Synopsis
LAPD Sgt. Joe Friday -- the equally straight-laced nephew of the famous police sergeant of the same name -- is paired up with a young, freewheeling detective named Pep Streebeck. After investigating some strange robberies at the local zoo and the theft of a stockpile of pornographic magazines, they uncover cult activity in the heart of the city and are hot on the case to figure out who's behind it all.
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Cast
- Dan AykroydSgt. Joe Friday
- Tom HanksPep Streebeck
- Christopher PlummerReverend Jonathan Whirley
- Harry MorganCaptain Gannon
- Alexandra PaulConnie Swail
- Jack O'HalloranEmil Muzz
- Elizabeth AshleyJane Kirkpatrick
- Dabney ColemanJerry Caesar
- Kathleen FreemanEnid Borden
- Shannon TweedBaitmate
Recommendations
- 80
Washington Post
Famed script doctor Tom Mankiewicz, in his directorial debut, creates the required breakneck car chases, stunt tumbles, major crowd scenes and SWAT gunfire around Aykroyd and Hanks. We're essentially watching 48 Hours or Beverly Hills Cop, only with different funny people. Plus the script is a gold mine of one-liners penned by Aykroyd, Mankiewicz and ex-Saturday Night Live writer Alan Zweibel. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
It is great for an hour, good for about 25 minutes and then heads doggedly for the Standard 1980s High Tech Hollywood Ending, which means an expensive chase scene and a shootout. - 75
Slant Magazine
Dragnet winks at its source material often, but besides a committed lead performance by Dan Aykroyd and the return of Webb’s partner, Harry Morgan, little remains of the original show. This ain’t your grandmother’s Dragnet; it’s your deranged drunk uncle’s Dragnet. - 70
Washington Post
There's enjoyable chemistry between the two, but not the sort that sequels are made on. Aykroyd's straight man gets most of the laughs with his hilarious variation on the late Jack Webb's hard-bitten dialogue, with Hanks playing less often off the priggish, ever-positive Friday. - 60
Empire
Fun spoof but it's been surpassed in the TV-series film spoof since then. - 60
The New York Times
Mr. Aykroyd and Mr. Hanks play well together, but the funniest performance in the film is that of Dabney Coleman, as the smut king (who lisps). Somewhat less diverting are the car chases and the time out necessary to explain the throwaway story. - 60
The Dissolve
Dragnet has its share of sharp gags and memorable lines, but for the most part, it’s entertaining but forgettable, a fun romp that assuredly hits all the expected mismatched buddy-cop-movie beats and serves up the subgenre’s clichés straight, rather than subverting or lampooning them. - 60
Time Out
Entertaining enough, but a pity they didn't draft in more of the Eisenhower context.
