Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson December 7, 2018

Jack Webb's Dragnet was one of the most popular series on television during the fifties and sixties so it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would come calling. But series fans would have to wait two decades before a major feature hit the silver screen. Producer David Permut is credited by co-writer/star Dan Aykroyd for devising the concept for this $18-$22 million action comedy, wich soared to number one at the domestic box office on opening weekend. Legend has it that Aykroyd pens 300-page first-draft scripts and, according to pop culture historian Russell Dyball on this Shout Select disc, Aykroyd churned out a behemoth that was whittled down by co-scribes Alan Zweibel and Tom Mankiewicz, who directed the picture. Mankiewicz told journalist Hal Boedeker that he had to perform "rigorous surgery" on Aykroyd's script to trim it to a releasable length. Mankiewicz and Aykroyd were avowed fans of the original series. Aykroyd studied many episodes so he could try to replicate the mannerisms of Sgt. Joe Friday, the legendary role that made Webb a household name.

Dragnet was produced at a time when both Aykroyd and the younger Tom Hanks were at or nearing their comedic peaks. Casting directors David Rubin and Lynn Stalmaster deserve a lot of credit for pairing the stars as well as for getting outstanding character actors in supporting roles. Aykroyd and Hanks play off each other to near perfection. Aykroyd fills Webb's old shoes with such straight-laced, ultra-rigidity that one would dare challenge him on any of the California penal codes. He delivers voice-overs and dialogue in an august, rapid-fire speech rife with monosyllables. He's the man in the gray flannel suit and fedora who hasn't completely moved past fifties' societal norms. Pep Streebek (Hanks) is the far more laid-back (and unkempt) cop whose hardly a wordsmith. Friday lives with his genial grandmother, Granny Mundy (Lenka Peterson), while Streebek enjoys taking one of the LAPD babes home with him. When the two actually get down to work, they investigate unsanitary and nefarious activities, which lead them to P.A.G.A.N. (People Against Goodness and Normalcy), an underground cult made up of spooks dressed in animal masks. At one of the cult's boisterous rallies, they rescue the lovely virgin, Connie Swail (Alexandra Paul). Also crossing paths with the partners include the skin magazine mogul, Jerry Caesar (Dabney Coleman), and Rev. Whirley (Christopher Plummer), a televangelist modeled after Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell.

Streebek, where's your ID?

Dragnet is a smartly written buddy comedy filled with colorful characters. The writing by Aykroyd, Zweibel, and Mankiewicz is witty and first-rate. The film is also a breezy travelogue through the sunny beaches and dingy streets of LA where Friday and Streebek traverse in their various escapades. Subplots and character relationships get muddled in the process, though. For example, I wasn't quite clear of the wheeling and dealing between Whirley and Caesar. LAPD Commissioner Jane Kirkpatrick, whose loosely based on President Reagan's UN ambassador, Jeane Kirkpatrick, also figures in Whirley's plans but her narrative goals are ill-defined. In spite of the script's shortcomings, this big-screen adaptation of Dragnet is a worthy tribute to the original series. (Harry Morgan reprises his part as Capt. Gannon and receives a fair amount of screen time.)

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

It seems like eons ago when Universal released Dragnet on DVD with a matted 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation in 1998. Precisely two decades later, Shout Select has made the film a charter member of its series (#52 in its specialty catalog). (It has also been released on Blu-ray in Italy, the UK, Germany, Australia, and France.) The movie appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50. The DI is struck from an HD source (likely 2K) made a few years ago. The image is sharp with day scenes appearing very bright. DNR tools have been applied in spots and faces look a bit shiny in the brightly lit scenes. Not all grain has been rubbed out, however. I noticed a nice smattering of grain for shots with low-key lighting and with shots containing blacks and darker hues. When noticeably present, grain structure is solid and well-balanced throughout the frame. Shout should aim for greater consistency throughout the entire presentation. Film artifacts are thankfully kept to a bare minimum. The main feature has been encoded at an average video bitrate of 25994 kbps.

The 106-minute feature has been given the standard twelve chapter markers.

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray of Dragnet comes with the film's original DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1579 kbps, 24-bit). I listened to this mix twice and sound comes exclusively through the front channels. It is a stereo mix and not dual mono. Spoken words registered very clearly to my ears. Walter Schumann's signature main title tune ("Dum dee dum dum...") was revived for the film as well as the "Dragnet March". Both sound robust with good bass and decent range. When Siskel & Ebert reviewed Dragnet, they griped that fuller renditions of the original TV score should have been incorporated in Mankiewicz's film. (They did give it "Two Thumbs Up".) Perhaps they also didn't like The Art of Noise's adaptation but I believe it functions well over the titles and over other sections of the film.

Composer Ira Newborn has become a true master of scoring for comedies, having written music for five of John Hughes's pictures in the genre. His score for Dragnet, while relatively short, is energetic, bouncy, and referential. He riffs John Williams's orchestrations for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Raiders of the Lost Ark, musical nods which also coalesce with the film's cheeky critique of Hollywood action films of the era. Newborn also wrote a sweet love theme for Sgt. Friday and Connie Swail. The light strings and woodwinds are a fine compliment to the very eighties sounding "Helplessly In Love", which New Edition performed. The underscore and ballads (and I'm not forgetting "Just the Facts") sound clean with no apparent source flaws evident.

Optional English SDH are provided through the main menu and are accessible via remote.

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary with Pop Culture Historian Russell Dyball - this feature-length track has Dyball discussing the narrative connections between the Dragnet series and film, production anecdotes gleaned from the filmmakers, and how Dragnet fits within the broad landscape of '80s commercial filmmaking. Dyball is well-prepared and is heavy on the trivia. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW A Quiet Evening in the Company of Connie Swail: An Interview with Co-star Alexandra Paul (25:02, 1080p) - Paul explains how she won the role of Connie and presents her memories of working with Aykroyd, Hanks, and Mankiewicz. In English, not subtitled.

• Just the Facts!: A Promotional Look at Dragnet with Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks (45:59, upscaled to 1080i) - this 1987 TV special divides in two parts. The first excerpts a number of clips from the original TV series and how it mirrored real-life private eye work. The second half takes the viewers behind the scenes of the '87 movie and includes interviews with Mankiewicz and one of the producers. Aykroyd and Hanks host this program from one of the offices on the Universal studio lot. It looks very similar to the one used in the film. The source is a VHS and tracking and mosquito noise have been eliminated. Presented in 1.33:1 with Dolby Digital 2.0 mono. In English, not subtitled.

• Original Theatrical Trailer & Promos - The unrestored trailer shows a scene that was cut from the theatrical version. In addition, there are a handful of TV spots. The first two are unlabeled. The last three are titled "Suspects", "That's the Problem", and Those are the Facts". All are in English and not subtitled.

Dragnet Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dragnet stands up pretty well alongside other stalwart '80s action buddy comedies such as 48 Hrs., Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, Red Heat, among others. Shout Select's Collector's Edition contains a pretty informative commentary by Russell Dyball, a terrific new interview with Alexandra Paul, and an archival TV making-of that's a step above the traditional EPK featurette. The transfer is a bit uneven but the color temperature looks warm and vibrant in comparison to faded prints and the old DVD. In terms of extras, this is the most complete package of the film out there. A MUST BUY for fans of Aykroyd and Hanks.