Detective Sergeant Joe Friday takes his job as an upholder of the law. When he discovers that his new partner, Pep Streebek, is a long-haired, laid-back hippy, he is not impressed, making sure that Pep cleans up before they go out to work. Slowly though, the two begin to compromise and work well together, and are determined to rid Los Angeles of a new criminal threat - a gang of men called the Pagans, who are determined to take over city and already have members in positions of high authority. In the process of the investigation, Joe falls in love and, uncharacteristically, manages to get himself suspended. Can Pep beat the Pagans on his own? And will the course of true love go smoothly for Joe?
Made in 1987 and directed by Tom Mankiewicz, Dragnet (the film, not to be confused with the TV series, which I haven't seen) is a parody of American police drama, mainly the TV series of the same name, of the fifties and sixties. A much younger looking Dan Ackroyd plays Joe Friday. Not being a huge fan of Ackroyd, I wasn't expecting all that much from him; however, he was actually very good most of the time. He narrates most of the story in the form of a police report; his voice is so flat and dead-pan when he comes out with the most ridiculous statements that it is hard not to laugh. There are times when he has to dress up and look completely idiotic, which are a bit over the top, but he just about manages to pull it off without it turning into a complete farce. The relationship he starts with a victim of the Pagans is a little unconvincing, but that is mainly because the actress playing the love interest just doesn't seem suited to him rather than anything Ackroyd does wrong.
Tom Hanks plays Pep Streebek; again, he looks incredibly young. It was good to see him in a comic role again; it suits him, although I still think his best performances are in dramas. What I liked best was the way he worked with Dan Ackroyd - the two really seemed to build a strong relationship during the course of the film and I enjoyed watching them influence the other, so that by the end, they were much more similar in personality. To be honest though, Dan Ackroyd's anally-retentive character is much funnier than Hanks', and Ackroyd has the better lines. Still, not a bad attempt by Hanks, who was in the early part of his film career at the time the film was made.
I have to mention Christopher Plummer, who plays an apparently uptight clergyman, who may not be quite as innocent as he seems. Plummer gives him a marvellous laugh, the sort that would make you turn around and stare if you heard it, and is gloriously funny. Again, it is good to see him in a comedy role - although for me, he will always be the Captain in The Sound of Music. Alexandra Swail, the actress who plays Joe Friday's love interest, gives a lack-lustre performance - but then the role only needed her to look sweet and virginal - this is very much a man's film.
The plot is one of the most ridiculous I have ever seen, involving sacrificial virgins, grown men dressing up in sheepskins and wearing masks and a Hugh Hefner-style playboy mansion with lots of women in bikinis. This did ruin the film a little bit for me; the first part of the film is quite normal in comparison, with strong dialogue and performances, but it does then begin to deteriorate into nonsense, and the need to suspend disbelief becomes overwhelming. I just didn't think it was all necessary. That doesn't mean I didn't find it funny though, and I did find myself laughing rather more than I had expected. I think what made the film for me was the distinctly eighties feel - I was a teenager at the time the film was made and have fond memories of the fashion and hairstyles of the time.
Not having seen the original TV series, I cannot compare it to the film; however, I have read a fair amount of criticism from fans of the TV series. From what I understand, the TV series was a fairly gritty drama, at least for its time, and the film was meant to be a parody, which didn't go down well with some fans. Able to watch it without an preconceptions, I enjoyed the film and characters; however, those familiar with the TV series may be disappointed. Think along the lines of Naked Gun and the Police Academy films and you will pretty much know what to expect. There are plenty of stunts to keep those interested in action happy, involving car chases and snake fighting.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this film, despite the silliness. The dialogue is sharp and the performances are good and most importantly, it made me laugh. This is a light-hearted film that would be perfect for a rainy Saturday afternoon and will appeal to most of the family - there is a classification of PG for minor violence and almost-nude women, but I think it would be appropriate for all but the very young. Recommended.