Sgt. Joe Friday (Aykroyd) is back in action and this time he's after more than just to solve a crime - he wants "just the laughs, ma'am". This time Sgt. Friday has a partner that is just as funny as he is Det. Pep Streebek (Hanks).Dragnet has a great story and quite a few great jokes in it. This movie is not a spoof of the original TV series Dragnet, instead it is a movie based on the TV show but with the added element of good comedy.If you enjoyed the movie Dragnet then you might like other crazy cops (or spies) type of films such as "Spies Like Us", "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid", "Police Academy" "Turner and Hooch" or "The Naked Gun".9/10

A big budget effort to revive the long-dormant TV series with a snarkier, more wise-cracking slant. Dan Aykroyd is in his element as the super stiff, by-the-books Joe Friday (nephew of the original protagonist), while Tom Hanks often feels like he tries too hard as the detective's wacky, off-kilter new partner. The two play their roles well, but oddly don't have much of a rapport and feel like they're more wrapped up in the eccentricities of the characters than what's going on around them. I can't really blame them - the plot doesn't seem appropriate, or even all that interesting. Why stick to the guidelines of a basic detective story when you can dive into the overcomplicated saga of an evil pagan minister with deep political ties and a weakness for sacrificial virgins, I guess? It's a terrible match for the cast, who seem as puzzled by it as I was, and sets the film up for failure before it's even found its legs. Amusing at times, for the most part it's helplessly contradictory, clumsy and often downright grating.

Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Alexandra Paul, Harry Morgan and Dabney Coleman star in this 1987 action-comedy update of the TV series. This takes place in L.A. where we meet square cop, Joe Friday (Aykroyd) who is the nephew of his late uncle, Joe (Jack Webb). Soon, Joe meets new and wild partner, Pep Streebeck (Hanks) and they investigate a series of crimes committed by members of a cult known as P.A.G.A.N. (People Against Goodness And Normalcy. Plummer plays corrupt priest, Jonathan Whirley who is behind it, Paul (Christine) plays Connie Swail, a virgin Whirley tries to sacrifice, Morgan reprises his role as Bill Gannon who is now police captain and Coleman (9 to 5) plays Bait magazine mogul, Jerry Caesar who is basically like Playboy mogul, Hugh Hefner. Joe also finds romance with Connie while on the case. I've always liked this film and think it's underrated. Aykroyd & Hanks are great in it and together. I recommend this.

Dragnet is one of those films from the 80s that you just love. It's laugh out loud funny, and the jokes - mainly the deadpan stuff - never get old. So many of the lines are incredibly familiar, and like films like Top Gun, Princess Bride, Dirty Dancing many people can quote you large chunks of the script. Dan Aykroyd is brilliant as the policing by numbers monologue play by the books guy; similar role to his character in Gross Pointe Blank and there's a little of the Blues Brothers in there too. His comedic genius is playing everything so straight against Tom Hanks' enjoyable over the top, very physical slapstick sort of comedy. Together they are comedy genius both against the foil of Christopher Plummer playing a rather similar bad-guy-but-charming character to a lot of his films - Pink Panther (whichever one it was), Dreamscape etc. Some of the best lines come from Harry Morgan (famed for M*A*S*H) as their Captain.Saddled together as an unlikely pair of partners in the Police Hanks and Aykroyd stumble upon a LA-wide conspiracy involving a prominent man of the church and the Police Commissioner and a group calling themselves PAGANs - people against goodness and normalcy - and there's Connie Swail (Alexandra Paul) the hapless virgin who will be sacrificed in on of the PAGAN's rituals... and Friday and Streebeck (Aykroyd and Hanks) have to get to the bottom of it. Hilarious police procedural, witty one liners, unforgettable scenes, great stunts and car chases and great performances make up this 80s remake and homage to the original 60s series. It's not aged that well and is a little clichéd in terms of 80s films but that is the charm. Love this film - it always really makes me smile.