Today’s quick review: Dragnet. Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd), a by-the-book sergeant with the LAPD, is disappointed to learn that his new partner will be Pep Streebek (Tom Hanks), a scruffy young cop with a lax approach to the rules. Together they investigate a series of bizarre crimes by P.A.G.A.N., a secret organization bent on sowing chaos throughout Los Angeles. But as they get closer to the truth, their investigation makes them enemies in high places.
Dragnet is a buddy cop comedy based on the classic TV series. Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks star as a pair of mismatched detectives forced to work together to take down a criminal organization on the verge of unleashing its master plan. The movie is a tongue-in-cheek comedy that takes shots at its uptight main character through his more adventurous partner. Dragnet has the skeleton of a fine story, but it’s missing the quality comedy needed to flesh it out.
Dragnet’s main issue is that it can’t decide how funny it wants to be. There are flashes of the ridiculousness seen in police comedies like The Naked Gun or Police Academy, but it never sticks around for long. The setup, although formulaic, has opportunities to go beyond just a comedy and actually make something of its characters. But Dragnet doesn’t commit to either option and ends up caught between being a parody and playing it straight.
That issue aside, Dragnet gets enough of the buddy cop formula right to make for a decent watch. None of the humor is outstanding, but the script does have its moments. Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd are committed to their roles, and their characters have just enough to argue over to make their dynamic work the way it’s supposed to. But ultimately, Aykroyd and Hanks lack the chemistry of the best comedy duos, making the entire movie easy to forget.
Dragnet is a decent choice for those in the mood for something light and relatively harmless. There are no drastic revelations, comedic masterstrokes, or innovations on the genre, but the movie manages to tell a coherent story and work in some amusing humor along the way. Still, Dragnet is outclassed by a number of similar movies that commit more heavily to their action, comedy, or drama. Those looking for something more impressive should steer clear.
For a more outrageous crime comedy that uses a similar setup to better effect, try The Naked Gun. For a crime comedy with a similar plot, a sharper script, and a darker sense of humor, try The Nice Guys. For a crime comedy with a better balance of humor and action, try Beverly Hills Cop or Lethal Weapon. For another buddy cop comedy adapted from a TV show, try Starsky & Hutch.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for decent fundamentals without much to set it apart.