Review of Dragnet (1987) by Dan G — 24 Jul 2012

It seems to be incredibly difficult to get the Buddy Cop movie right, so, in a way you have to admire anybody that tries. Itâ??s a complex little recipe; a large dollop of uptight cop, then add an unhealthy amount of new partner who doesnâ??t play by the rules, add a sprinkle of angry lieutenant and maybe a pinch of romance, then bake for just over 90 minutes and if you are lucky something that doesnâ??t too closely resemble Rush Hour comes out. Itâ??s never going to come out perfect; you just have to be glad if you donâ??t burn the damn thing.

Unfortunately Dragnet comes out tasting a little soggy, there are the right amounts of jokes and they are all in the right places, they are just a little past their sell by date. You get the odd laugh here and there, but there is nothing clever about Tom Hanks gesturing tosser behind Dan Aykroydâ??s back, especially when Aykroyd seems to be the only one putting any effort in.

Unlike Hanksâ?? maverick cop this film sticks firmly to the Buddy Cop rulebook; they donâ??t get on but grow to like one another as a mutual respect is formed. From the very moment that Hanks appears dressed in heavy disguise we know exactly where we are going with this film.

Dragnet is pulled from the oven a little burnt around the edges and uncooked in places, but itâ??s not a total disaster; we just have eat around the bad bits. Yes, the Buddy Cop certainly is a tricky concept to get right and it is vital that filmmakers are aware that you need to master the basic recipe before you go adding dogs.