the rest of the writing that falls quite short-and I'd love to have been at the meeting when they decided the name of Tom Hanks' role in the movie-Pep Streebeck? Tom does a good job despite the ridiculous name, but actors like Dabney Coleman are stuck in a beyond silly plot. Oh well-the music video that was put together from the movie and run on MTV back when that was watchable wasn't too bad.
Weak...
RosanaBotafogo14 November 2021
Think of a boring movie, make no mistake, there's nothing suspenseful, just a backdrop in search of a silly malefactor, to use boring and equally silly jokes... Trying to resist giving up, insisting, too silly, not even the cute duo Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks managed the weak and silly script...
Underrated..one of the better movies based on a tv show
shacmasta8 March 2020
Recently re-watched this on the Starz App and it holds up 33 years later.
The movie still looks amazing and could easily pass for a film 10-15yrs younger.
Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks play their roles flawlessly. I was lucky enough to watch reruns of Dragnet on Nick at Nite back in the early 90's and their performances in the remake are obviously intended to both honor the source material and also give it a coat of comedic paint which works great and still holds up to the day.
Not many remakes of classic tv shows work but this one works and can easily be on many a top 10 list if you were compiling a list of tv show remakes not to mention an underrated 80's buddy cop movie.
The movie still looks amazing and could easily pass for a film 10-15yrs younger.
Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks play their roles flawlessly. I was lucky enough to watch reruns of Dragnet on Nick at Nite back in the early 90's and their performances in the remake are obviously intended to both honor the source material and also give it a coat of comedic paint which works great and still holds up to the day.
Not many remakes of classic tv shows work but this one works and can easily be on many a top 10 list if you were compiling a list of tv show remakes not to mention an underrated 80's buddy cop movie.
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