Sergeants Jack Colt (Emilio Estevez) and Wes Luger (Samuel L. Jackson) team up to investigate a drug ring that's using Wilderness Girls' Cookies as a distribution network.
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 is a 1993 parody film that spoofed the plethora of buddy cop films that came about from the 80s. Initially conceived by Don Holly during his tenure at Walt Disney Pictures, the script was developed by Gene Quintano until Disney opted for another action spoof titled Buddy Cop (that ultimately never got made) putting the film into turnaround where it was quickly picked up by New Line who had acquired the National Lampoon license and intended to make a comedy franchise out of the concept. The film opened at number one at the U. S. box office making $28 million against an $8 million budget and $51 million in total grosses when accounting for international numbers. Despite it's success, critical reception was tepid with many negatively comparing the film to the highpoints of Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker with Hot Shots Part Deux releasing the same year to considerably greater commercial and critical success. Loaded Weapon 1 does score some decent laughs, but it's also often uneven with a lot of floundering gags it refuses to let go and sometimes squandering its supporting cast.
In terms of casting, Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson do a solid job of channeling the archetypes established by the Lethal Weapon series and have decent chemistry with each other. Jackson probably gets a little less freedom to spoof his character with only a few specific moments dedicated to spoofing Roger Murtaugh while Estevez' Colt is given way more time dedicated to his parody than he should especially with a running gag about Claire from his past that starts out amusing only to be brought back multiple times to diminishing returns. The movie goes at a quick clip at only 76 minutes (not including credits) and it never feels like it's lingering on any gag for too long. There's also some amusing appearances by the likes of Tim Curry and Jon Lovitz the latter of whom spoofs the illogical reasons of why Leo Getz stays around past his point. But despite sporting a solid cast the movie does sometimes squander its resources particularly in its inclusion of Dennis Leary who seems like with his manic and intense delivery he'd be perfect for a spoof like this but is killed as soon as he's introduced while William Shatner stays around despite not being all that funny.
Loaded Weapon 1 is the kind of movie that defies a conventional review because it's only concerned with making you laugh without regard to cohesion or narrative. I laughed more than I didn't but not as much as I wanted to. Loaded Weapon 1 has some decent moments but it also pales in comparison to predecessors and contemporaries like Dragnet and the Hot Shots films (which it actually name drops) making Loaded Weapon 1 a movie that's an inoffensive if unmemorable rental.
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 is a 1993 parody film that spoofed the plethora of buddy cop films that came about from the 80s. Initially conceived by Don Holly during his tenure at Walt Disney Pictures, the script was developed by Gene Quintano until Disney opted for another action spoof titled Buddy Cop (that ultimately never got made) putting the film into turnaround where it was quickly picked up by New Line who had acquired the National Lampoon license and intended to make a comedy franchise out of the concept. The film opened at number one at the U. S. box office making $28 million against an $8 million budget and $51 million in total grosses when accounting for international numbers. Despite it's success, critical reception was tepid with many negatively comparing the film to the highpoints of Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker with Hot Shots Part Deux releasing the same year to considerably greater commercial and critical success. Loaded Weapon 1 does score some decent laughs, but it's also often uneven with a lot of floundering gags it refuses to let go and sometimes squandering its supporting cast.
In terms of casting, Emilio Estevez and Samuel L. Jackson do a solid job of channeling the archetypes established by the Lethal Weapon series and have decent chemistry with each other. Jackson probably gets a little less freedom to spoof his character with only a few specific moments dedicated to spoofing Roger Murtaugh while Estevez' Colt is given way more time dedicated to his parody than he should especially with a running gag about Claire from his past that starts out amusing only to be brought back multiple times to diminishing returns. The movie goes at a quick clip at only 76 minutes (not including credits) and it never feels like it's lingering on any gag for too long. There's also some amusing appearances by the likes of Tim Curry and Jon Lovitz the latter of whom spoofs the illogical reasons of why Leo Getz stays around past his point. But despite sporting a solid cast the movie does sometimes squander its resources particularly in its inclusion of Dennis Leary who seems like with his manic and intense delivery he'd be perfect for a spoof like this but is killed as soon as he's introduced while William Shatner stays around despite not being all that funny.
Loaded Weapon 1 is the kind of movie that defies a conventional review because it's only concerned with making you laugh without regard to cohesion or narrative. I laughed more than I didn't but not as much as I wanted to. Loaded Weapon 1 has some decent moments but it also pales in comparison to predecessors and contemporaries like Dragnet and the Hot Shots films (which it actually name drops) making Loaded Weapon 1 a movie that's an inoffensive if unmemorable rental.