Man, does anyone out there remember when National Lampoon used to make comedies and spoofs like these. I mean now it’s all direct to video, frat boy stuff with little nudity and no name actors. Who the fucks is buying that shit now? It’s really sad when seeing their name attached to a movie meant you were getting a solid comedy with good actors and actresses and didn’t ruin the art of the parody with those “insert parody genre” Movies kids get now. I am starting to sound like an old man, but I am a film lover and I get to make these gripes. Anyways, a spoof on the whole buddy cop genre with stars like, Samuel Jackson, Tim Curry, Emilio Estevez, William Shatner and a whole ton of other cameo’s and guests. I was sold on this movie from the start.
Emilio Estevez stars as Jack Colt, the Mel Gibson-like loose cannon, while Samuel L. Jackson assumes the Danny Glover role as Wes Luger, his exasperated partner. Together, Colt and Luger investigate the murder of Luger’s former partner (Whoopi Goldberg) and discover a criminal conspiracy led by the nefarious General Mortars (William Shatner). ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
The movie itself got savaged by critics, mainly cause the director tried to out Zucker the Zucker brothers who are the masters at the parody game. I will admit, the sight gags, visuals, low brow humor does seem out of place from time to time, but I still enjoyed the hell out of this movie when I saw. In fact, I still laugh at the film and the genre it so lovingly lampoons. Yeah, it goes for the visual gag a bit too much, losing out on subtlety, but as a film fan I enjoy the inclusion of so many different movies and televisions shows into the mix that it just feels like one long running gag and parody of a much bigger cop show/movie.
Listen, it’s dumb fun watching Loaded Weapon 1. It doesn’t take itself serious with the subject matter or even as a movie. It knows what it is, plays in the world it has created and it does it well. I love watching what they can cram in each scene from a parody, gag, visual jokes or even references out the ass to other movies. The cameos are awesome as it is just a parade of “that guy” or “that girl” and even some awesome one off cameos. William Shatner as the lead villain is hammy and delicious, but he does add that over the top gravitas to his role. Sam Jackson just does his thing and plays Sam Jackson.
Overall, it’s a funny movie with good jokes, as low brow as they may be, but it doesn’t take itself seriously. It knows what it is and I can appreciate this sort of comedy. Sure, nothing is going to be like the Zucker comedies of old, but even for a movie that came out in 1993, it is still head and shoulders above the current crop of crap we got.
