Many Tom Hanks Fans Say This Forgotten Comedy Deserves Another Look

Long before Big, Philadelphia, and Forrest Gump made him one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors, Tom Hanks starred alongside Dan Aykroyd in Dragnet. Four decades after its movie theater debut, fans insist the quirky comedy deserves far more credit than it gets.

Dragnet was a slapstick homage to the earlier television series of the same name, and moviegoers still find themselves chuckling over the film’s iconic quotes and comedic scenes.

Fans often admit they loved Hanks doing roles as he had in Dragnet that are more slapstick comedy than most of his more recent work.

“Tom Hanks comedies are an absolute treasure, yes, including Joe versus the volcano. The world lost something when Tom stopped doing comedy,” a fan suggested on Reddit a while back.

Another Dragnet fan on Reddit suggested, “IMO, this is a very underrated film. Not award worthy, but a lot more fun [than] people might think.”

A fan agreed, sharing, “Not sure why this film gets so much hate. I really enjoyed it. Okay it’s not the police procedural of its namesake but it’s fun.”

Many fans remember watching Dragnet when they were kids, only realizing upon rewatching in recent years that there was a lot of humor that went over their heads at the time.

“I’d like to watch this now. It would be such a time capsule,” someone else commented.

When fans discuss which of Hanks’ films is the best, many of the actor’s more serious projects are mentioned first. However, even Dragnet gets mentioned here and there, even if it’s meant a bit tongue-in-cheek.

Dragnet wasn’t in the running for any major film awards, and most people would argue it’s not a standout in terms of Hanks’ lengthy list of impressive projects. Despite that, those who loved the movie in its early days, and still love it today four decades later, maintain it’s a fun film that tends to be overshadowed by many of Hanks’ higher profile projects.