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Dragnet [Blu-ray]
(Tom Mankiewicz, 1987)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Universal Pictures Video: Fabulous Films Limited
Disc: Region: 'B'-locked (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:45:50.385 Disc Size: 24,200,846,938 bytes Feature Size: 23,951,001,600 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.00 Mbps Chapters: 12 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: June 6th, 2016
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1623 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1623 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles: N one
Extras: • Production Notes Cast and Filmmaker's Biographies (text screens)• Trailer (1:28)
Bitrate:
Description: This is the city...and only Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks can save it in this hilarious box-office blockbuster that pays homage to the famed original police drama of the 50's and 60's. Aykroyd is at his comedic best as the namesake nephew of Detective Sgt. Joe Friday. Like his uncle, he's a blue suited, by-the- rules cop who reluctantly joins forces with his footloose partner Pep Streebek (Hanks) to rescue the City of Angles from the machinations of a power-mad Reverend and corrupt Police Commissioner. And those are "just the facts" of this hysterically funny action-comedy. *** No-nonsense Los Angeles detective Sgt. Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd) is partnered with the wisecracking Pep Streebeck (Tom Hanks), a hip upstart cop, and the mismatched duo is ordered to investigate a strange series of ritual killings. Though Friday and Pep do their share of quarreling, they eventually trace the clues to an ominous cult, and the officers interrupt a violent ceremony. Friday then begins a romance with near-victim Connie Swail (Alexandra Paul), but it could hinder his police work.
The Film: The contemporary perspective is even less kind to '50s TV's sententious Sergeant Joe Friday than to Elliot Ness. Aykroyd really has the character down, too - the stolidly purposeful walk, the endless uninflected speeches about decency and proper procedure, punctuated with time checks - but where Jack Webb was little more than the Mount Rushmore of public service, Aykroyd's big soft nellie features and prissy mien trawl for laughs. All of which is wonderful, but little else is. Friday's new partner, Hanks, is not so much a character as an unnecessary intermediary between us and the joke. He is here to point up the risibility of the procedural rule book, so he's been issued with instinct and major dishevellment. Porn king Coleman and evangelist Plummer plan to rig the struggle of good against evil for profit, which somehow involves sacrificing an Orange County virgin on the altar. Entertaining enough, but a pity they didn't draft in more of the Eisenhower context. Excerpt from TimeOut located HERE
Aykroyd, shaped these days like a pizza box, looks the perfect square in
the part of Joe Friday's namesake nephew. He's Friday by the book -- jaw
set in concrete and face locked in a law-and-order stare. Only his
blue-black hairline moves when he is irked by the evils of the '80s.
These include, to Friday's way of thinking, hip new partner Pep Streebek,
pleasantly played by Tom Hanks.
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Dragnet appears to have a serviceable transfer to Blu-ray from Fabulous Films in the UK. It looks significantly better than my old DVD with brighter colors and tighter lines. It is neither glossy nor pristinely sharp but shows some depth and I would guess the 1.85:1 aspect ratio 1080P transfer is a decent replication of the theatrical appearance some 30-years ago. This Blu-ray doesn't make the jokes any better but the 1080P makes it more pleasing to watch.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Pep Streebeck: You probably love this stuff.
Joe: Not
that it's any of your business, Mr. National Enquirer, but I spent a
quiet evening in the company of Connie Swail.
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BOTTOM LINE:
Dragnet is only a good comedy thanks to
Dan Aykroyd's performance and his wonderfully extensive
dialogue.
But
that is enough for me and I have had this on my 'keeper"
shelf (in the form of DVD) for years - now to be replaced with this
Blu-ray.
Aykroyd must be a guy who takes his craft seriously and obviously did some
extensive research for his part. I think it's his best role.
Other than that there are some silly scenes and Hanks is
just tagging along, mostly. I always enjoy revisiting this film
solely for
Aykroyd although Harry Morgan, Dabney Coleman and Lenka
Peterson cue in some good lines as well. It's imperfect but fans who appreciate it as I do - may want to
indulge.
Gary Tooze
April 12th, 2017
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Coming to Blu-ray from Shout! Factory in October, 2018:
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Gary Tooze
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