Film

Dragnet

Name: Dragnet
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Released: 1987
Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan, Alexandra Paul

Other titles called Dragnet: the 1951 series (NBC), the 1954 film, the 1967 series (NBC).

Dan Aykroyd's deadpan Joe Friday inherits his uncle's reputation as the LAPD's most literal lawman, then gets paired with Tom Hanks's chaotic hotshot detective. The film mines comedy from their collision—Friday takes every regulation seriously, Streebeck treats rules as suggestions. It's an '80s buddy cop film that trades cynicism for genuine affection between its leads, cheerfully absurd in plot but warmhearted about friendship.

TMDb rating

3.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy broad, silly buddy-cop comedy where the joke is a stiff straight man bumping against a looser partner, and you don't mind the plot being mostly a vehicle for gags.

Skip it if you want sharp, grounded detective work; the mystery is thin and the humour leans on mugging and dated 1980s slapstick rather than on clever writing.

What it asks of you: It runs about an hour and three-quarters and moves at a light, easygoing clip, asking you to go along with its goofiness rather than follow intricate clues closely.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Beverly Hills Cop1984

Eddie Murphy's fast-talking Detroit cop in LA plays the same dynamic from the other side—a looser, funnier presence paired with buttoned-up authority figures. It's the blueprint for this exact chemistry, and Murphy's energy is infectious.

But The action sequences feel dated and the plot meanders. It also trades on Murphy's star power rather than character depth, which won't satisfy everyone.

48 Hrs.1982

Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte's volcanic pairing—a cop and a convict forced together—has genuine spark and invented the template that Dragnet follows. Raw, funny, and the antagonism feels earned rather than scripted.

But The tonal shifts between comedy and serious crime are jarring. Some of the '80s racial attitudes embedded in the script will make you wince.

Trading Places1983

Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd's first pairing is a masterclass in contrast comedy. Aykroyd's fussy precision plays perfectly against Murphy's improvisational energy. It's tight, clever, and genuinely funny throughout.

But The satire of class and wealth feels light compared to what the premise could have done. Some comedy riffs go soft when they should be pointed.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Dragnet

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Andy Griffith Show1960

Dragnet is spiritually a love letter to Andy Griffith's approach to policing—Friday's rigidity is Griffith's decency played at an extreme pitch. Both find humour in sincerity.

Before he was the comedy-cop template, Andy Griffith played Mayberry's Sheriff Andy Taylor—a law enforcement officer who solved problems with folksy wisdom and genuine care for his community. It's the DNA of Friday's earnestness. Visit that source material and see where the '87 film's heart comes from.

But It's a 1960s sitcom, which means the pacing is glacial by modern standards and the moral lessons are laid on thick. If you need plot momentum, you'll find it punishingly slow.

Coming to America1988

Murphy at his most charming, playing an earnest, polite character opposite more cynical forces around him. It's warm and frequently hilarious, with a similar tone of good-natured comedy grounded in character.

But The plot is thin and the second half loses momentum. The comedy relies on Murphy's likability rather than surprise, which means if he doesn't land for you, neither does the film.

Lethal Weapon1987

Mel Gibson's unhinged adrenaline junkie and Danny Glover's exhausted family man create genuine chemistry through contrast. It balances action and character moments, with real stakes alongside the buddy comedy.

But The action can feel gratuitous and the plot is fairly standard cop-movie material. The tone shifts between broad comedy and real violence are sometimes clumsy.

Red Heat1988

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jim Belushi as a Soviet cop and Chicago detective forced to work together. It plays with the buddy formula in unexpected ways and Schwarzenegger's deadpan delivery is genuinely funny.

But The script tries to balance action, comedy, and Cold War politics without doing any particularly well. Some sequences feel padded and the chemistry is pleasant but not electric.

Turner & Hooch1989

Tom Hanks in comedy mode, playing a fastidious detective paired with a slobbery, chaotic dog. It's sentimental in the best way, and Hanks's ability to play exasperation while clearly adoring his partner is the heart of it.

But The crime plot is perfunctory and feels like an excuse to film a man and dog being incompatible. If you're not a dog person, the entire premise might grate.

Twins1988

Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as unexpectedly fraternal twins—pure concept comedy with genuine warmth. It's silly and comfortable, with the kind of easy affection between leads that makes buddy films work.

But The plot and comedy both wear thin. Once you've accepted the premise, there isn't much left to surprise you, and the script coasts.

Police Academy1984

Ensemble comedy chaos where the rules exist to be bent. It's silly without pretense, with a genuine sweetness about misfits finding belonging. Steve Guttenberg and the supporting cast have real chemistry.

But The humour is broad to the point of dumb, and the sequel factory it spawned suggests the premise has limits. It hasn't aged gracefully and relies on jokes that feel dated even now.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang2005

Both believe that buddy relationships can survive and transcend their surface incompatibilities. Both find comedy in earnestness and structure clashing with chaos.

Shane Black's LA noir-comedy about a criminal and a cop's widow, with rapid-fire dialogue and genuine affection between impossible people. It's got the same collision of registers—noir and comedy, violence and warmth—done with more cynicism and style than Dragnet but the same underlying optimism about friendship.

But The plot is deliberately convoluted and some people find the self-aware narration exhausting. It's also considerably darker and more violent than advertised.

Ghostbusters II1989

Aykroyd playing the straight-man anchor to wilder personalities is his superpower. Ghostbusters II shows him doing it against better material than Dragnet offers, but the dynamic is identical—his deadpan sincerity makes everyone else's chaos possible.

Dan Aykroyd returns to deadpan precision—he's the one maintaining systems while Bill Murray chaos-improvises around him. The film is far lighter than the first Ghostbusters, trading on relationships rather than premise, with genuine affection between its exhausted leads finding themselves back together.

But It's a pale sequel to a perfect film and the plot is thinner. Aykroyd gets less to do than he should, and the whole thing feels like it's coasting on the first film's success.