---
title: "Dragnet: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/dragnet/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/dragnet"
critics_score: 51
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dragnet (1987): what the critics said

Critics' score 51 from 7 reviews: 1 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews lean towards mixed or negative, with praise clustering around the performers rather than the parody itself. Dan Aykroyd’s convincing embodiment of Sergeant Joe Friday and Tom Hanks’s comic contributions give critics something to enjoy even when the jokes falter. Some also credit the film’s affection for its television source, bright dialogue and clever ideas, though these pleasures do not add up to sustained comedy for most critics.

Reservations centre on the shortage of laughs, repetitive disguises and a plot that lets spectacle crowd out the fun. There is disagreement over the sacrifice material: Radio Times identifies the virgin-sacrifice gag as a comic highlight, while the Los Angeles Times faults the pagan-sacrifice storyline and excessive car chases. The spread is fairly wide. Collider supplies the clearest positive dissent, praising the leads’ chemistry and treating the film as an entertaining adaptation that works independently of its source.

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 June 1987. 

The page is inaccessible, so its verdict cannot be verified. No specific praise or complaint can be confirmed from the available text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/26/movies/film-dragnet-parody-of-television-series.html)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2006. 

Newman finds it a fun spoof, though later TV-series film spoofs surpassed it. He praises the clever ideas and Christopher Plummer’s supporting turn, but criticizes the frequent costume-and-disguise routines.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dragnet-review/)

## Time Out — BC

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 

The available description suggests a mixed verdict on the film’s treatment of its central character. It praises Dan Aykroyd for convincingly capturing Sergeant Joe Friday, while faulting the character’s dated sententiousness.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dragnet)

## Radio Times — Tom Hutchinson

Rating 2/5. 

Hutchinson finds the parody short on laughs despite the talents of its leads. He singles out the virgin-sacrifice gag as the film’s most successful source of humor.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-u25qgr/dragnet/)

## Los Angeles Times — SHEILA BENSON

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 26 June 1987. 

Benson finds the film an uneven comedy whose fun gets lost in an overblown plot. She praises the affection for the original show, the bright dialogue, and the performers’ comic moments, while faulting the pagan-sacrifice storyline and car-chase excess.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-26-ca-6586-story.html)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1986. 

The review finds the parody more innocuous than inventive and says its humor is difficult to sustain. It singles out Tom Hanks as the film’s winning wildcard.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1986/film/reviews/dragnet-2-1200427280/)

## Collider — Liam Gaughan

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2024. 

The critic considers the film a very entertaining, successful adaptation that stands on its own. They especially praise the comic chemistry between Tom Hanks and Dan Aykroyd.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/tom-hanks-dan-aykroyd-dragnet/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/dragnet.md